Off-Road 4x4

[JReedEsq]

It looks like the guys on this forum:

Ford Explorer Sport Trac Mountaineer - Enthusiast Community

might be able to help you out.

Hopefully, they are more encouraging than the guys on this forum.

Edited July 11, 2010 by JReedEsq

[Motasyco]

The Explorer may not be the ultimate off road vehicle but you apparently have the most important thing needed and that's the desire to get off road and play in the dirt. Go do it. The things you learn will help you if you decide to upgrade.

[Mike]

simple explanation is same car running Ethanol has more horse power

Nope.

It has the potential for more horse power. Ethanol has an extremely high octane rating. therefore it can be used in high compression/forced induction applications. This higher compression/FI will gain more power.

Simply putting ethanol into the tank will not give you jack. It's like filling up with 93 instead of 87 and saying you have more power. Except with ethanol that absurd statement comes with lower mpg's.

-Mike

Edited July 11, 2010 by Mike

[Guest strelcevina]

Here let me google that for you,

It looks like the guys on this forum:

Ford Explorer Sport Trac Mountaineer - Enthusiast Community

might be able to help you out.

Hopefully. they are more encouraging than the guys on this forum.

thanks for a link.

great forum. just way to much info for off road newbie . i was hoping to find something locally.

i found a look i like on that forum.

now im on search for new tires.

this is the one, and doesn't looks like soccer mom car

[Mike]

this is the one, and doesn't looks like soccer mom car

Sure doesn't.

Smaller wheels and more tire will be your friend if you decide to pursue this off road endeavor.

I don't know what differentials this car have. tried to read about it, but there is just to many info

I can guarantee you that you have two open differentials. The sport package came with a rear lsd that was some weaksauce. All others came with two opens.

You will need some decent locking differentials

ARB air lockers

Eaton/Detroit lockers

OX lockers

There are many more out there, but these guys are the main names in the game.

Edited July 11, 2010 by Mike

[TGO David]

I had a Grand Cherokee for several years. I both loved and hated that truck. The 4.0L inline six is quite possibly one of the smoothest, torque-iest six cylinders that I've ever owned. The internal balance on that engine is perfect. It also is the reason I hated the truck, because no matter how much the rest of it was falling apart, that engine just wouldn't die and give me the ultimate reason I needed to part ways with it.

The latest incarnation of the JGC really looks like Jeep is trying to return to producing a sport ute with amenities as well as some capabilities off road. It'd be nice to see the JGC become a little less "Mall Rated" if you know what I mean.

Strec, my latest TOY is a 2010 Toyota FJ Crusier Trail Teams that I'm presently in the motions of installing a 3" suspension lift and various pieces of trail armor on. If you ask the solid front-axle crowd, they'll try to tell you it's not a real offroad vehicle either.

A man of your various social leanings and heritage should ditch that Exploder and go with something like this instead.

Edited to add....

Screw that. I want one now.

[Guest strelcevina]

Sure doesn't.

Smaller wheels and more tire will be your friend if you decide to pursue this off road endeavor.

I can guarantee you that you have two open differentials. The sport package came with a rear lsd that was some weaksauce. All others came with two opens.

You will need some decent locking differentials

ARB air lockers

Eaton/Detroit lockers

OX lockers

There are many more out there, but these guys are the main names in the game.

thanks Mike.

im looking for extra off road tires.

i like Smaller wheels and more tire to.

so far it gives me more clearance height

i bought it mainly to be a Travel vehicle and weekend off road driver.

so i wont use it 100% off road

[NextExit]

You want off road? Get a Land Rover!!! Get a Discovery or a Defender. If that's not in the budget then get a Jeep or a Suburban. But based on the book value of an '04 Explorer, you could have bought a Discovery.

[Guest strelcevina]

Strec, my latest TOY is a 2010 Toyota FJ Crusier Trail Teams that I'm presently in the motions of installing a 3" suspension lift and various pieces of trail armor on. If you ask the solid front-axle crowd, they'll try to tell you it's not a real offroad vehicle either.

A man of your various social leanings and heritage should ditch that Exploder and go with something like this instead.

Edited to add....

Screw that. I want one now.

Nice . it resambles a Russian Aton-Impulse VIKING-2992

[Guest strelcevina]

You want off road? Get a Land Rover!!! Get a Discovery or a Defender. If that's not in the budget then get a Jeep or a Suburban. But based on the book value of an '04 Explorer, you could have bought a Discovery.

i love Land Rover.

it vould be my second choice, first one would be Mercedes G-wagen

but i paid little over 4K for Explorer.

and that was a good price to pass.

it is perfect car for a money.

[willis68]

I had a 2008 FJ cruiser V6 4X4 that I bought with 3000 miles on it I really miss it, at the time we used it as the family car I will buy another strictly as my toy, they are awesome vehicles

[NextExit]

i paid little over 4K for Explorer.

That is hard to pass up.

[Guest BEARMAN]

Strel, if that Exploder you purchased has an automatic transmission in it, you might as well get ready to lay out some green stamps...ie, money.

That tranny is a POS, and I know from experiance and also from friends, who also had major issues with their Mazda designed transmissions from Ford.

You would have been better off getting you a Bronco for a serious off road Ford 4x4...IMHO.

Good luck with your off road project, Strel.

[Guest strelcevina]

Strel, if that Exploder you purchased has an automatic transmission in it, you might as well get ready to lay out some green stamps...ie, money.

