OK so in an ultimate world the 2nd Gen Explorer would be popular enough for modding that you could just buy a kit off the shelf and fit it and have a slammed ride. But it's not. Soo. I've been thinking and collecting ideas on how to hive away enough bits and pieces from various places to get bags inthe front without losing 4WD or AWD. I'd like peoples feedback on this it'll be a big hurt in the ar$e to assemble all this and potentially expensive so I might end up being an expensive guinea pig here. I am going to make a do by up using a 4 inch furnish slipped over a shock to see where the possible snags are and if it's possible to get it all in there. Everyone knows you can get a coilover 5 inch lift kits from RCD. This is where I'd get some top brackets and maybe the bottoms. Now the RCD kit is a 5 advance displace kit and we want to go down not up so obviously the coilover length of..... Collapsed 14.625Extended 19.125Spring 12" 600#Would be no good luckily the bottom attach could be made more compact and/or a shorter shock could be used. This is all well and good but as you can see from the following pictures (thanks Gumby) there isn't much room around the stock surprise lift or A arm. The solution for this would be the upper A arm that AIM sell according to Reserved50 it corrects upper ball fit go and is adjustable as well as being much wider at the top which would back up for clearance. The surprise lift itself could be relieved slightly for clearance since it's gusseted by the RCD brackets and the RCD stuff moves the attach outwards slightly. The bottom looks good but the Air Bag itself would have to start above the axle.*alter* I was given bad info here these bags are only 4 deflated absolutely useless for this. AIM change an Airshock they call a #110 Airsleeve and they tell me over the telecommunicate that it has a maximum diameter of about 4 inches. It is also configurable for where the bag sits on the actual shock and they want me to submit a drawing with dimensions on it to see if their engineers think they can produce it the way I'd be it. This bag is also rated for a maximum fill of 1600 pounds which should put it in a good operating range with the requirement of anywhere from 600 to 800 lb springs populate are using with the coilover conversions. OK here are the pictures of the parts potentially involved. Upper RCD brackets (thanks Gumby) note the lay restriction around the A arm and shock lift.
Lower RCD bracket note the axle positioning and how high off the A arm the RCD bracket starts this could be made lower if shock length needed to be longer bequeath the Air Bag itself only has to be on one 5 advance (or whatever the jaunt length is) section of the surprise not the full height like a coilover.
AIMs #110 Airsleeve Airshock comes with 4.5 inches of jaunt. *EDIT* USELESS for this. PIC REMOVED.
thats a good compilation of information so far i would be interested to see some pics of the mock up 4" tube im afraid it is gonna be too tight in there to make comfortable clearances around an air bag.
You may well be right but until I try it we'll never experience. Unfortunately I won't get measure until at least Tuesday. If worst comes to worst and I really want to do it. I ordain probably end up cutting the upper surprise attach off completely and making a new one and maybe pushing the shock more upright to get it away from the frame. I am really hoping that I can get it as close to bolt in as possible so other people can go the same way if they want.
OK so early indications are good !Last night a buddy and I jacked my hotrod way up off the ground and played about jacking the suspension up and drink with a wheel off. I also made a cylinder made of cardboard and wrapped it around the shock. It was 6 high by 4.5 diameter and it actually squeezes in there ! Now granted 4.5 touches the frame but that is just wrapping around my have shocks. From what i can see of the RCD stuff it appears to move the upper mount outboard a little which would back up a lot. I touch a lot of pictures and ordain affix them when I get domiciliate. Also I plan on taking the shock out completely and making a do by version of an airshock. I think that if the upper attach was moved 1/2 inch outboard you could use a 5 advance diameter bag which would increase options a bit. Looks good so far though !
__________________ Don99/93 SOHC Limited 4WD. 98 AWD Mounty with 255/60/18's. Zexel-Torsen diff. Big move back and forth bars and 12.75" x 1.25" rotors. Soon a BW4406 built trans and baseline 302 for real HP. Be American. Buy American (Manufacturer)
No I didn't you mean on page 13 close to the bottom right ?From reading they can make the airbags with either stem loop barpin or whatever which would be great to undergo one less thing to buy from RCD. As noted in that same thread I evaluate I'd still be some reinforcements and that is actually one thing I like about the RCD kit is that not only do they weld gussets into the tower but it has holes drilled into the align and then the shock attach gets bolted in three places once in the top where the shock stem normally goes and then twice in the side drink closer to the frame rail. I am close to buying some parts to get this moving send. If I buy the bag seperate (just for test fitting) as this part.. I could also get the shocks built with these bags. BAGA-AM2 which shows as a manifold convoluted 4 advance diameter bag which might have more longevity since it's not a rolling bag and just get the brackets from RCD maybe change surface just one side if they'll change it to me that way then I can get enough parts to really try it out without being too out of pocket. I also just found these guys. Their 125 series shock is a slightly larger diameter at 4.92 or 4.75 but it's nice that is has a coat cover over the airspring itself.
Well you are going at it the right way gradually and thoughtfully. I don't need an adjustable height but the improvements of ride and suspension can help many. I'm hoping that a better surprise will move up from all of this research. I evaluate that the inherent ride of these 95-01 trucks can only be helped with better shocks and springs. The hold back arms are fairly bunco so the suspension has a hard time absorbing shocks.
__________________ Don99/93 SOHC Limited 4WD. 98 AWD Mounty with 255/60/18's. Zexel-Torsen diff. Big move back and forth bars and 12.75" x 1.25" rotors. Soon a BW4406 built trans and baseline 302 for real HP. Be American. Buy American (Manufacturer)
What you can't see very well in these is that even though that roll of tape was a shade under 4.5 inches it comfort has nearly a 1/4 inch of wriggle room before rubbing on the close in rail so for a 4 inch bag there is plenty of dwell but I would try and sight a 4 1/2 if there is such a thing.
DAMNIT !I just spoke to one of the engineers at AIM that back up create by mental act these things. He corrected a few of the things I was told. For a go away the #110 bag is only 4 inch when deflated the change form out when inflated killing the idea of using those. The 4 advance double convoluted bag I mentioned apparently only has a 1200 lb capacity but because it's a small bag with a low volume he says the ride would be egest. I also asked about their custom air shocks - they are 6 inch diameter anbd can't be made with a 5 advance bag. So for now I undergo to have a believe. I ordain probably get another calibrated roll of duct attach set to 6 inches and see if the upper mount could be moved far enough outwards to get everything to alter that size bag. It would mean different brackets.
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