Serious off road use?
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Serious off road use?
Has anyone modified their Explorer for "semi" serious off road use? I do not mean rock climbing, but for use going on primitive roads, or out in the desert, checking out old ghost towns?
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There is another site that I can't post here as it's a competitor:
"Serious Explorations!"
There, I tried, let's see if it sticks.
If it doesn't, google search 'explorer forum' but make it all one word. Hard core off roaders, and some milder ones as well.
I've taken my stocker onto some sandy roads in the desert, but the bumps and potholes and whoops even at 5 mph were more than the family would tolerate....
"Serious Explorations!"
There, I tried, let's see if it sticks.
If it doesn't, google search 'explorer forum' but make it all one word. Hard core off roaders, and some milder ones as well.
I've taken my stocker onto some sandy roads in the desert, but the bumps and potholes and whoops even at 5 mph were more than the family would tolerate....
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Thanks;
I have taken our Explorer on some old worn out roads, with potholes, and I worry about the suspension being strong enough. I'll check to see what others have done to beef up their Explorer.
I have taken our Explorer on some old worn out roads, with potholes, and I worry about the suspension being strong enough. I'll check to see what others have done to beef up their Explorer.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Manhattan Kansas
check out 4 wheel drive and sport utility magazine, a buddy of mine is often times in that magazine with his, it has a doubler,locker in back, 33 inch tires, winch, not sure what size lift. You will recognize it if you see it, it is dark green, he is actually a member of FTE. It goes almost anywhere he points the wheels.
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From: Manhattan Kansas
we took two explorers and my cherokee out to Colorado for a week of ghost town searching, and pass conquering, we blew a front seal on a tranny (a4ld curse) I lost a brake bolt and starter bolt, and bent a tie rod on the cherokee, and the guy I mentioned above never had a problem, but he got rid of his manual tranny, and had an a4ld built by a transmission shop for V8 specs to hold up to offroading, then he put a doubler in behind it. That thing can crawl over about anything. The other one would have done anything that he wanted it to, and would have held up very well out there if it weren't for a fast trip up Imogene pass to find a lost cell phone before it got dark. It has lockers front and rear, 4:10 gear, something like a 4-6 inch lift, 33 inch tires, winch, and lots of extras that I am forgetting. Both of them did fine in Colorado last year in St Elmo, but we had a little problem getting one of them to Co last year. Loose lug nuts, and lost tire, and fuel pump in the tank petered out.
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I have been told by my friend that works at ford service, that the Gen 1 and 2s are much better for off road real use than then newer ones, and the keys being suspension and the wheel bearings...
The gen 3 explorers ride smoother, more like a car - customers complained that the ride was too "truck like", and so Ford "fixed" it - but, duh, it's a TRUCK.
So, adding my 2 pennies, all things being equal, a stock gen 1 or 2 truck will last longer in adverse conditions than the newer ones... which are really not even made to do serious off roading at all... maybe light trails, but that's about it...
Heavy duty suspension, and good brakes are a must, (esp for hilly terrain) plus big tranny cooler, etc - but be prepared for a shorter life of things like ball joints, etc... and of course, hitting your head a lot on the roof :-) - beefier suspension = worse ride, but there are trade offs too.
anyways, good luck
The gen 3 explorers ride smoother, more like a car - customers complained that the ride was too "truck like", and so Ford "fixed" it - but, duh, it's a TRUCK.
So, adding my 2 pennies, all things being equal, a stock gen 1 or 2 truck will last longer in adverse conditions than the newer ones... which are really not even made to do serious off roading at all... maybe light trails, but that's about it...
Heavy duty suspension, and good brakes are a must, (esp for hilly terrain) plus big tranny cooler, etc - but be prepared for a shorter life of things like ball joints, etc... and of course, hitting your head a lot on the roof :-) - beefier suspension = worse ride, but there are trade offs too.
anyways, good luck
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Ok,, is a 1997 Explorer a gen 1, 2 or something else?
My plan of use is to drive at very low speed across existing roads to check out places that are out of the way. No off road excursions. Some of the existing dirt roads out here are very primitive.
My plan of use is to drive at very low speed across existing roads to check out places that are out of the way. No off road excursions. Some of the existing dirt roads out here are very primitive.
Hotshot
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From: Manhattan Kansas
Not sure, think it is 2, but I am not an expert. a stock unit should be fine in those conditiions at low speeds. Does yours have stock skid plates? I know a guy who used a stock 93 to go offroad , climbing rocks, small cliffs, drive through mud knee deep, and it held up well, it would have likely held up better if he had cleaned it between the excursions. It packed full of mud, and rocks, and it started to show problems from that, especially overheating because the radiator was packed full of mud.
Lead Driver
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From: Rhode Island
The 91-95 Explorers had a solid rear axle and a TTB up front, which is fairly decent for mild off road use stock, and can actually be made to be fairly decent. 95.5-01 explorers added a fully independent front suspension, but still have the solid rear axles. I'd say off roading would be beginning to really push the limits of it. 02-Present explorers have independent rear and front suspension, and I would not recomend those for offroading at all.
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From: nj
i have a 99 ranger and i assume the same ifs as the explorers and can say and have heard from many others its actually a pretty stout set up some even say as good as ttb im not sure as i never had a ranger or explorer with one
Hotshot
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From: Manhattan Kansas
Aw that's nothing.. I used to take my chevy cavalier down abandoned dirt roads, it just depends on how talented of a driver you are.
I went to do some work in Indian territory up at some casinos, and decided to try to find a shorter route home in my then work van which was a ford windstar, I drove down the highway that later became rock road, that later became dirt road, that later became very rough country with 2 foot tire tracks. I maintained a slow speed, and traveled about 40 more miles down that road, and finally got home, but there was no way I could turn around at that point. I made it home fine, didn't get stuck once. Now.. my point is, that if I could do that with a fully loaded Ford windstar, you can do the same if you have any driving skill at all.
I went to do some work in Indian territory up at some casinos, and decided to try to find a shorter route home in my then work van which was a ford windstar, I drove down the highway that later became rock road, that later became dirt road, that later became very rough country with 2 foot tire tracks. I maintained a slow speed, and traveled about 40 more miles down that road, and finally got home, but there was no way I could turn around at that point. I made it home fine, didn't get stuck once. Now.. my point is, that if I could do that with a fully loaded Ford windstar, you can do the same if you have any driving skill at all.
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Aw that's nothing.. I used to take my chevy cavalier down abandoned dirt roads, it just depends on how talented of a driver you are.
I went to do some work in Indian territory up at some casinos, and decided to try to find a shorter route home in my then work van which was a ford windstar, I drove down the highway that later became rock road, that later became dirt road, that later became very rough country with 2 foot tire tracks. I maintained a slow speed, and traveled about 40 more miles down that road, and finally got home, but there was no way I could turn around at that point. I made it home fine, didn't get stuck once. Now.. my point is, that if I could do that with a fully loaded Ford windstar, you can do the same if you have any driving skill at all.
I went to do some work in Indian territory up at some casinos, and decided to try to find a shorter route home in my then work van which was a ford windstar, I drove down the highway that later became rock road, that later became dirt road, that later became very rough country with 2 foot tire tracks. I maintained a slow speed, and traveled about 40 more miles down that road, and finally got home, but there was no way I could turn around at that point. I made it home fine, didn't get stuck once. Now.. my point is, that if I could do that with a fully loaded Ford windstar, you can do the same if you have any driving skill at all.