maybe getting a 91 exploder... swap???

[spdcrazy]

i have a friend that says he will give me a 91 exploder.. i know the rear end has to be an 8.8 right? even if its 2wd. and if its a 4wd (which i think it is) it will have the dana 35 to replace my dana 28 in my 87 bII... am i right so far?

so what engines did they come with? i know 4.0 was an option. plus if is it a 4wd, what tranny would be behind it? prob one of those fm145's or 146's? or would it be a m5od? i have the toyo tranny on my 2.9 now, but it won't bolt up to a 4.0 would it?

sorry i have read the threads on the engine swap but its all a little blurry for me.

 

[kunar]

it is a 31 spline 8.8 out back and a d35 up front if its 4wd. it is a 4.0 (the only engine that year) and its either an m5od (manual) or an a4ld (auto) and your trans will swap. the 2.8, 2.9 and 4.0 share bell housing patterns. sounds like you got yourself a sweet deal, just check the gearing in the axles, explorers are known to have really crappy gears most of the time.

 

[spdcrazy]

as long as the gears aren't lower than 3.73's i'll be happy for a week or so.. haha. i plan to do this in three stages if all goes well.

first i'll get ready for the engine swap and pull the 4.0 and my 2.9. and finish the swap..

after i make sure she runs i'll swap in the rear axle in a weekend after i prep it with the perches and some welds and paint.

after that goes ok i'll do the front suspension swap for the d35.. then i'll work on gears. again.

thanks for the knowledge... i'll look for the codes on the rear axle and check them with our tech library...

 

[mhughes165]

the most common exploder gearing was 3.27's

 

[kunar]

wirings gonna be a bitch... the wiring on an explorer has everything routed differently than a ranger. i have a 4.0 from a navajo to go in my truck but im afraid of what wirings gonna do to me

 

[spdcrazy]

wirings gonna be a bitch... the wiring on an explorer has everything routed differently than a ranger. i have a 4.0 from a navajo to go in my truck but im afraid of what wirings gonna do to me

ya i'm kinda worried bout that too. but from what i have read, there won't be any splicing to do. just plug and play with where to put the wires as an issue. i'll take a look at it and if i don't feel comfortable doing the swap i might have someone around here do it. if i have the money for it. as for the axles, i think i can handle it. prob run with the 7.5 and d28 untill it breaks (within a week) then swap that out..

 

[kunar]

ya i'm kinda worried bout that too. but from what i have read, there won't be any splicing to do. just plug and play with where to put the wires as an issue. i'll take a look at it and if i don't feel comfortable doing the swap i might have someone around here do it. if i have the money for it. as for the axles, i think i can handle it. prob run with the 7.5 and d28 untill it breaks (within a week) then swap that out..

if you use the wiring from a 2nd generation 4.0 ranger.... then it will all plug and play. but if you use the wiring from the explorer and put it in your ranger (or b2) there will be a ton of reworking to do.

 

[MAKG]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why not just use the Exploder?

They are reasonably capable, especially the 2door version.

Is it thrashed?

 

[mhughes165]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why not just use the Exploder?

They are reasonably capable, especially the 2door version.

Is it thrashed?

probably because he already has the bII lifted and the way he wants it, just needs to upgrade the weaker parts....

 

[MAKG]

Bronco II lifts can be used on an early Exploder with strictly less work. The axle has to be converted to spring-over either way, and then it's all brackets.

Exploders take much less offense to large rear-end lifts as well.

With this route, he also gets all the options. Exploders typically come loaded (power windows, power locks, tilt steering, cruise control, sometimes premium sound).

 

[mhughes165]

Bronco II lifts can be used on an early Exploder with strictly less work. The axle has to be converted to spring-over either way, and then it's all brackets.

Exploders take much less offense to large rear-end lifts as well.

With this route, he also gets all the options. Exploders typically come loaded (power windows, power locks, tilt steering, cruise control, sometimes premium sound).

weight has alot todo with it aswell, explorers weigh quite a bit more then that of a bII, and odds are, if hes gettin it for free, SOMETHING is wrong with it, u dont get something for nothing anymore

 

[BlackBII]

Besides, an Explorer is nowhere near as COOL as a BII

lol

gross and his exploder, trying to rule the world

 

[MAKG]

Actually, my previous RBV was a 1986 Bronco II with a Duff Stage 1 lift on it and manual everything. It was quite a capable vehicle for what it was, but a major drivetrain/rewiring job seems not worth it.


And FWIW, "Explorer Sport" short-wheelbase vehicles in the first generation are effectively Bronco IIIs. They don't weigh much more than a Bronco II. The 4door ones do (and the wheelbase is substantially longer), but whether or not that matters is a function of intended purpose.

 

[BlackBII]

Hmmmmmmmmmm

Why not in that case take a BII body and put it on the 2 door exploder frame?

4.0 +dana35+8.8+BII equals

 

[Todd]

If you plan on swapping the axles do gears and lockers while they are not under the truck. Doesn’t make much sense to me to install them then install gears in the 8.8 under the truck and having to take the front third out. Or taking them all out again.