1999 Explorer Sport SAS

[griz700rocket]

I'm hoping to have it done by mid april. Trying to decide what to do for a steering box right now. I have the one from the 79 and I read up on how to reverse the direction but man is that thing huge. Would be easier to pick up a yota box but I hate to put foreign parts on my rig.

 

[griz700rocket]

Ended up going with a yota box for space concerns. Got the frame plated and steering box mounted. Decided to reuse the stock F150 steering linkage for now so I needed a different pitman arm. Called parts mike last friday and they took my name number and email. Still haven't heard back so I decided to just make my own. Box end is toyota and the rest is the stock 79 arm. The drop should be about an inch less than the Toyota was stock.

 

[Ford78]

Looking good!
Check with all pro off-road, for steering arms or sky off-road for Toyota steering arms.

 

[griz700rocket]

No pictures but I made some progress last night. Took my stock power steering pressure line to a local farmer that makes hydrolic hoses and had a new end put on to fit the yota box. Figured out my steering shaft also. Ended up reusing my stock shaft but flipping it end for end and mating it to the yota rag joint/u-joint. Also got my locker installed in the front D44. The new axle seals should be in today and new brake lines in the next couple of days. I believe that's all I am waiting for to be able to get it sitting on the front end to test out flex so I can figure out my shocks. Then it's on to swapping in the Ford 9in in the rear. Going to wait on driveshafts till last thing and hope I don't run into anything major with them.

 

[griz700rocket]

Haven't updated in a bit so here goes. Finished up putting in new seals and locker in the D44. New calipers, new rotors and all new brake lines. New radius arm and 7 degree C bushings. Then got it all mounted and tacked the track bar mount in place. I'm waiting to get everything in place before I take it to my friends shop who is a welder to let him burn it all in.

Pulled it outside and turned it around to make it easier to get to the rear axle. Looks a little funny with the stock tires still in the back.

Got the 8.8 pulled out. Test fitted my 2wd F150 springs and figured out the short shackles I made for when I went SOA are too short and bind up. Also got my transfer case swapped to a 96 model. Wired up the speed sensor and measured for a front drive shaft. I picked up a front drive shaft for a expedition and it's going to work out but need shortened a little.

Old stock mono-leafs were shot.

Tonight I'm going to cut the SOA mounts off the 8.8 and use them for the Ford 9in that going in. My friend has already spoken for the 8.8 for his jeep that is SUA so he won't be needing them. Luckily for him I left the stock SUA mounts on it.

Ordered 10in travel bilstein shocks for the front (part number BIL33-185552) and hopefully I'll get the 9in mounted tonight and can measure for rear shocks. I still need to figure out what springs to buy for the front. The ones that are in there I got from PlumCrazy when I bought his narrow D44 and I'm pretty sure they are actually TTB springs. I'm waiting to see how the rear ride height works out to give me a better idea what length springs I'll need.

 

[griz700rocket]

Made good progress this weekend. Friday evening I got the 9in mounted up and rear drive shaft figured out. Ended up using the back half and the 79 and the front part of the explorer shaft. Splines matched up and length was close enough to work at least for now.

Here's how it sits currently.

Here I have it hanging from my hoist in the back and on a jack in the front. Approximately where I want it to sit in the end.

Loaded up and headed to get all the brackets welded up.

I'm running 16in compressed 26in long bilstein 5125 shocks in the front and the radius arms were binding when the shocks were at 24in so we ended up tilting the radius arm brackets down a few degrees so they bind at the same time the shocks run out of travel. Also decided to move the axle back 1/2in as the tire was rubbing on the steering box at full lock to the right.

Here you can see from how compressed the shock is that my current springs even at full droop are severely limiting travel.

Just checking rear suspension travel so I could figure out what shocks to go with. Ended up ordering 14in travel bilstein 5125 (part number 33-185576). I don't think my rear will flex that much but at least I won't be limited by shock travel.

Here again you can see how the front only flexes a couple inches per side. I have some taller coils that came with the axles I'm going to swap to for now. They are a stiffer spring than the orange ones in the picture but at least it will set more level until I figure out what springs I want to order for the front.

 

[griz700rocket]

Snapped a few more pics as I was working last night.

Side shot of steering setup.

Front

Tires are still tucked under pretty well with full width axles but rims offset to the outside.

 

[griz700rocket]

My new front springs came in yesterday and I got them installed. Went with Rubicon Express RE1358 7.5" Coil Spring for Jeep TJ/XJ. These springs are a little different design on the top but with a little work I got the retainers on them. Sets much more level now. I had the front bumper off so I could weld a new crossmember in the front but after I got the bumper back on it's within 1/2in front to back. Measured side to side and it looks like I'm about an inch higher on the passenger side so I still need to address that sometime. I have the drivers side coil bucket 1/2in lower than the passenger side but I guess that wasn't enough. Anyway on to what everyone likes.....pictures.

At this point the drivers side shock is bottomed out. I have the shock mount as high as I could get it without removing the inner fender.

My rear shocks haven't came in yet but I don't think they will limit travel at all like the front is.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Those coils even stiffer than I thought....I figured under an Ex they would give more than that....

 

[griz700rocket]

23 inch spring and ended up 20 at ride height which was really close to what I was thinking.

 

[dirtcowboy]

Nice job.

 

[96firephoenix]

bump for a nice ride, but why the heck did the forum mark this as recently updated on my machine? maybe the one above this was updated and I just clicked the wrong one.

 

[griz700rocket]

Thanks for the comment. I've mostly just been enjoying it since my last update. I did install a new adjustable drag link because the joints on the one that came with my axles were shot.

Took it down to a offroad event near Ziegler, IL last weekend. Took most of the trails they had but mostly just cruised around and watched the big boys tear it up.

Got to hang out with Scott and the rest of the "Sail" crew.

https://goo.gl/photos/yTQstYLKwYxkw4QU9

Short vid of him tearing the rear end out of "Ammo Can" a truck he just finished building.

https://goo.gl/photos/REriTfGRZfeDyYdRA

 

[PlumCrazy]

Looking good! Curious to see how narrow 036speed can get his Mounty on 05+ FWs

Sent from XT1030 using Crapatalk

 

[griz700rocket]

Little update. Mostly have just been enjoying wheeling this rig but took some time to swap out rear leaf springs last night. I was running the top two leaves from a mid 90s F150 but some spirited play in 2wd had put a good kink in them right in front of the axle perch. So I swapped in a set from a 4 door explorer minus the overload. It doesn't flex quite as much in the back but overall I think the ride is better. The front bushing on the F150 is solid rubber where on the explorer it has some holes in it. I think its a noticable difference on rough/choppy terrain.

And since everyone loves pictures here's a shot I grabbed when I moved it out of the way so I could mow the yard last week.

And here's a shot of a bumper my welder friend is working on right now. It's going on his 2011 F550 welding truck. He's taking it today to be bedlined in white to match his truck.