Project 96 Explorer

[Taragon]

Today was rather productive.....and a bit of a neccesity....I had to get the other side of the carport clean before tomorrow!!!

I went back out to Pull-A-Part yesterday and got another clutch pressure plate bolt. Only cost me the $1 to get in, so I called it even. Took a quick trip to AutoZone to trade in an old starter and clutch for a new one....gotta love that lifetime guarantee!!!

So I set to work....

Installed the clutch

Thanks to Alan D...I didnt use the little plastic line up tool they give you with the kit, but instead and old input shaft to line up my clutch.

I also stopped by Lowes on the way home to get some longer bolts to cure my little slave cylinder problem. So I installed it.

Trans installed.

This is not the way to install a t-case. I also installed the trans this way. One day I will invest in a trans jack, but this way just seems so much faster to me.....15 mins, I had both trans and t-case in!!!

So next comes the starter. AutoZone has since gotten rid of the little single wire "plug" and now provide you a wire to crimp and heat shrink. Both the butt connecter to be crimped, and the heat shrink are provided and pre-installed on the starter. (sorry it a kinda blurry pic....I am too close to it for the camera to focus very well)

So with the trans all taken care of and the stock x-member temp. installed to hold it till I build the custom one that includes the radius arm mount, I moved to the rear axle.

Still didnt find any 1/4" plate to make the u-bolt plates out of.....though it doesnt matter cause I dont have the correct measurments to fab them up till the axle is in place, so I decided to simply sandwich the rear axle against the leafs so that I can take all my measurements and such.

First thing to do was swap the leaf pin bolts. Got new ones from B'ham spring. (Think they gave me a set long enough to go through the leaf pack?)

And though the pic doesnt show it well, they are slightly larger diameter then the stock ones. And yes, they still fit through the pack with no mods, just some wiggling.

So I eyeballed the axle under the srings, propped it against a block of wood, and used a floor jack, and a small block to lift the spring. Slid the block under the pin, and lowered the jack. It worked, but it spit the block out the second I removed the wedge. So I redid it, left the wedge in, and used two small wooden "pads" to put more pressure on the springs. It worked this time!!

 

[MountainMike]

I just relized something....you use a FRAM filter too!!!!!

That looks like a FRAM high mileage. While the cheapo FRAM's are notorious for crappiness. The full synthetic and High mileage filters are actually pretty good filters, competitively speaking.

 

[Taragon]

The filter is whatever the previous owner had on it. I havent changed the oil or anything yet. I pretty much brought it home, parked it, and got to work.

 

[Taragon]

So today was rainy, and crappy, and I had a few things to do before I could spend time on the Fat Bitch.....so I didnt get anything done really...just the rear u-bolt plates templated out and ready to cut tomorrow.

But 1st, 2 quick comparison pics of the OLD u-bolt nuts and the NEW u-bolt nuts. Quite a bit of beefiness difference between the 2!!!!

Setting up the bolts so I could take measurements. (laugh if you want, but the axle is sitting too low to slide a jack and a piece of wood under it to put pressure....so I did the best I could with what I had, and it worked perfectly!!! Actually better than I thought it would!!)

So I took some measurements, and finished off a 1/2 case of Mt Dew. Used the box to cut out a few rectangles, and began drawing out the "mock" plates.

This was the 1st attempt.

Turned out to be too close across the spring.

Re-measured, re-cut, still no joy!!!

This was the 4th attempt.

I took each measurment 4 times!! Then set the paper aside, and measured again. Compared all 4 pieces, has the same measurements, so I cut it out and gave it a try.

PERFECT FIT!!!!

I'm gonna cut them out tomorrow!

 

[RangerSVT]

Hey Chris, did you drop this project too, whats up man?? Where's the updates?? It's been a week, I know you got something done, right, what gives?? Whats the excuse this time??

 

[RangerSVT]

To the members watching this thread, Taragon's computer had crashed about a week ago, so updates will come as soon as he gets it fixed
SVT

 

[jovibuilt]

anything new?

 

[RangerSVT]

I'm pretty sure his comp is still crashed, I'll have to buzz him and get some info on this...
SVT

 

[jovibuilt]

Saw he was online yesterday.Anything new?

 

[r1hatman]

Nice build!

 

[Taragon]

The weather is warming up, so updates will be coming soon. I have to lower the radius arm mounts 2" and try again on the mounting.

I also am in the works of doing a 5.0 swap. But to be honest, I will wait till I get the 4.0 running again before I do that.

 

[alabamaranger]

Nice build, still have the extra TC?

 

[Taragon]

Back to building. Lots of things have happened since the last post.

-Had to trade the front D60 and now has a D44 with 8-lug flat top outers.
-Radius arm mounts have been welded on.
-Spring plates have been fabbed, cut and bolted on.

Still need someone to weld up my trac bar mount. (Calling Fred!!)

Have come a long way, will post pics this coming monday

 

[Bennybooster]

why trade a 60 for a 44?

 

[Taragon]

The 60 for 44 trade was actually for the whole entire truck and another D44

And the D44 was already set at pinion angle and such. I hated doing it, but since I odnt have anyone to do any welding, I have to be resourceful or I'll have to abandon the build!!