My Explorer project...

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

1994 2 door 4x4 4.0, 5 speed, push button t-case, 35 front, and 8.8 rear. The wheels and tires are 15x10 Primes with 265/70/15 tires, the front two are matched Yokohama's and the rears are unmatched tread but the same size. I got the wheels and tires for like 400 bucks and they had 3/4 tread on them. It has 148,000 miles on it and still runs strong. 4 1/2 years ago I bought a 5.5 inch Superlift kit for my 94 Ranger that had an identical drivetrain in it. Well I gave the Ranger to my mom when I moved to Florida and drove my 90 Cummins Dodge down. Fast forward to 2009 and while I was in Iraq working as a contractor me and my dad decided we needed to buy something to put the lift on as it was brand new setting in the box. I told him to find a 94 Extended cab Ranger or 2 door Explorer with a 4.0 (or a 2.3 cause I can get ALOT of race car parts cheap locally) with a 5 speed. I talk to dad the next day and low and behold he found one at our buddy's used car lot. Got it for 1500 bucks and they put a new water pump in it. It needed a new A/C condensor so dad put a new one in and some other small things. I got to find a good source to get a new set of rocker panels for it as the ones on it are shot cause it was originally from Pennsylvania...

Stock...

Stock with tube front bumper and box tubing rear bumper...

Tear down and assembly. Its a pain in the ass to do when your doing it by yourself...

Front lifted. I had to heavily modifiy a set of Ford Superduty brake lines so I didn't have to buy aftermarket ones...

Lifted but still needed the new lower shock tabs welded onto the axle, the rear sway bar mounted and the alignment...

On its maiden voyage with its new front bumper. I plan to make some type of grill guard for it eventually. It needs the alignment finished and and the rear sway bar put back on. I need to adjust the emergency brake cable also, it hangs up occasionally when you hit the brakes at low speed and locks up the left rear tire. Once I find a front center section with 3.73 gears and a rear axle with them I am going to swap it in, cause right now 30 inch tall tires is all those 3.2X gears want. I have a set of 33 all terrains, a set of 33 inch mud terrains, and a set of 35 inch all terrains I can mount on them, I just got to decide what tires I want to run, it will probably be the 33 inch AT's...

Some questions?

How did you do your rear sway bar?

Why does this thing waller around when driving straight down the road?

I'm gonna guess the front springs are going to sag some? I hope so cause right now I got all the camber in it that my balls joints will allow and its barely enough.

What did you guys do to stiffen up the rear springs, they are horribly soft, I am using the stock shocks with new shock brackets welded to the axle?

Will the road walk and occasional death wobble go away after the front springs settle and it gets a good alignment?

It will squawl the front tires if turning sharp at any speed...

It will death wobble and squawl the tires if I go over a hill or unload the front axle at any decent speed...

 

[CountryBoy78]

Looks like a fun project you have there. Where did you buy the lift kit from?
I am looking for a cheap lift for my 94 4door ex.

I would leave the rear swaybar off, but if you want it back on I think you will have to get longer links or there might be some drop brackets for it.

I think why your Ex is wobbly on the road is you need to get a alignment done and from the pictures you might need a longer pitman arm. Your tie rods should be level. I think guys on here are using the Skyjacker FA600 pitman arm.

The rear springs are probably worn out and need to be replaced, you could put a add a leafs in and that will stiffen them up. Mine need to be done too.

There are other guys that can maybe give you some better info but I'll give you my 2 cents

Oh when you get time and money get rid of those auto hubs and get some pics with the 33's or 35's on it:icon_hornsup: Talk to 4x4Junkie on here he is a TTB pro.

 

[country0001]

Good to see someone showin an ex somelove.Nice truck

 

[BLOODBANE]

On my 94, 4dr, I just left the rear sway off. It(the kit)came with longer links, but they interfered with the rear shocks. I do run the front sway though. If you aren't running a 4" drop pitman I would agree that could be the cause of your death wobble. I don't have anything like that on mine. I also agree with ditching the automatic hubs and investing in a set of WARN hubs. They aren't bulletproof, but the auto's will leave you without 4x4(especially when you need it the most)

 

[Bennybooster]

Also run mud tires, I would probably put on the 35's myself, and I would convert the rear to SOA.



And it looks really nice, good work

 

[4x4junkie]

Why does this thing waller around when driving straight down the road?

I'm gonna guess the front springs are going to sag some? I hope so cause right now I got all the camber in it that my balls joints will allow and its barely enough.

What did you guys do to stiffen up the rear springs, they are horribly soft, I am using the stock shocks with new shock brackets welded to the axle?

Will the road walk and occasional death wobble go away after the front springs settle and it gets a good alignment?

It will squawl the front tires if turning sharp at any speed...

