1999 Ford Explorer Sport

[DintDobbs]

I got this truck stock and have been wheeling in it for 5 years now, and have been very satisfied with its performance before and after modifications. Mods are many, but the important stuff is this:

Front: 4" Ranger Superlift + 1" RTZ torsion keys
Rear: OME 1.5" lifted springs (non-standard) + 2" RTZ shackles
5.13 gears
33x12.50 Nitto Trail Grapplers on 15x10 Pro Comp 51 Series

Long live the 2-door!

 

[diabetiktaco]

I got this truck stock and have been wheeling in it for 5 years now, and have been very satisfied with its performance before and after modifications. Mods are many, but the important stuff is this:

Front: 4" Ranger Superlift + 1" RTZ torsion keys
Rear: OME 1.5" lifted springs (non-standard) + 2" RTZ shackles
5.13 gears
33x12.50 Nitto Trail Grapplers on 15x10 Pro Comp 51 Series

Long live the 2-door!

I always wondered why there weren't more 2nd gen explorers out there. They're reliable, roomy, cheap, etc. I had a 1998 AWD 5.0 back in the day which was an absolute TANK in the deep snow. We got 3 feet of snow in NJ that year and I was working for my father who made me come in. I had zero issues and was actually the guy who had to get everyone to do the door in the unplowed lot. It was awesome. And..I paid 300 bucks for it.

 

[DintDobbs]

The real reason? Probably because a lot of 2nd-gen Explorers were bought by young moms as a cooler station wagon or mini van substitute. The Ranger platform, which the 1st and 2nd generation Explorers shared, was a popular platform, not plagued by the infamous Firestone rollover lawsuits - which were undoubtedly the fault of ignorant drivers who should have been driving station wagons or mini vans, with lower COG's.

The purchasing demographic is most likely the reason that a fairly small number of Explorers (relative to total sales) have found their way into off-roading culture.

Another few contributing factors are the sort of stiff independent front suspension, which hasn't received much aftermarket support until recently, and the spring-under-axle rear end, making lifts higher than about 3" more than a bolt-on affair.

Ultimately, this is a solid platform with a very sophisticated 4WD system (ControlTrac was waaay ahead of its time), and is perfect for the casual wheeler, but requires extensive modification in order to do the "big" stuff. The sophistication of its hardware and software also causes some trouble when changing out components.

 

[DintDobbs]

As far as being cheap... these are about as common as common gets, and as cheap as dirt, and will likely get cheaper as fuel prices rise. Even after the Cash for Clunkers shenanigans, which destroyed thousands of 2nd-gen Explorers, these remain the most common SUVs of their generation on the road. How many Blazers or Rodeos or Troopers or XTerras or Pathfinders or even 4Runners do you see still kicking around, from the '90s and '00s? I can't leave the house without seeing other Explorers.

I love the platform, particularly the ones with the SOHC V6. So much torque, great control, and comes with optional 4.10 geared 8.8 from the factory.

 

[danwyandt]

I always wondered why there weren't more 2nd gen explorers out there. They're reliable, roomy, cheap, etc. I had a 1998 AWD 5.0 back in the day which was an absolute TANK in the deep snow. We got 3 feet of snow in NJ that year and I was working for my father who made me come in. I had zero issues and was actually the guy who had to get everyone to do the door in the unplowed lot. It was awesome. And..I paid 300 bucks for it.

There are a few of us that are willing to put in the work..
I also enjoy cold toilette seats.

-Dan

 

[Grit City Paul]

There are a few of us that are willing to put in the work...-Dan

Finding parts or fabbing something that works for these old Explorers is half the challenge ! ! !

 

[danwyandt]

Nice!

 

[DintDobbs]

@Grit City Paul Nice rig, guy! Fabrication and Ford Explorers go together like ham and cheese. I've got some sort of a similar-ish bumper setup in my plans, but will focus more on the lower portion than the upper. Think something like yours, but... upside-down? The "stinger" would go underneath the bumper and connect to the hitch receiver brackets and probably bolt onto the crossmember behind it for extra support and a skid plate. Something akin to this, but I'd keep the fog lights under the bumper as well.

 

[Grit City Paul]

My front bumper is one of the few parts manufactured for the Explorer. It's a James Duff bumper, but the non-winch style that I fabbed for a winch. . .



Almost everything else, however. . .


and. . .


or. . .


etc., etc.


Save the 2-Doors ! ! ! Save the Manuals ! ! !

