SAS front suspension ideas

[Shran]

Need some input. I am going to SAS my 2 door Explorer in the near future. I will be using a full width D44 from a '76 F150 and a full width 9". Will be running 36" TSLs...that is the biggest tire I want to run.

I will probably need about 4-6" of lift to clear the tires. I am planning on losing a lot of sheet metal around the wheel wells. Totally fine with that, would rather have a low center of gravity since this will be primarily a rock crawler rig. Rear will just be leaf springs.

Front suspension is what I really need input on. I already have a SAS rig with factory 70's radius arms and coil springs. It works fine but has some durability issues (bushings mainly.) I want something better that I don't have to rebuild every year. So naturally I am leaning towards a link setup of some sort and coilovers/air shocks/struts/etc instead of coil springs:

1: Coilovers? ORIs? Nitro shocks? What and why?
2: Links - what style? 3 link? 4 Link? Radius arms/long arms w/ track bar?

Clearing the engine crossmember with the front diff is a major concern of mine. I am about 95% sure I will cut it out and reinforce the frame so that I can keep the suspension height lower. Having that out of the way may make a 4 link easier to do.

 

[dvdswan]

Everyone has their favorite setup. Is one better than the other, meh, they each have pros / cons and each is different.

Coilovers and linked. I would link the rear as well. 4-link would be preferred but a 3-link would suffice. This is now my favorite setup. I can use the truck as a daily and it drives like a dream and performs excellent off-road. I have about 5" of lift on 35s. I have 12"/14" coilovers 3-link front/rear on mine and love the abilities that I have.

IMO, I would look for a 72-77 bronco d44. They are narrower than full size (obviously) and would fit the explorer better (personal preference). Make your own set up so you can decide the length of arms you want, placement on axle/frame. Some universal kits can allow for this as well.

If you are trying to keep a low center of gravity and ground clearance also, you could add portals to the axles. Now that would be cool.

 

[Shran]

I want the full width axles because I feel they add a stability factor in off camber situations. I had an EB Dana 44 in my Ranger, the problem with them is that they are all low pinion. I replaced it with a narrowed high pinion 78/79 D44.

The rear will probably end up with a link setup eventually. Just using leafs for now because I have them...quick and dirty... the front is my main worry.

This truck will not be on the street much and probably trailered to where I am going to wheel it at. Durable and wheel travel are my two goals.

Kinda looking at the 4 link kits from RuffStuff and their radius arm kit... It would be nice to not need a track bar but handling at high speed is not a concern so I am open to that route too.

 

[dvdswan]

Portals add a clearance and 2:1 ratio. Just sayin'...

 

[bobbywalter]

Early Bronco axles suck...low pinion and the pumpkin offset is crap....and you need aftermarket shafts...

But I do like the narrow for comparatives..

You have to inboard the radius arms to retain good steering with the eb axles.



But stock arms do pretty well if dialed in for low trucks.


Duff has a real nice arm setup ...but it retains the bushings. Really impressed with them. Seen quite a few explorers and eb running them. For the money they are hard to beat from what I have seen.


Mine are low. Stock bronco springs

And the ranger runs k5 rears on the front

They are very low....36 on the b2....but can fit 38

I can run 44s on the ranger ..but run 42.

 

[Shran]

I am destroying a set of NAPA C bushings about once a year in my Ranger. Ironically those are the best ones I've used... the poly bushings from Bronco Graveyard and Duff and elsewhere just crack and blow out almost immediately. They are just such a pain to replace. I'd like to get away from bushings entirely, the idea is that this Explorer will get wheeled harder than my Ranger has been and the bushing issues have been my #1 failure point on that truck.

I will probably end up with RCVs in the Explorer. I really like them in the Ranger.

 

[Roert42]

Have you considered oil lite brass bushing instead of Polly or rubber?

 

[bobbywalter]

I am destroying a set of NAPA C bushings about once a year in my Ranger. Ironically those are the best ones I've used... the poly bushings from Bronco Graveyard and Duff and elsewhere just crack and blow out almost immediately. They are just such a pain to replace. I'd like to get away from bushings entirely, the idea is that this Explorer will get wheeled harder than my Ranger has been and the bushing issues have been my #1 failure point on that truck.

I will probably end up with RCVs in the Explorer. I really like them in the Ranger.

Then I would go with a 05 plus super duty axle.

 

[Shran]

Have you considered oil lite brass bushing instead of Polly or rubber?

They look like these... I am pretty much stuck with them on the Ranger, the 78/79 D44 axle in that truck is the limiting factor. If I wasn't dealing with the cast on wedges there I would go a different route. But it's either poly bushings or rubber from NAPA and they both suck for a wheeling rig.

Then I would go with a 05 plus super duty axle.

If I was starting from scratch I would absolutely go that route. IIRC starting in like '14? they were even better...much bigger U joints, etc.

I want to use the D44/9" because I have them, they cost me nothing, are easily modified, and already have 5.38 gears installed. And they're relatively light and fairly bulletproof with aftermarket shafts.

 

[Roert42]

They look like these...

Like what


That's stupid.

 

[ryan]

Not a fan of air shocks personally. If money was no object i'd get ORIs just for the lateral stability they have vs coilovers. But even just going with coilovers is more pleasant than linked/coils/shocks in my experience.

Move the front axle foward to clear the crossmember if you're already going to link it

 

[bobbywalter]

If they are geared....then for what your saying ..do the ruff stuff links

 

[Shran]

I have a local buddy who is an ORI dealer. I am sure he would get me a good deal on them and I know he uses them a lot in his buggy shop... but they also use coilovers a lot too.

Planning on moving the axle forward at least a couple inches. I would do more but I'm not sure I want to jump into hydro steering right away and the steering box location may cause issues. I guess I could move it though or run a different box. I am kinda worried about the driveshaft and crossmember having clearance issues if I go too far forward but maybe it won't be a big deal. The differential may end up under the frame rail anyway, I am anticipating that happening based on where it is located on my narrowed axle.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I have a buddy with a grand cherokee with a C bushing Ford front axle that he extended the stock radius arms and put a pivot a few inches behind one of the bushings, I think he's still running the same set of red poly bushings he put in over 10 years ago...

I plan to go about the same height on my Explorer, my plan is to go spring over in the back then build the front suspension to that height... yeah, linked would be nice but the leaves are already there...

 

[bobbywalter]

Yeah...my bushing are just now breaking....they are 10 years or so ...track bar bushings about every year though....and I drove the shit out of that bronco a few years when I first moved back to Detroit....to west Virginia and New York and Kentucky...working.



My ranger is about 3 inches forward

If you go to a sag gear outside moving forward more then 3 inches won't matter.


But dealing with the rotten ass bolts on those arms is coming soon ....wish I did it every other year now...