Hello everyone

[Flyer]

Hello everyone

I’m Wayne; I like to create things. Take a look at my avatar, I built it and a lot of other things too. In 1967/68 I built a ’30 roadster on 32 frame rails with a 289 automatic. I worked as a draftsman most of my life, eventually, I got a bachelors degree and a masters in mechanical engineering. I’ve worked as a contract engineer for both Ford and GM as an engineer, so I’m no stranger to automobiles

 

[old round fart]

Your project has the possibility of a fun build to follow! Welcome from Oklahoma.

 

[EWTALLEY]

Welcome from Ocala, Florida.

 

[Island Girl]

Welcome from the "Go to the beach for Christmas" Caribbean . . . .

 

[Indycars]

Welcome from Yukon Oklahoma !

 

[Flyer]

I 've got the project well under way. There are a number of good donor vehicles to choose from. The Chevy guys look at S10’s, maybe some of the bigger pickups, Blazers, or Camero’s. I’m a Ford guy, so I looked at Mustangs, Rangers, F150’s and Explorers. I narrowed my scope to the 1995 thru 2001 Explorers. They had 4-wheel disk brakes, were available as rear wheel drive, had automatic transmissions and 302 Windsor engines.

I won a Copart Auction and got a 1999 Explorer, for $125 plus broker fees. Cold weather hit early, while I waited for weather to break, I ordered a standard 23-T body and 20-inch bed, from Ron Pope. At about the same time I came into possession of a pair of early Ford reproduction spindles and Speedway put a stainless steel axle in their “garage sale”.

 

[Flyer]

My garage in Michigan is crammed full and is un-heated, so I have to strip the Explorer, in a friends garage. His garage is small and unheated. I’m retired, but he’s not; seems like either he's working or it's to cold to be outside working. Right now I’m waiting for favorable weather and help, to pull the engine, transmission and rear end.

I’m not a rich man by any stretch of the imagination, but I own two houses, one in Michigan and one in Tennessee. The Tennessee house has a drive-in basement and it’s only 15 miles from Ron Pope’s place. Guess where most of the construction will take place. The biggest problem with the house in Tennessee, is a lack of tools. A local K-Mart is closing & selling Craftsman tools, cheap. Couple that with a small drill press from horrible freight, a Lotos CT520 TIG welder/Plasma cutter, a 14-inch chop saw and a couple old band saws, and I should do okay. If not, Ron Pope is nearby.

 

[Jim B]

Welcome from South Florida. Sounds like you have a pretty good plan.

 

[Flyer]

The plan is to narrow the rear end. The stock Explorer rear is 59+ inches wide and has a 2-inch offset pinion. The usual trick is to replace the left side axle with a right side axle, which is 2-7/8 inches shorter. That moves the pinion 7/8-inch left of center. There’s an after-market conversion axle available for the Fox body Mustangs (1979-’92) that's 29-3/16 long; leaving the pinion 11/16 to the right. Since it’s a better alloy, un-stressed and comes slightly closer to moving the pinion to the center, I’m thinking that it’s a better way to go.

The Ohio Street T-buckets used quarter elliptic springs made from 1960’s Ford semi-elliptic springs. The explorer rear springs seem to be a bit wider, but should be useable by cutting them in half. Does anyone have any actual experience with quarter elliptic springs.

 

[old round fart]

I had quarter ecliptics on my avatar. They worked great.

 

[Flyer]

I had quarter ecliptics on my avatar. They worked great.

Got any pictures of your installation? Did you use hairpins or 4-bars? How about a panard bars.

 

[old round fart]

I posted one of the upper bars. They were the hardest to package. It is the triangulated 4 bar so no need for Panhard bar and axel always goes straight up and down.

 

[Indycars]

John,
I think Flyer was asking about your avatar suspension ?

 

[choppedtop]

Welcome from Oklahoma.

 

[old round fart]

Oh! My bad. I don’t have pictures of my avatar. I posted somewhere about quarter ecliptics.