Exploder A Class Race Car

1stgenxxx · Jan 22, 2011

I just bought a 96 explorer to race in the A class of the East Coast Off-Road Racing Series. This was bought from a friend for cheap....just to have a good time.
Its got the 302/4R70W/crap ass awd case. 134k on the ticker.
It was an insurance deal so no title...but runs and drives awsome.

1stgenxxx · Jan 22, 2011

My plans are....
Strip the interior, loose the doors and hatch...build a cage and simple front and rear bumpers
(this racing has lots of contact)
56" ford rear leaves/trac bar/cut rear floor for shock mounts
weld the 8.8
33" mts or SX's
swapping in a 4406 when the AWD dies
The rules state that the front has to remain torsion style ifs....So the big question is
How can I strengthen the IFS....What are common things that break?
steering components...brackets...a arms...ect

kunar · Jan 22, 2011

sounds like fun. be sure to keep this thread up to date!

1stgenxxx · Jan 22, 2011

Ive got 300 bucks in right now....the seats are going to cost more than I payed for the explorer

Will be getting Corbeau Baja SS seats....Ive got some mismatched harness that I can snake from my toyota

Original_Ranger84 · Jan 22, 2011

You may be able to swap F150 arms onto the explorer or something. Not much can really be done with the IFS. I suppose you can always weld on some extra support for the A arms or something.

1stgenxxx · Jan 22, 2011

Original_Ranger84 said:
You may be able to swap F150 arms onto the explorer or something. Not much can really be done with the IFS. I suppose you can always weld on some extra support for the A arms or something.

What are the differences between the cv's and center sections? How strong are the steering components?

Original_Ranger84 · Jan 22, 2011

I actually know nothing of the IFS system other then you can't really do anything with it. I heard the thing about f150 parts swapping out over on FRF but I don't trust their tech knowledge as much as I do here.

1stgenxxx · Jan 22, 2011

Original_Ranger84 said:
I actually know nothing of the IFS system other then you can't really do anything with it. I heard the thing about f150 parts swapping out over on FRF but I don't trust their tech knowledge as much as I do here.

Im new to the ranger/explorer world....what is FRF?

Original_Ranger84 · Jan 22, 2011

Its Ford Ranger Forums, the other ranger site but I find more people do appearence mods and the like over there.

TeamExploder · Jan 22, 2011

Get professional grade ball joints and tie rod and tie rod ends for your truck. If you're planning on 33's if you're doing racing then I'm guessing you don't want too high of a truck so I would do a TT and shackle on it and break out the sawzall or do a slight body lift along with the tt and shackle but will still require sawzall treatment if you keep the bl 2" an under.

1stgenxxx · Jan 23, 2011

Original_Ranger84 said:
Its Ford Ranger Forums, the other ranger site but I find more people do appearence mods and the like over there.

this thing can look like a rolling shit stain for all I care....I just want it to hold up

Original_Ranger84 · Jan 23, 2011

1stgenxxx said:
this thing can look like a rolling shit stain for all I care....I just want it to hold up

Haha yeah its just a racer, No i meant they do mostly appearence mods over there from what I can see and i wouldn't trust the tech info from them like the f150 suspension.

--weezl-- · Jan 23, 2011

i KNOW that the chevy 1500's from the mid to late 90's? had torsion bars on them... you might be able to adapt 1/2 ton suspension to be on it, not so much for the spring rate, but for the durability, i would think 1/2 ton running gear on a small truck would be stronger than the stock stuff... but i don't know...

sawzall for sure, you said you are putting new leafs in, so i don't know if you will need the extra lift of a bl... and if you don't care how it looks, hack them right up!

you say racing, so i assume you mean fast speed, in which case i wouldn't do the longer shackles, they add flex and a little height... they kinda make your springs softer, because of leverage... but not really... and with speed i wouldn't think you would want extra flex... the 56" springs should give you enough for what i think you are doing...

essentially, with the shackles, leaf spring fully "compressed" is the same position, regardless of shackle length, but the truck sits higher when the spring is bent...

as for your cv's they aren't the greatest, but they are ok... i'm not sure what you mean by center sections though...

if you are all on dirt/gravel/what ever, welding the front diff might be an option too... but i don't know if it would help your situation...

because you said there's lots of contact, an exo-cage might not be a bad idea for a little armor... not sure if it's allowed within the rules though

i would also take out the rear windows to save on weight

1stgenxxx · Jan 23, 2011

--weezl-- said:
you say racing, so i assume you mean fast speed, in which case i wouldn't do the longer shackles, they add flex and a little height... they kinda make your springs softer, because of leverage... but not really... and with speed i wouldn't think you would want extra flex... the 56" springs should give you enough for what i think you are doing...

as for your cv's they aren't the greatest, but they are ok... i'm not sure what you mean by center sections though...

if you are all on dirt/gravel/what ever, welding the front diff might be an option too... but i don't know if it would help your situation...

because you said there's lots of contact, an exo-cage might not be a bad idea for a little armor... not sure if it's allowed within the rules though

i would also take out the rear windows to save on weight

There are rock sections where the rear flex will help me a lot...considering the front is going to suck. I can add a good sway bar to reduce body roll.

Welding the front diff would be legal but it would make the explorer drive like shit...I have a Toyota on Tons with a welded front....and it sucks ...can't turn fast enough...even with hydro assist.
I'm going to do sliders and an inside cage, maybe a good skid for the t case
All glass will be removed except for the windshield

--weezl-- · Jan 23, 2011

ok cool, your sway bar will limit your flex, i would sway the front, but not the back, that's how my truck came stock, i dd it with no links on the front bar

make sure you get a bar so you don't toss a leg out the door if you roll... or do halfdoors welded in place or something

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