Hello all,

I have a '98 Explorer Sport XLT, all options, V6 5.0L. I am planning a round the USA: Key West, Cabo San Lucas, Prudhoe bay , Alaska. A year long sabbatical - no work!!

Anyway, I have to live low, camp in atent and eat rice and beans everyday to make it work. I'm staying remote nationnal forest sites most of the time.

I want to modify my Explorer with a small (1-2 inch) lift kit, some anti-sway bar stabilizers, new suspension, and load levelers. I have no idea where to start, who makes good parts, etc.

Any ideas, comments, recommendations?

 

V6 is a 4.0...

1-2" huh, start by doing a Torsion Twist of 1.5" for the front. Then install a set of Warrior shackles for a 1.5" lift in the rear. Next install Pro-comp add-a-leafs in the rear for 1" more lift. Through a set of 31x10.5R15s on it and you are up about 2-2 1/2" from stock. Then install a set of Rancho RS9000 shocks(with or without remote pump, your choice).

 

Thanks a lot!

what about anti - sway bars?

 

The ones on the Explorer are good enough and the add-a-leaf and Tortion Twist will stiffen your ride up a little too.

 

your coming up here?

what inspired your trip?

 

Inspiration is that Working for a corp. sucks, mainly. Got to get off these steam roller tracks and re-group somehow.

I have a hard core engineering job and if you don't watch out, you wake up and find 10 years has got behind you, and the things that you care about during your workday - in the big picture - don't matter that much. There has to be more to it than working for weekends and 2-3 weeks of vacation a year until you're 60 - 65. I want to do something while my knees and other vital parts are still functional. Maybe the economy will pick back up and I can get a job when I get back too.

I'm taking out the back seat of my Explorer Sport, putting a board across the wheel wells in the back, building a slide out drawer under that board, sticking a Thule topper on the racks above, putting new lift, load levelers, suspension on the thing, selling the house, putting what I need in a storage unit, selling everything else, keep some funds in a bank for re-entry in to the world after a year or more, and driving off Summer '04. Taking two tents, ultimate camp gear, built in water tank/filter, etc.

It's amazing how little it costs to live in a tent, follow the spring to fall weather North to South, do some winter time in Baja for real cheap living to extend your money, stay in the USFS nat'l forests for free for up to 2 weeks. You end up healthy from the diet and exercise too. Of course, I have no kids, just a willing wife, willing to sell my house and everything else, and have saved money like banshee for 2 years. So it's a unique situation that allows me to do this. Haven't bought anything, that I would need to throw away or sell, in 2 years.

I lived in Anchorage for 6 years, have a cabin in Talkeetna still.

My current philosphy is: Look around and ask yourself, "Do I really need all this stuff?" and sell everything, stay out of unnecessary debt or stay enslaved until and "if" you reach retirement.

Sorry, a little too much for this forum, I'm off my soapbox now, I'll take my medicine and get back to work.

 

auto 4WD some people have put a switch in the brown clutch wire on the transfer case so they can switch it into 4WD LO and have 2WD LO. Evidently this is for when you have good traction but are in rough terrain and need to go slow.

 

I have to say that I admire you for doing what you WANT to do well before doing what you HAVE to do. Not many people have that much guts...way to go!!

-John

 

Sounds like a good trip. Be sure to bring your duct tape and plastic sheets. Or just make a beeline for Talkeetna . . .