Ok, here goes........just joined here about 6 months ago and have stayed pretty quiet but have been looking around a lot. I been planning this build for about 3 years now and it'll prolly take another to get it done but it's gonna be well built with good stuff so I won't be that guy on the trail holding every one up cuz' I brokeded muh truug........

Anyways.....the basic idea of what I got and what I’m planning on doing….

The truck I’m building as it is now…..
91 Extended Cab
currently has a fried A4LD auto.
BW 1354 Electric t-case
Dana 35 front / 8.8 rear –w- different ratios since I fried the rearend and needed a quick fix axle swap
6 inch longarm extended radius arm superlift suspension lift
3 inch body lift

I bought a 93 Explorer Sport 4x4 with a 5 speed manual that runs for $300. I’m planning on taking everything I need off of this truck for the manual transmission and installing it on my 91 so I don’t have to rebuild the trans a 4th or 5th time…..I can’t even remember how many times I’ve rebuilt it now…….This way I’ll have everything I need for the swap right there….for the most part…..plus the Explorer has a new slave cylinder, throwout bearing and Centerforce dual friction clutch which is a plus.

I also bought an 87 F350 awhile back for $1000. It ran but was really tired. It had a leaky 351W, C6 and a BW 1356 Tcase. Front axle was a kingpin Dana 60 and the rear was a 10.25 Sterling. It had a 6 inch suspension lift with 36s on it and a flatbed instead of a box. Well a couple weeks ago, I pulled the flatbed, sold it along with the tires and scrapped out the rest of the truck but kept the lift kit and the kingpin Dana 60 which has 4.10 gears in it.

So you can kind of see where I’m going with this……. J

For the front suspension, I plan on running a 4 link with a solid upper triangle square tubed link with 2.5 diameter air shocks or coilovers if the money comes through. I’m gonna try and set it up so the trucks hood height will be around 60”. The front axle is going to be that Dana 60 I bought with 5.13 or 7.17 gears…..havn’t decided yet. I want to run an OX locker on it. I am going to run hi-steer arms with the tie rod behind the axle and try and run it between the upper and lower links and still try and get it to clear the back of the pig’s pinion. It’ll be an extremely trial and error basis I can already tell, but I’ve seen it done and it makes a ton of sense so I’m gonna try it. And I’d really like it if I could come up with some sort of budget hydraulic assist steering setup. For the rear, I’ve got a GM 14 bolt FF that I plan on running. I’m gonna run either a Detroit or an OX in the rear as well if OX ever makes a locker for the 14 bolt. I’d like to run a linked rear, but I think for the time being, I’ll work on inboarding the rear leaves, which’ll be Chevy 63”rs for max. flex in the rear. I’ve got a BW 1354 E already and a BW 1350 on the way that I’m gonna try and build a doubler out of. If I need to, I might need to get a 1354 Manual instead of using the electric version. That is if D.D. Machine ever does up another batch. For tires, I plan on running Swampers or Boggers in the 40-42” range on either H1 rims that have been re-centered or maybe a set of stazworks beadlocks……not sure yet. I want to keep the 4.0 just because I already have a spare that came with the explorer.

I’ve got a lot of the expensive stuff out of the way already, but still have a lot more stuff to buy. I have some D.O.M. tubing, but I still need to get a lot of the brackets and whatnot. I plan on buying a lot of the stuff through Ballistic fabrication cuz’ I really like their stuff and have heard good stuff about them.

The biggest dilemna with this build is that all of my tools, parts, and the truck are about 250 miles away from where I live now at my parents house so working on the truck is extremely difficult, but I am planning on moving back in with them later on this summer cuz’ I’m going back to school next fall for paramedic class and need to save money big time. I’ll have some pics up soon of the truck as it is now, the parts, etc.

Hope ya guys enjoy…….

BTW, this build is also up over at TRS and on greatlakes4x4.com if anyone cares. Alright, gotta go pick up my drunk roommate from Hooters from the Red Wings party and go see a lady friend at the local pub after that……getting outta work from the 4-midnite shift has its benefits….. :-)

 

PPPPPIIIIIIICCCCCCSSSSSSS

 

I was thinking about that D60/Corp14bolt combo when I do my sas down the road...

Get some pics bro!

 

Ok, some pics....























































Nuff pics for ya? jeeez....There are a couple of me pullin the axles.......which was quite the project in itself...tryin to get the truck up on the trailer without wheels or anything......we basically set it down on some 2x's and put pipe under them and backed the trailer under it and used the chainfalls on the front to lift it up as we backed the trailer under it......worked beautifully.....and it barely cleared the door....

There are a couple more of it when I had 35" boggers on it and a couple more of it with the 32s on it.....I had a lot of fun with it when I had the 32s on it.....really didn't break much and I could really use the **** outta the skinny pedal......soon as the 35s went on tho...**** started breakin.......

I'll get more up ASAP.....