Project Explorer: Shackle Lift

The explorer has a completely stock suspension except for the upgraded shocks that I had professionally installed a few months after I purchased the truck. The original shocks were fine but they felt too soft for my liking so I got KYB’s with a slightly firmer setting. During this swap, I also decided to replace the sway bar and end link bushings with urethane replacements. The stock front and rear anti sway bars were retained since aftermarket ones were not only very expensive but also seem to be of little use in a non-performance driven vehicle.

The explorer came with Goodyear Wrangler RTS tires. From my experience, these tires were probably the worst all season tires that I’ve used. Dry traction was acceptable but wet traction was minimal and snow and ice handling was non-existent. It only takes one drive in slightly icy roads for the tires to pack up and slide. Eventually, I purchased a set of second generation Dunlop Radial Rover RVXT. These tires received good marks and reviews from TireRack.com and other tire sites. They were also available locally for a very reasonable price compared to other brand name tires. I wanted the best compromise between price and performance and so far these tires have been performing admirably. The entire set cost me under $800 (with taxes, mounted, balanced and B.C. levy included) for the OEM size (255/70-16).


(The OEM Goodyear Wrangler RTS are marked as Highway All Season Tires and provide adequate performance on Street driving but lackluster handling in very wet rainy conditons and extremely poor in icy and snowy roads).


(The replacement Dunlop Radial Rover RVXT not only provide a higher load rating, it does exceptionally well in packed snow, icy roads and moderately flooded streets. Street manners are excellent and the increase in road noise was minimal. They are also classified as On/Off Road All Terrain Tires)


(Based on Tirerack's 11 criteria for rating tires, it was obvious that the Dunlops were far superior over the Wranglers. The RVXT has 2 versions. Items marked in blue refer to the version of the tire that was installed on the Explorer).

Even with the new tires, the explorer’s stance seemed to have a slightly higher front than the rear. I wanted a more neutral stance or even a slight forward rake. The explorer sport (2 doors) have mono leaf springs and it is not uncommon for some owners to do a four-door leaf spring pack swap to obtain the forward rake. Another option is to use extended shackles that raise the rear about an 1-1.75 inches (depending on the condition of the existing leaf springs).

After some research, I concluded that Warrior shackles (model part #153) would be the best replacement. Unfortunately, after a lot of calls, I was unable to locate a local retailer for them. Since a lot of users have reported success with generic autoparts lift shackles, I decided to go the same route. I got a set for $20 at a local Canadian tire and had them reinforced and braced. I was just about ready to install the home-made set shackles when I came across an Explorerforum.com member who had an unused set of the warrior shackles (He had Warrior part #353 - these were the exactly the same as the #153 except for color). The best thing was that he only wanted $70(shipped). After a few email exchanges and payment, I got the shackles in about 2 weeks.


(Warrior #153 are grey hammertone in color while Warrior #353 are zinc anodized and appear gold in color)


(Comparison of the stock shackles and the warrior shackles. Mounting points increased by about 1.75 inches)


(Warrior shackles are about twice as thick as the OEM shackles)


(OEM shackle installed)


(Warrior shackle installed)

Installation was straightforward and required only a few basic hand tools. A good hydraulic floor jack capable of securely supporting the truck up to 21 inches, a pair of 2.5-3.5 ton capacity jack stands, a half inch breaker bar wrench, a half inch ratchet with 21mm sockets and a few additional smaller jacks for "persuasion" (I used a 4-ton hydraulic bottle jack and a small mechanical scissor jack). A 4-foot length of steel pipe or bar helped provide additional leverage when needed.

This project could have been accomplished better and faster if I had access to air tools as well as another friend who could helped me align stuff. Nevertheless, I installed everything myself in under 2 hours. The hardest part was getting the old shackle bolts off. You just have to go slow and be sure to be safe at all times. Never go under the vehicle if it is not supported securely by jack stands.

Soak the old bolts with PB Blaster, WD40 prior or any similar penetrating lubricant to loosen the old bolts. Depending on how tall your jack stands are, you may need to loosen the rear wheel lug nuts - but do not remove them yet. Use wheel chocks on the front wheels are an extra safety measure. Carefully raise the rear of the truck using the jack by placing it under the rear axle. Raise it only enough so that the rear wheels are about 2-3 inches off the ground. Place the jackstands just after the front suspension hanger (just after the leaf springs). If the jack stands are not high enough, it's ok. Just suspend the chassis as high as possible with the existing jackstands and then carefully remove the wheels/tires (This is why you may need to loosen the lug bolts earlier). If the jack stands have sufficient reach then there is no need to do this step. Once both sides of the chassis are suspended, carefully drop the rear axle until the the wheels touch the ground. At this point, the OEM rear shackles should have extended sufficiently. Now it's time to remove the existing shackle bolts. They may be a bit rusted and may need some additional coaxing with a hammer to remove. Be careful not to ruin the threads if you intend to reuse the shackle bolts. Old shackles off – new shackles on. You can use the OEM bolts or the grade 8 bolts that came with the warrior shackles. Thread locker or lock washers may also be used. A better option would be castle nuts with cotter pins or stage 8 locking fasteners (www.stage8.com)


(Wheel gap with stock shackles)


(Wheel gap with Warrior shackles)

Additionally, the Warrior shackles have a boxed central support. This section is located offset from center. During installation, mount the shackles longer side up. This setup allows for the complete range of movement comparable to the stock shackles. The original bolts were also mounted with the nut side facing outward. If you intend to remove the shackles or change the springs or have any brand of tow bar / hitch installed, then it is probably best to install them with the nut side in. This makes for an easier removal of the bolts later on.

Summary:

I definitely got the stance I wanted. Handling differences were minimal. For additional FRONT lift or to reduce forward rake, a slight torsion bar adjustment could also be performed. The headlights had to be re-aimed to compensate for the height adjustment.

A final coat of rubberized black undercoating was applied to retain a stock appearance as well as additional corrosion protection. This is the same material I used to protect other underchasis components.


(The same Warrior#153 shackles installed on a Similar 2G Explorer Sport)

Possible upgrades:

The bigger gap between the rear fender flare and the wheel makes the vehicle track appear narrower than it is. For a more "aggressive" look, high quality wheel spacers (1.5 to 2") may be installed. This will make the tires stick out a bit further out of the wheel well. (A pair aluminum spacers will cost about $100 from eBay).

For even more clearance, there is a 3-inch body lift available for a Ford Ranger. With a little modification, this kit is readily adaptable for the 2G Explorer. The only additional component required would be new bumper relocation brackets and a cover for the gap created between the body and the chassis. (Performance Accessories PA-793 lift kit is available for under $150 from eBay).

If desired, new bigger tires (maybe in the mud terrain format) may be used on the next tire change. A tire between 33 to 35 inches may fit with the shackle, torsion bar tweak and body lift combination. (New bigger tires may cost between $1000-1500). Bigger tires, will also need new gearing. Front and rear differential ring and pinion assemblies will be required. (Ford 8.8 standard rotation ring and pinion gears 3.55-4.88 ration costs about $260 for a set. Both differentials should be replaced so expect upwards of $600 for parts plus labor).

The basic rule of thumb with lifting a vehicle is that with each additional inch of lift, the associated cost almost grows exponentially. Engineered lift suspension lift kits can cost upwards of a few thousand dollars.