Who has the lowest Explorer

[Stroker15's]

Hey everyone! I just got a 1997 black eddie bauer explorer. I already have some 17x8 epic marquies wrap with 275 55 R17. I want to drop my truck as low as possible. I would like four inches if possible without bagging it. So who has the lowest explorer. What size of rims could you get under it. If you have any pics I would love to see them. Thanks for any help
Tommy

 

[PUR PONY]

I dont know how you plan on lowering it but dont plan on just dropping the front by the torsion twist. Will never be able to align the front end and will have massive a-arm to tire rub. Also with that size tire you will have ALOT of fender rub.... I had fender rub with the same size tires and the EE 1 3/8 drop. Personally i woundnt go any lower then the EE drop but thats just me... I still travel to maine pulling my sled trailer and need some ground clearence......
if you want to go that low... you need some planning and a new suspension set-up... not really sure who makes one for the 95+ torsion set-up... could try belltech

later

 

[Jornum1]

no one makes a drop kit for late model explorers. Not as of a few months ago. I had contacted a few companies and they all said they had no plans of making one. They said there wasnt enough of a market for a lowered explorer. It is possible like pur pony said to lower your truck alot, with blocks in the rear, and by moving the torsion bar. That is how all the show trucks do it. But when you look at their trucks from the front, the tires look like this / \ I think it looks pretty stupid. And if you are looking for performance that is not the way to go. I have seen explorers with 22's on them. They look pretty good. If I had the money I would have went with 20's I think they look great on explorers. Also maybe it is because I have a sport but pur pony said he had a rubbing problem. I had that problem with my stock tires and rims on the front end, and the rear used to bottom out on the rubber stops, but with my 17x8 rims and 255/55/17 tires they havent rubbed yet. I also have eldebrock shocks and the 1 3/4 drop. If you want to go more then that without the camber problem you will have to go custom for now.
Jason

 

[Dannyboy]

I am getting rid of all my lifting dreams! I want to drop my Ex so it sits no more than 1" off of the ground when parked, my hydrolic shocks will raise it an inch or two when it is running, no more rocks, mud or snow hey maybe even no more driveways! I'll still try Attica so I can have the lowest truck there!


APRIL FOOLS

Just kidding, if you want to lower go ahead, I'll respect it but please, I'm begging, don't follow me, Yer bound to get stuck

 

[Jornum1]

Gimp,
yes I know that you can do that with the early model explorers. But the angle is to severe on the late model explores that you cant do it. That is what I was told by explorer express a while back.

 

[Clint]

i have lowered nissans 3-5 with just a torsion drop and fliping the ball joint around for another inch but when we go to the alignment shop they can't get it to specs but thats the way we make the tires tuck the bad thing is u have to rotate the tires alot. i would say u could go down 3 inches without a big problem and then have the alignment shop put the biggest shims in

 

[Jornum1]

Here is a pic I found that shows the camber problem on a dropped show truck explorer. I dont see how you would want this if you wanted a good street handling explorer. I would think it would just prevent all of the tire from hitting the road, thus decreasing your traction greatly.

 

[Clint]

your pic didn't show up for me i am not saying that u would have the best handling x but sometimes people go to far with like 5 inches of just torsion and then they are skying on the front tires but that doesn't happen with 3 inches btw i have never really looked at an explorer torsion bar suspension close up i have been under a bunch but never really looked could u flip the ball joint around for an inch because that doesn't affect anything

 

[Sport96]

well mine was a lil diff.......i had my springs cut...mine is 4x4 so for x-mas i asked for it to be lower with rims.....mine sits about 4½ inches off the ground....i got 18x9 kmc stealths under it with 255/50's on em....looks grat to me....ill get some pics for ya

 

[Alec]

Right now the opening page of www.explorerunderground.com has the lowest Explorer I've ever seen. I don't know how it's drivable. I guess he probably has a bag system to raise it for driving...check it out.

 

[PUR PONY]

I would like to know how the white explorer in snapshots on the explorerunderground got so low. Doesnt look like just and explorer express lowering kit to me-

 

[96Saleen]

i agree with you pur pony, he probably cut the springs in front in order to get it that low. but if you look real close, you can see that the front tires are sitting like this/ \. and, his ride quality is probably not that great. probably very bouncy.

 

[Clint]

it looks like someone finally went over the explorer express 1 3/4 drop the explorer express is way to much money for what they give u and u can go over 2 inches without suffering road handeling btw 96 saleen how could u cut a torsion bar that would be impossible

 

[PUR PONY]

I have the Explorer Express kit on my truck. I do agree it is a rip off for what you get...even thoughwhen i got it 2 yrs ago it was $120.... its worth about about $40...
anyways... I dont see how you can go lowered then the explorer express kit... cause I had my front raked a little and they had to lift it up to align it... unless you really leave it like / \ ... which wears tires and handles like crap.

 

[Clint]

we have nissan with a 4 inch drop whitch is basically the same susp. as an x and the tires do sit like this / \ but we rotate the tires every oil change and it doesn't handle badly at all but if u go with a 3 inch drop take it to a alignment shop and have them align it the best they can and it will almost be unnoticable i jsut don't understand where the 160 for the explorer xpress comes from u can get lowering blocks at auto zone for 20 and alignment shims for 20 i just don't get it

 

[PUR PONY]

the last time I lowered my explorer I made the front even witht the rear... Explorer express blocks.... and the front wont go any lower!!! I loosened the bolts ont he torsion bars til they came out..... it would lower any more....then the 1 3/4

 

[Clint]

when u lowered the truck and took the bolts all the way off did the suspension drop the truck to the ground because if u can only lower the truck 1 3/4 inches than that would be like saying u only have 1 3/4 of up travel until u hit the bump stops which i know couldnt' be true

 

[PUR PONY]

I dont know- when i get some time im going to play around with it a litle more-
ill let ya know
later

 

[Phat-G]

I have a 1996 xlt and I asked a suspension shop around my house about a 4/6 drop and he said he could do it for about $850.00 and I could fit 17's under it. I hope this helps any!

 

[RU MAN]

The Sport Trac ya'll are talking about might have a body drop. I don't know if you can do a body drop with an X and is really costly but if thats what you want it might be something to look into. The only way to really lay the frame is get bags, but again that cost alot. lata