It will death wobble and squawl the tires if I go over a hill or unload the front axle at any decent speed...

Yeah I can see it right there your steering linkage is all jacked up and out of phase with your front suspension.

As CountryBoy suggested, get the Skyjacker #FA600 drop arm on there and it should handle much better
(not to mention your tires will also last a lot longer too).
You could also go with a custom linkage of some sort (modified Superlift Superrunner kit, Stonecrusher y-link,
something home-built, etc.).

 

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

Looks like a fun project you have there. Where did you buy the lift kit from?
I am looking for a cheap lift for my 94 4door ex.

I would leave the rear swaybar off, but if you want it back on I think you will have to get longer links or there might be some drop brackets for it.

I think why your Ex is wobbly on the road is you need to get a alignment done and from the pictures you might need a longer pitman arm. Your tie rods should be level. I think guys on here are using the Skyjacker FA600 pitman arm.

The rear springs are probably worn out and need to be replaced, you could put a add a leafs in and that will stiffen them up. Mine need to be done too.

There are other guys that can maybe give you some better info but I'll give you my 2 cents

Oh when you get time and money get rid of those auto hubs and get some pics with the 33's or 35's on it:icon_hornsup: Talk to 4x4Junkie on here he is a TTB pro.

I got about 600 in everything and that includes the SOA on the rear, rear lower shock mounts, and the front Superduty brake lines. 200 plus dollars seems to be alot too me for a Pitman Arm when I can spent 280 more and get the full swing set steering setup from Superlift...

Good to see someone showin an ex somelove.Nice truck

Thanks.

On my 94, 4dr, I just left the rear sway off. It(the kit)came with longer links, but they interfered with the rear shocks. I do run the front sway though. If you aren't running a 4" drop pitman I would agree that could be the cause of your death wobble. I don't have anything like that on mine. I also agree with ditching the automatic hubs and investing in a set of WARN hubs. They aren't bulletproof, but the auto's will leave you without 4x4(especially when you need it the most)

I am running the pitman arm that came with the 5.5 inch kit. The automatic hubs will be done away with when I swap to the 95-97 dual piston calipers and I plan to use the heavy Dana 35 lockouts.

Also run mud tires, I would probably put on the 35's myself, and I would convert the rear to SOA.
And it looks really nice, good work

The rear is SOA. The only reason I don't want to run mud tires is there is no mud around here and mud tears stuff up, and what mud there is, you wouldn't get through it with 35x15.50 Boggers and a nasty small block let alone a set of normal mud tires and a stock 4.0. I have never once got stuck if the soft sand with those 30's and I ride for miles on unmaintained trails, its all about wheel speed and flotation. Plus right now until I find a 95-97 4x4 4 cylinder truck so I can get the dual caliper brakes and 4.10 front center section and rear axle I am not getting in a hurry to throw big tires on it...

Yeah I can see it right there your steering linkage is all jacked up and out of phase with your front suspension.

As CountryBoy suggested, get the Skyjacker #FA600 drop arm on there and it should handle much better
(not to mention your tires will also last a lot longer too).
You could also go with a custom linkage of some sort (modified Superlift Superrunner kit, Stonecrusher y-link,
something home-built, etc.).

Remember that pic was taken before the springs had had a chance to settle and before my partial alignment was done. I got to take it over to the race shop one day this week and put the toe plates on it and see how far out the toe is then set the camber on it...

 

[4.0B2]

shouldn't matter if the springs settled some or not... the steering is still to angled. i'd recommend the stonecrushed or homemade something like it but w/ TRE's.

other than that, waiting for updates! subscribed!

 

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

shouldn't matter if the springs settled some or not... the steering is still to angled. i'd recommend the stonecrushed or homemade something like it but w/ TRE's.

other than that, waiting for updates! subscribed!

In theory, actually it does matter, if the tires are like this / \ due to sagging springs then it can raise the axle mounting point in relation to the steering arm mounting point making it flatter cause there is less height from the frame to the axle and the same goes if the tires are angled like this \ / due to taller springs, it will create an angle that puts the tie rod at a different plane cause there is more space between the frame and axle...

 

[4x4junkie]

In theory, actually it does matter, if the tires are like this / \ due to sagging springs then it can raise the axle mounting point in relation to the steering arm mounting point making it flatter cause there is less height from the frame to the axle and the same goes if the tires are angled like this \ / due to taller springs, it will create an angle that puts the tie rod at a different plane cause there is more space between the frame and axle...

There's way too much angle on that steering linkage, it's not gonna settle to straight. Simply put, your pitman arm is too short.

