explorer conversion 2wd to 4wd

[68Mercury250Ranger]

I am looking at buying a 1992 Explorer 4door 2wd with a nice body, actually it has its original rockers and gate in good shape, nice interior and a low 190,000km on it.

I already have a 1994 explorer 4x4 with lots of new parts, runs drives great but body is beyond repair.

I was thinking of swapping over all the 4wd parts to the 2wd chassis . I had an idea " switch bodys and save the 2wd chassis for spare bits"

Anyone ever done this on an explorer? seems logical to me?

Any ideas/ opinions/pitfalls/ experiences /input , apreciated.
Thanks in advance.

 

[mjonesjr]

The Explorer 2wd to 4wd swap is as simple as the Bronco II 2wd to 4wd swap. Look up my how-to on www.broncoiicorral.com .

It can be done in 8 hours.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

The Explorer 2wd to 4wd swap is as simple as the Bronco II 2wd to 4wd swap. Look up my how-to on www.broncoiicorral.com .

It can be done in 8 hours.

You do need a 4wd transmission with an Explorer swap, unlike a BII...

 

[68Mercury250Ranger]

You do need a 4wd transmission with an Explorer swap, unlike a BII...

Exactly..... found that out today when I heard it run and drove it around a bit. Picking it up Saturday or Sunday.
$300 runs great and come with excellent michelin tires on J#$* rims.

leaning towards swapping bodys and putting in a bodylift while its apart. will see what happens next

 

[04sd]

The Explorer 2wd to 4wd swap is as simple as the Bronco II 2wd to 4wd swap. Look up my how-to on www.broncoiicorral.com .

It can be done in 8 hours.

That's not true. A D35 is not a bolt in swap on a 2wd Explorer and you'd need to swap in a 4x4 trans.

Best bet would be to swap bodies on the frames.

 

[snoopdoggie]

I'd go body swap.

 

[68Mercury250Ranger]

That's not true. A D35 is not a bolt in swap on a 2wd Explorer and you'd need to swap in a 4x4 trans.

Best bet would be to swap bodies on the frames.

Seriously? I thought the D35 would bolt in where the twin I beam comes out.

I mentioned to the seller what I was doing with it and he is giving me a pair of "coil spacers" for the front. sounds wierd to me but he drives a big yellow explorer 4x4 and its definitely been used. and I've had zero experience with them so?

keep up the input guys

editicking it up Sunday 2pm , had to be deflected to my workplace, my dad said "no more vehicles on the farm" oops.

 

[snoopdoggie]

The pivot bracket for the passenger side beam has to be switched. It is the one attached to the crossmember under the motor. It's not a bad job when there is no motor in the way but not much fun from underneath. It is riveted in places and requires a bit of grinder work. I switched a BII from 2WD to 4WD and the tie rods were different lengths too. Also I am pretty sure that the brake hoses are different for 2 and 4 wheelers. The spring buckets have different shaped openings in them where the hose attachesso the hoses are made to fit.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

As long as you have the entire front assembly including the passenger side pivot bracket it's relatively easy (compared to a Ranger)... Yes, you will need 4wd steering stuff too...

 

[68Mercury250Ranger]

Well here is an update with good and bad news

Good first rove it about 20miles to the shop with the wife following(she had not seen it before) and no problems, went down the road excellent noisy exhaust that I already knew about . Only problem I noticed was a cracked windshield.

Bad news: Wife would like it fixed up for her to drive. D'OH! It sucks but she deserves it. She is happy with her 95 Taurus wagon but it won't be able to pull the travel trailer this summer anyway and a 2wd explorer will.

so it looks like the rusty 94 4wd explorer will end up getting used as is. I do have a new lead on a 5spd expl with manual case and posibly some 16" steel rims to fit so that was a good consolation prize anyway.

Thanks for the input guys, but keeping the wife happy is good sometimes too I guess.

 

[mjonesjr]

Best bet would be to swap bodies on the frames.

Hmmm, swap bodies or transmissions. Rethink that and get back to me which one would be easier.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

That's not true. A D35 is not a bolt in swap on a 2wd Explorer and you'd need to swap in a 4x4 trans.

Best bet would be to swap bodies on the frames.

Yes it is... You just need to pop off the passenger pivot bracket and and install the 4wd one...

 

[04sd]

Hmmm, swap bodies or transmissions. Rethink that and get back to me which one would be easier.

1st, I was wrong about the D35 bolting in.

It's the trans plus other stuff. But he said he had a good '94, 4x4, with lots of new parts, only problem was rotted body; and a good '92 body only 2wd. I still think I'd swap bodies. Assuming you have the tools and a decent garage to work in it's not that bad of a job. Some of the dealers actually lift the bodies off of new SD pickups if they need to pull the diesel engine out for repair or replace. If you wrench on your truck in the driveway with a toolbox you can carry and cement blocks for jack stands, well that's another story

 

[68Mercury250Ranger]

AHHHH....

the 5spd explorer I looked at was an electric case, and 3.27 open 8.8.

I was told it had manual Tcase and 4.10 limited slip. Not Quite glad it was only 1/2hour away.


I will keep looking. it was only $250 but was just about rotted into the ground, literally