Paul

 

[DintDobbs]

@Grit City Paul Nice and clean. Some rigs have stuff just all over the place, blocking the view from the driver's seat. You've got good taste. I'd like some kind of partition or cage for mine, but it has to allow for my spare tire to sit in the back! Sadly nothing except my tire is actually mounted, so a rollover would cause flying objects. Gotta figure something out!

My local junk yard has like 6 2-doors, some are 1st-gens and one is even a Navajo. Sad to see 'em go, but we can't save them all...

 

[Michael_Exploder]

New member here with a 99 Explorer XLT 4X4 4.0 SOHC & 5R55E trans. Bought new and converted it from grocery getter / Kid taxi to an over lander over the past few Years.Although not a rough terrain rig by any stretch and virtually no aftermarket the body on frame and reliability make it a good platform. 2” lift with 31” Dick Cepek tires on faux bead lock steel wheels. Still a work in progress but it gets me out there and back. Glad to know more 2nd gen’s are out and about.

 

[Michael_Exploder]

Forgot to mention that the front bumper on my 99 is from Affordable Off-Road, they make a nice 3 piece winch bumper with optional bull bar and skid plate set up for the 2nd gen. (The Rangers of the same vintage have different front frame horns) They also make a rear bumper as well.

 

[DintDobbs]

@Michael_a8fbc4 Nice rig! That bumper looks pretty solid. In all honesty the Explorer is best when left at 2-3" (no drop brackets or such, just re-indexed torsion bar keys will do) and 31" tires. That's about as far as you'd want to take the factory gears, even if you have the 4.10's.

Beyond that, there come issues of clearance and torque and it just goes on and gets worse from there. You're on the right track with yours. Keep it simple and use it well. If I had to start over, I'd go about 2" lift and 31's.

I don't regret it a bit, though. It is FUN to drive that sucker, but regearing to 5.13's means I can never run less than 33's ever again.

 

[Michael_Exploder]

Thanks for the feedback, 2” torque twist kit installed up front and shackles in the rear ( switching to a 2” add a leaf kit soon). The issue with the four door is the fuel tank as You know it’s almost mid ship w/o a skid plate….so I’m making a plate for it as I write this. The other was the timing chain cassettes which I replaced when I freshened up the motor. With the SOHC 4.0, being a zero clearance motor, it’s not a good idea to let the guides rattle until they let go, it’s a miracle they hung in there, when I tore it down, it looked like my son dumped his plastic Lego’s in the engine oil pan. Thanks again and see You on the trail…

 

[DintDobbs]

@Michael_a8fbc4 Somehow missed your post here. Funny, I didn't know the 4-doors didn't have a gas tank plate. My Limited came with one, and a smaller one up front. Not sure if they were aftermarket. I'm considering an AAL lift, but haven't pulled the trigger yet; gotta check out some brands.

SOHC timing chain rattle isn't a big issue on well-maintained examples; surprisingly neither of mine rattles. My 4-door does have a very faint rattle around 1500-2500 RPM, but it doesn't really sound like the timing chain rattle. It is coming from behind the passenger side of the dash board though, so I'm paying attention to it.

I didn't plan to run a winch on the Sport, but my local tractor store has some tempting options, so I might consider that when I get my bumper made up. Thing is, that's one of those things (like a Hi-Lift) that you either need or don't need, and there's really no in-between.

 

[Michael_Exploder]

On the 4.0 SOHC, the passenger side head timing cassette is located on the back side of the head against the firewall, so need to remove the engine to get to it. Also the 4x4 model has a “balance shaft”on the front pass. side, chain driven from the crank. Very detailed step by step tear down and reinstall of these cassettes On YouTube, “Fordmakuloco” Chanel. The guy is Ford factory trained and goes into great detail with torque values etc. Found some broken exhaust studs as well,so replaced them all. Regarding winches, I picked up a 12k on sale from Harbor Freight, probably a bit much for the Explorer but the price was right. I use their “Apex” 12k on all my gooseneck trailers for loading dead construction equipment, trucks etc. So far they have held up very well.

 

[danwyandt]

Thanks for the feedback, 2” torque twist kit installed up front and shackles in the rear ( switching to a 2” add a leaf kit soon). The issue with the four door is the fuel tank as You know it’s almost mid ship w/o a skid plate….so I’m making a plate for it as I write this. The other was the timing chain cassettes which I replaced when I freshened up the motor. With the SOHC 4.0, being a zero clearance motor, it’s not a good idea to let the guides rattle until they let go, it’s a miracle they hung in there, when I tore it down, it looked like my son dumped his plastic Lego’s in the engine oil pan. Thanks again and see You on the trail…

My 95 xlt 4dr has the factory fuel tank skid plate.
Maybe someone deleted yours during a fuel tank repair?