That tranny is a POS, and I know from experiance and also from friends, who also had major issues with their Mazda designed transmissions from Ford.

You would have been better off getting you a Bronco for a serious off road Ford 4x4...IMHO.

Good luck with your off road project, Strel.

sadly it is an automatic transmission.

but that isn't a problem. i changed many engines/ transmissions in my life. so it is not as costly problem to me as others.

anyway this is my first 4x4. don't have much knowledge about it.

and i wont to do some simple offroading and not a mountain climbing

first picture YES

second picture NO

[Guest coldblackwind]

Throw some bigger off road tires on it, little suspension work, maybe a small lift, and you should be able to do the first picture. I did that in my cherokee bone stock.

[AMSting]

If all you are looking for is the first pic, you should be fine. Get a small (2") lift, 33" tires, and stay easy on the gas. You should be able to handle easy trails. Once you gain more experience and decide you want to go more towards the second pic, get a Jeep.

[Guest db99wj]

I had a Grand Cherokee for several years. I both loved and hated that truck. The 4.0L inline six is quite possibly one of the smoothest, torque-iest six cylinders that I've ever owned. The internal balance on that engine is perfect. It also is the reason I hated the truck, because no matter how much the rest of it was falling apart, that engine just wouldn't die and give me the ultimate reason I needed to part ways with it.

The latest incarnation of the JGC really looks like Jeep is trying to return to producing a sport ute with amenities as well as some capabilities off road. It'd be nice to see the JGC become a little less "Mall Rated" if you know what I mean.

Strec, my latest TOY is a 2010 Toyota FJ Crusier Trail Teams that I'm presently in the motions of installing a 3" suspension lift and various pieces of trail armor on. If you ask the solid front-axle crowd, they'll try to tell you it's not a real offroad vehicle either.

A man of your various social leanings and heritage should ditch that Exploder and go with something like this instead.

Edited to add....

Screw that. I want one now.

Those 4.0's would definitely out last the rest! Too bad that engine died from production due to "standards".

My 99 Jeep Grand Cherokee had the 4.7L V8, with 125K when I traded it for my 09 JK U. No smoke, nice power, that motor seems to be proving to be a good one as well.

I, even though a Jeep guy, do like the FJ's, especially the motors. The IFS would not be a big issue for me for the back roads and easy to moderate trail. If I was into mor hardcore stuff solid would be the way to go IMO.

As I said I'm a Jeep guy, my stock for the moment 09 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is my absolute favorite of all time and if. Won the lottery today, it would still be my primary. Ideally I would put a 2.5" lift, 35" tires and some more armor/bumpers with winch, 6.1L Hemi conversion from Screaming Lizzard, and call it a day. The wife doesn't want me to lift so I'm, when funds and the current tires wear out, will want to go with more aggressive tire in a 11.5 wide 33" tire, which will had a little height and wider stance. Looking at Goodyear Duratrac or BFG AT's. Need an all terrain due to this being my daily driver. Might even put on spacers, the stock wheel backspacing puts the tires to far into the wheel well.

The fords seem to have very bad ground clearance around the independent suspension arms and would not even be in my list of potential off road vehicles, can the be decent, yes but with a lot of expense, the aftermarket is limited.

If I was in your shoes and was spending that amount on an off road toy, I would gone with a Jeep Wrangler TJ with the 4.0. $2,000 grand of mods on an older TJ and you have a beast that will run most trails.

[Guest db99wj]

Throw some bigger off road tires on it, little suspension work, maybe a small lift, and you should be able to do the first picture. I did that in my cherokee bone stock.

Yep . I would do that all day in my bone stock Jeep, but not in that Ford.

[Guest drv2fst]

Here is my off-roader. Just got it a few weeks ago so I haven't had time yet to accessorize it. Tested it out at Wooly's off-road the first week I got it. It did very well.

This is the kind of stuff we drove through there.

This is how it looked when we called it a day.

[MCSCOTT]

Wooly's is a great place to go that isn't far from Nashville. Might also check out Wheelin In The Country down in Summertown. I personally wouldn't drive a stock rig like that down there, but you might go ride around and watch other vehicles in the trails so that you know what you're in for around here. Tn trails are often very slick and narrow where the trees will take most of your glass and metal off of a street vehicle like that.

I was VP of an offroad club in this area for a long time, but finally sold just about everything except for a couple of my stock Jeeps after I screwed my knee up last year. There's tons of other offroad parks in the southeast these days, or at least there were when I got out of the hobby.

[Guest strelcevina]

@drv2fst.

i love it, nice looking car. any info on it?

Off road track is exactly what i was talking about.

that is perfect. is it near Nashville?

[MCSCOTT]

@drv2fst.

i love it, nice looking car. any info on it?

Off road track is exactly what i was talking about.

that is perfect. is it near Nashville?

www.woolysoffroad.com

Not far at all.

[Guest drv2fst]

It's a Land Rover Defender 110. The frame (and VIN) is from a '83 but everything else is from a 0 mile 2008. It is a 300TDI (turbo Diesel) with a manual 5 speed.

Here is info on Wooly's place.

[Guest strelcevina]

www.woolysoffroad.com

Not far at all.

thank much

perfect.

got to go and check it out

[whiskey]

Well the explorer may not be an offroad beast, but it's good to have 4wd. When I bought my Toyota Tacoma a few months back the first thing I did was take it out and get it muddy. Take it and get the Ford muddy, just take a buddy with more capable 4wd to pull you out if you get stuck.