Explorer 8.8" and Leaf Swap

[drummerduker]

My vehicle is a 1987 Ranger Extended Cab and I have a very interesting question about a particular swap....

I've read that the Explorer Leaf packs are very similar in the size of the mounting locations etc. and this seems not to be too hard of a swap. I've also read on the many modifications required to the 8.8" Rear from an Explorer in order to get it to fit properly in a stock Ranger fashion.

One modification to get the rear and the leaf to fit in is to flip the center bolt on the leaf pack (due to the ranger mounting location on the rear) and then to do a similar mod the the rear (flip the spring perch) so that the bolt will mount the rear in a similar stock fashion on the ranger.

However, if you had swapped the Rear and Leaf Pack from the same explorer into the ranger wouldn't you not have to worry about flipping the mounts and bolts? It would be like the DJM Rear Flip Kit yet already prepared by Ford. I realize that the shock mount location on the rear end will still need to be fixed in order to install the shocks.

This seems to me that it would work for an easier swap of the rear and to provide a better ride quality, but I figured I would try to find some veteran advice first. Any thoughts???

 

[jwsewell]

The explorer leaf mounts are under the frame rails not on the side of the frame rails as the ranger leaf mounts.
The Explorer frame rails flare out at the rear and are wider than Ranger frame rails.
This is why Ford mounted the axle over the leaf springs.

That being said you can bolt up the Explorer leafs to the ranger mounts BUT the Ranger will sit lower than it did before.

The only way to mount up the Explorer axle and keep the same ride hight is to mount the Explorer axle under the leaf as the Ranger axle is, (relocate perches). Just mounting the explorer axle over the Ranger leafs will lower the ride hight about 4-5 inches.

Depends on what you are trying to accomplish here...............

Be sure to check all the info. in the tech. section!

 

[drummerduker]

Actually the 4" drop or so would work perfectly!

The truck is a 2wd and I was hoping to drop it 3" in the front and 4" in the back anyway! Thanks! Can't wait to go to the junk yard now!

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

It'd drop 5" if you just mounted the expo axle as designed...above the leaf. I'm talking stock ranger leaf here too....essencially a free flip kit. If it's too low for you, Get yourself a Belltech 6400 shackle and use the 2nd from the bottom hole for about 3/4" of lift.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

If you use Explorer leaf springs it would drop it a little less than with Ranger springs because Explorer springs usually give about a 1"-2" boost in Rangers...

 

[mhughes165]

Actually the 4" drop or so would work perfectly!

The truck is a 2wd and I was hoping to drop it 3" in the front and 4" in the back anyway! Thanks! Can't wait to go to the junk yard now!

i will warn u, as someone that has done this before, this is a VERY cheap and easy way to slamn a ranger on its nuts, the only thing u have to watch out for, u will want some heavy load control shocks in the back of it, i picked up a set of air shocks and ran them at 150psi, because othewise the axle will bottom out on the frame, u dont have this issue on a explorer because the leafs are directly under the frame, which gives u about 4" more room from the frame, so u lose that 4" in a ranger, and which is why rangers are spring over from the factory to make up the difference

 

[li7in6]

It'd drop 5" if you just mounted the expo axle as designed...above the leaf. I'm talking stock ranger leaf here too....essencially a free flip kit. If it's too low for you, Get yourself a Belltech 6400 shackle and use the 2nd from the bottom hole for about 3/4" of lift.

I'm thinking of doing a disk brake 8.8 swap out of a explorer on my ranger. If i wanted to keep the leaf under configuration of the 8.8 and keep it at a similar to stock ride height, or possibly a bit of lift. Could I Use that shackle in conjunction with the explorer leafs to make up for the loss in height. The only cutting/welding would be to move the shock mounts?

 

[Beanmachine7000]

I'm thinking of doing a disk brake 8.8 swap out of a explorer on my ranger. If i wanted to keep the leaf under configuration of the 8.8 and keep it at a similar to stock ride height, or possibly a bit of lift. Could I Use that shackle in conjunction with the explorer leafs to make up for the loss in height. The only cutting/welding would be to move the shock mounts?

4-5" of lift from a shackle seems a little extreme to me...

 

[li7in6]

4-5" of lift from a shackle seems a little extreme to me...

It was said there is ~5" drop with ranger springs sprung under on a 8.8

Assuming the 1-2" of lift you said from using explorer springs, in this case it would only be ~3-4" lift from the shackle.

On my Frontier, its not uncommon for people to use shackles for 2-3" of lift.

What are the disadvantages from using too much shackle length?

 

[Beanmachine7000]

It was said there is ~5" drop with ranger springs sprung under on a 8.8

Assuming the 1-2" of lift you said from using explorer springs, in this case it would only be ~3-4" lift from the shackle.

On my Frontier, its not uncommon for people to use shackles for 2-3" of lift.

What are the disadvantages from using too much shackle length?

Using Explorer springs in place of Ranger springs will net you 1/2" up to ~2" depending on how bad your springs are sagged and and the weight of your truck...

 

[RangerSVT]

If you want stock height, you will have to spring over, no way around it, the explorer leafs net your ranger 1-2", but only if in spring over, they are designed to run spring under, and will net you zero lift in this configuration. I have done the explorer axle swap in both my lowrider and my 4x4, you net about 4" drop if unbolt the explorer leafs from the exp and bolt into the ranger, leaving the axle bolted to leaf in spring under, if you weld perches ontop of the axle and do spring over, you'll gain about 2-3" lift, depending on your perches. I repacked my ranger leafs with the exp leafs, giving me a 6 leaf pack, giving me an additional 3.5" lift, as well as extra payload without sacrificing ride quality
SVT