Just a history and a question.

[ArcticOffRoadr]

Well it's been over a year since my last post and boy have I worked on my [i]Lil Hoss/I] as he is now affectionately named. I wound up not getting the old car alarm pulled and it's still in there taking up space but here is a list of things I have done since.

Last winter we had a week or so spell of -60 degrees and my radiator fluid froze solid. Needless to say I had it good for about -50 but with that cold sap EVERYTHING was freezing. Heck, it wouldnt even start even after being plugged in all night, I had to light some charcoal and let it cook then set it under the block to warm it up enough to turn over. So, with it being so cold I got away with cutting the water pump belt and running it the 12 or so miles to the hobby shop. Got a new pump from NAPA and after letting him sit overnight to thaw the fluid I drained it and replaced the water pump and hoses. Made it through the rest of winter.

Summer time 09... I had by now saved up enough money to get the 3" suspension lift from James Duff. Now I am learning as I am going. Everything I know about my Lil Hoss is from getting in my Chilton's, getting in the hobby shop on base and getting dirty. It's a pain in the a** but I can do it all blindfolded almost now! I had some leave to take and decided to put the kit on during that week. I am glad I had a week!! What a job!! Rivets are the devil! Drilling, sweat, blood, DIRT, Cursing, Rust, Sparks, Cursing, DIRT, grease...frustration, put on, take off, drilling, measuring, DIRT....happiness...Cursing! Lots of pics of that one. Soooo, 3in lift on and talk about FLEX.

Well as you all may know but I found out the hard way when you put that kind of lift on your steering gets a little whacky. I had been pricing new rims and tires on Tire Rack and found the ones I wanted but decided with the first snows now hitting (it's October by now) that I needed an allignment first and foremost. Talked to my trusty gear head friends and decided to run down to a local shop and have it done. Ok. Took it there and they called me back later that day and told me the bearings and seals and ball joints needed replaced before they would even touch it. They could do it but it would cost me. I said no thanks and decided another learning opportunity was on the horizon. They wound up charging me $65 bucks for the look and putting a new castle nut on my tie rod... REALLY?!

I rebuilt the enitre front end. Bearings, seals, dropped the diff and cleaned it out (this involved dropping the pass side traction beam from the new drop bracket because the diff wouldnt clear it..pissed me off..the fluid looked like chocolate milk... not good), took me a day and a half but at the end...I was very pleased.

So not wanting to go back to the rip off joint I decided to go to Midas. Reputable right?Midas called me with a quote of over a grand. Told me I needed to replace the pass side ball joints and install a new camber adjuster bolt and then do the allignment. I said no thanks and went to get my feelin no love Lil Hoss. Luckily MIDAS decided not to charge me for the "look" and instead gave me a the inspection sheets and the costs sheet. $25.96 for "shop supplies"?! Really? Ill do it myself thanks.

When I got into my Chiltons bible I realized that I would have to tear apart the pass side front end again to replace the ball joints. I had quite alot of choice words to say as I read this but decided to get a third opinion. I went to my friends at the hobby shop and talked to Rick, own his own shop, runs the hobby shop on base,... He is my Obi Wan Kanobi. Rick helped me check the ball joints and said I didnt need to replace them. The pass side was so minimal that it was just fine as it was. The drivers side had no tire wiggle at all. Yay for me! He then helped me adjust my tires and I learned the meaning of "toe-in" and "toe-out". Apparently my tires had been fighting each other and that was the major steering problem. I adjusted to his instructions and an hour later left the shop with greatly improved steering.

After reading online... ALOT... and talking with my gear head friends... ALOT... I decided to go to Tire Rack and look at tires and rims. I wanted the biggest tires I could fit at a decent price and some decent rims (nothing flashy as I plan on getting them REALLY DIRTY). I found what I wanted and printed off the sheets..even had pictures! I had heard of a place in Fairbanks from another friend and decided to go there to see if they could match the price. American Tire and Auto. These guys are great!! I worked with Anthony and after some checking he told me he could match the price and do the allignment. The tires I wanted retail up ehre for $265 a piece. I got them for the Tire Rack price of $160. Rims? About a hundred a piece.

Today (4 November). I just got back from AT&A. 33X10.5R15 BFG Mud-Terrain T/A KM2 and 15" Ultra Wheel rims. Computer allignment for $65 and Lil Hoss is running and looking amazing!

Next up? Gotta get beter gears in the rear cause I DEFF notice the difference (thinking 8.8 explorer?) and also thinking about selectable lockers. Any ideas?!

[88_Eddie]

i got an idea....PICTURES....you need to change the gears in the front also. def throw in an exploder 8.8.....can't remember what front axle a 90 comes with, but if its a D28, i'd change that out too

selectable lockers are expensive, ARB is prob the best known

[ArcticOffRoadr]

The only problem I see with the Explorer (from what I've read) is that I need to change the spring and shock mounts. Apparently the Explorer has spring under and BII's and Rangers have spring over. I dont know how to weld... YET, and dont want to have to pay alot to get it done. But what has to be done has to be done.

Yeah I have the D35 in. Was lucky :-) Dont think Ill need to change that... and yeah ARB's are pricey but I really want the flexability of being able to switch on and off... especially up here in Alaska during the winter with the snow and ice. After all the work I have done I deff dont need to be laying on my side.

[88_Eddie]

yeah, you will have to change the spring perches. not only do explorers have spring unders, i think they're frames are also a tad wider than a BII. i doubt it would cost too much to get a shop to weld them on for you if you figure out your measurements and pinion angle before you take it in there. when you redo the shocks, i'd make sure that they arent hanging down below the axle like they are on stock BII's.

as for the ARB, i agree....if i had the $$$ i'd put them in my BII, i'd love to have on board air as well

[adsm08]

I coulda had a selectable locker 3.73 8.8in and D35 3.73 cheap. Couldn't take them tho, no money to pay for them, no where to put them until I can get them on the truck. I wanted them so bad too. Maybe they'll still be there when I get the money/storage to take them

[trail B2]

I bought the very same tire and I really like them I think they'll be good in the snow the 12.5 are to wide for so light a car in the snow seems to me.My friends really like the ox locker its simple no more things to buy like a air compressor[like an air leaker] and when its not locked it's completely open I can see the cable freezing up there though but what would'nt.

[ArcticOffRoadr]

So I ve got about 250 miles on my tires now. It's pretty much been snowing since I got them and the roads are nice and iced over. These tires are GREAT!!!! Minimal sliding on the ice. Havent even used my 4 wheel drive yet to get traction when I start and stop. The only time I slid a bit was taking a sharp turn just a tiny bit to fast but they recovered really well. The deep tread throws snow in lovely rooster tails. I would buy these again in a heartbeat!