Fixing the steering on the town bike ('97 Explorer SAS)

ZMan · Sep 10, 2009

This is my buddy's '97 Explorer. He got it a couple of years ago from Ryan and its just sat since. A little over a month ago we decided we were finally going to get it driveable again. The steering was pretty much f***ed. It had a Ranger steering box mounted pretty hokily (is that a word?), welds were breaking, the frame was cracked, the steering box leaked, it was in dire need of some TLC..

Day we got it in Jersey City..

At my house..

The old crap..

ZMan · Sep 10, 2009

I started by making an engine crossmember..

then I took this piece off of a spare B2 frame I have..

and made it one with the explorer frame..

partially done..

and completely done..

Now all I need to do is get the "new" steering box in and that'll be done. It has a stock pitman arm on it also so the trac-bar/drag link angle should be pretty close to the same.

Then all it needs is the fuel line repaired where we ripped it off trying to replace the fuel filter. We fix one leak (near the fuel rail), and create another, ugh.

ryan · Sep 11, 2009

looking good - are you gonna do the body work to fill up some of the holes on the body?

glad to see nico decided to get it back together

ZMan · Sep 11, 2009

ryan said:
looking good - are you gonna do the body work to fill up some of the holes on the body?

glad to see nico decided to get it back together

I think all we're doing as far as body work is putting another hood on it. I'm also going to paint the drivers door white to match the passenger door, then we'll put some big sherriffs stars on it, lol.

ryan · Sep 11, 2009

nice

toss an old school cop light bar on it and you're really set

JohnnyU · Sep 11, 2009

Lee, I think a hydraulic assist cylinder on the steering would help reduce some of the force that the box/frame sees. It's a common problem on the 73-87 Chevy 4wd's, and pretty much everything else with huge tires and a light-duty frame. Just a suggestion, looks pretty good otherwise!

I'm anxious to see that thing get wheeled again.

ZMan · Sep 11, 2009

JohnnyU said:
Lee, I think a hydraulic assist cylinder on the steering would help reduce some of the force that the box/frame sees. It's a common problem on the 73-87 Chevy 4wd's, and pretty much everything else with huge tires and a light-duty frame. Just a suggestion, looks pretty good otherwise!

I'm anxious to see that thing get wheeled again.

Thanks, thats definitely been discussed, but I have no idea when and if that'll get done. I guess we'll see how it does! We plan on taking it to Pottsy's Halloween Run.

ryan · Sep 11, 2009

hydro assist would definitely help, even if it's just a ghetto forklift version, and the power steering pump has the desirable reservoir and stuff IIRC

i looked into it but it wasnt worth it to me to fix the truck

does he still have the CJ or is nico gonna get rid of it?

ZMan · Sep 11, 2009

ya he still has the CJ. I actually found him an AMC 258ci out of an old DJ-5 meter reader Jeep with 60k miles for it, just gotta find a tranny. Probably gonna fix her up and make it a decent streetable truck. He keeps talking about selling them both and getting a TJ though.

ZMan · Sep 12, 2009

put the steering box back in today for the final time hopefully. As you can see I used stock bolts, rather than bolts/nuts like it was before.

I also bought a new lower radiator hose. The stock hose rubbed the steering box really bad, and I was not a fan of that at all. I'm not sure what exactly this new hose is for, but I got it because it has a nice 90* bend. I trimmed about an inch off of the end after the 90*, and 2.5" off of the water pump end. As you can see it fits perfect now! If it didn't have the plastic loom around it it wouldn't touch the box at all. It does rub the trans lines slightly, but I'm not too worried about it.

ryan · Sep 14, 2009

damn, i never even noticed that it rubbed on the hose before

i think the explorer drivetrain into the CJ would have been pretty bullet proof, but that's just me i guess. 1 explorer with a beat to crap body but a good drivetrain, 1 jeep with a great body/frame, but a worn out engine = one sweet rig...

ZMan · Sep 14, 2009

thats what I told him!

The steering box was actually crushing the hose more than it was rubbing it lol. It was a tight fit.

ryan · Sep 14, 2009

ZMan said:
thats what I told him!

the cage is too nice on it to just let it be a DD

zainyD] · Sep 17, 2009

Nice job on the frame repair. It was NASTY before!

I just noticed that front bumper, Holy approach angle killer!!! Anyway you could modify it to sit back closer to the grill so that it didn't stick out so far?

IMHO you should find a new fender for it too since you'll be doing a new hood anyway. Explorers are usually a dime a dozen in the junkyards.

ZMan · Sep 17, 2009

it'll probably get a different bumper. Everyone, including the guy who actually built the bumper, hate it..the only one who likes it is the guy who owned the truck at the time, lol.

Fixing the steering on the town bike ('97 Explorer SAS)

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