If you haven't seen this yet, take a look through here which explains exactly what's happening:

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/winter2008/steering_tech.htm

 

[Bennybooster]

Also the 93 up 4cyls have a hybrid d35, d35 outers with d28 inners, you don't want that however I think the explorer sport have 4.10s

 

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

There's way too much angle on that steering linkage, it's not gonna settle to straight. Simply put, your pitman arm is too short.

If you haven't seen this yet, take a look through here which explains exactly what's happening:

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/winter2008/steering_tech.htm

Oh I know there is nothing I can do. I am just going to buy the Stonecrusher steering eventually or build one myself...

 

[mhughes165]

honestly i would add a spring or two to that rear pack while the new centerpins are still good to remove, it will level it out alot maybe a slight rake forward, you sitting low in the back like u will can reak havoc on your steering aswell, keep in mind ever degree lower u are in the back is another degree alingment will be off on the front...

and ya, the skyjacker arm would solve all your problems, or like u said spend the money on a stonecrusher system or something of that nature

 

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

honestly i would add a spring or two to that rear pack while the new centerpins are still good to remove, it will level it out alot maybe a slight rake forward, you sitting low in the back like u will can reak havoc on your steering aswell, keep in mind ever degree lower u are in the back is another degree alingment will be off on the front...

and ya, the skyjacker arm would solve all your problems, or like u said spend the money on a stonecrusher system or something of that nature

The springs have settled some and I think its still got a little to go. I got some of the alignment dialed in tonite. I never put new center pins in the spring packs. There is a set of longer shackles on the rear that someone installed before me and I may drop the springs down a hole to see if it helps. I may do some measuring and see if I can get some stock (off another vehicle) parts to work on it with a little modifying. I am going to take my stock passenger side drag link and weld a saddle to it like the Stonecrusher System uses and make as piece of driverside drag link that is longer and goes to the saddle instead of the hole close to the pitman arm. I plan to make it useable with all stock tierods...

Stock steering...

What I want to do...

Some pics from out in the swamp today...

 

[4x4junkie]

That's essentially what the Stonecrusher's geometry is like, so that should work well.

You MIGHT still need the larger SJ drop pitman arm though if it still wants to do a side-side wiggle through dips at intersections (you are up pretty high it looks like), though what I would do it try it on the arm you have now first and see how it drives, then go from there.

 

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

That's essentially what the Stonecrusher's geometry is like, so that should work well.

You MIGHT still need the larger SJ drop pitman arm though if it still wants to do a side-side wiggle through dips at intersections (you are up pretty high it looks like), though what I would do it try it on the arm you have now first and see how it drives, then go from there.

It has to work better than what I got now, I will go to the junkyard and buy a steering setup off another Explorer and modify it to my needs so I don't end up with a totally screwed setup if this don't work. On the driver side tie rod I will just cut it in half so the stock half is still connected to the knuckle and extend it with some thick wall tubing and on the other end I will put a bung and a heim to connect to the saddle I'm going to build. I wish I could keep from having to use heims but I would rather only use 1 than 4 in the system...

 

[4x4junkie]

A guy on here (Snowthrower IIRC) years ago built one using 3 stock draglinks, and used all TREs.

What he did was cut the tapered hole part out of one draglink and welded it onto his stock draglink in such a position so that he could then take yet another (3rd) draglink and use it as his driverside tierod.

The setup was a bit ugly, but it worked quite well.

There were pics of his setup on here at one time but I seem to recall they were lost in one of the forum changes we had back around '07.

 

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

A guy on here (Snowthrower IIRC) years ago built one using 3 stock draglinks, and used all TREs.

What he did was cut the tapered hole part out of one draglink and welded it onto his stock draglink in such a position so that he could then take yet another (3rd) draglink and use it as his driverside tierod.

The setup was a bit ugly, but it worked quite well.

There were pics of his setup on here at one time but I seem to recall they were lost in one of the forum changes we had back around '07.

I am going to buy a new driver side tierod and go to the race car supply house and see if they got any threaded or swedge tubes that will work with them...

 

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

***UPDATE***

Neighbor is giving me a full width 44 and 9 inch out from under a SASed S10 that he is going to scrap with a set of 15x10 aluminum wheels, just for rebuilding two carburetors for him.

Front...

Rebuild with new seals and bearings
Regear to 4.56 to match 9 inch that is already geared to 4.56
Limited slip or aussie locker
1 piece coil/control arm mounts (similar to these but not from Ballistic)
http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Flat-bottom-radius-arm-coil-mounts_p_1184.html
"Y" style tube radius arm setup with heims at the frame and bushings at the axle
Heimed cross-over steering.

Rear...

Rebuild with new seals and bearings
Install locking differential of some type
"Daytona" pinion support
Swap to disk brakes.

The money I would spend correcting the steering on my Explorer will buy most, if not all, of my parts...