Preface/Origin:
I've owned several Fords and a Jeep over the years for one reason or another some got sold and I grew up a little, but I find myself always coming back to wheeling. As a guy with some gnarly ADHD that is impressive. I started with a 1993 Explorer on a 2" budget lift and got into wheeling from there. Lately, I’ve been trying to convince myself that I can build a semi-budget full-size rig that can still hit decent trails while keeping the TTB.
My biggest complaint with my first Explorer was the suspension — I went with radius arms, and it only really articulated well when I ran a wristed radius arm (see first picture). I just can’t justify spending $1k on parts to do a solid axle swap only to have it articulate kind of the same — especially when I could just regear and add a front lunchbox locker to the axle I already have.
Next Rigs:
Then came the 1994 Explorer. I did a 4" lift, then a D44 SAS, and eventually moved to a D60/10.25 combo with a 5:1 Atlas. I got tired of the radius arms again — felt like I hit a ceiling. So I took a step back, sold the Explorer, and moved on.
That eventually led me to a 4.3-swapped YJ that I wheeled for a bit and then sold. And that brings us to the current project — the Budget Basher.
The Budget Basher:
This one was rescued from a field with a blown transmission. Threw in a rebuilt E4OD and a gas tank, and we were rolling. Threw it right on 35s — no lift — and added a rear Lock-Right. Went straight to bashing on it.
I recently installed Moog CC824 springs based on some recommendations from Irate4x4. They gave it a little lift and feel pretty soft overall. I really need to find a simple way to mount longer shocks to get some more travel out of it. This pic is right after the install — they’ve only settled slightly so far. I may push the rear axle back with a zero rate to help level it out.
Why I Need Longer Shocks:
Rear End Articulation:
Still running the sway bar (too lazy to pull it before the trip), but it stuffs surprisingly well.
Damage Report:
Overall, not bad for a budget rig — but I did bash in my brand-new gas tank pretty good.
Future Plans / Dilemma:
I’ve got a line on a cheap ‘79 D44, but I’m torn. I really want to stick with the TTB — but it’s tough when everyone trashes it and posts flex shots. That said, in the washboards and on little jumps, this thing absolutely rips. The 5.8 is running strong, and it’s hard to argue with how fun it’s been so far.
I've owned several Fords and a Jeep over the years for one reason or another some got sold and I grew up a little, but I find myself always coming back to wheeling. As a guy with some gnarly ADHD that is impressive. I started with a 1993 Explorer on a 2" budget lift and got into wheeling from there. Lately, I’ve been trying to convince myself that I can build a semi-budget full-size rig that can still hit decent trails while keeping the TTB.
My biggest complaint with my first Explorer was the suspension — I went with radius arms, and it only really articulated well when I ran a wristed radius arm (see first picture). I just can’t justify spending $1k on parts to do a solid axle swap only to have it articulate kind of the same — especially when I could just regear and add a front lunchbox locker to the axle I already have.
Next Rigs:
Then came the 1994 Explorer. I did a 4" lift, then a D44 SAS, and eventually moved to a D60/10.25 combo with a 5:1 Atlas. I got tired of the radius arms again — felt like I hit a ceiling. So I took a step back, sold the Explorer, and moved on.
That eventually led me to a 4.3-swapped YJ that I wheeled for a bit and then sold. And that brings us to the current project — the Budget Basher.
The Budget Basher:
This one was rescued from a field with a blown transmission. Threw in a rebuilt E4OD and a gas tank, and we were rolling. Threw it right on 35s — no lift — and added a rear Lock-Right. Went straight to bashing on it.
I recently installed Moog CC824 springs based on some recommendations from Irate4x4. They gave it a little lift and feel pretty soft overall. I really need to find a simple way to mount longer shocks to get some more travel out of it. This pic is right after the install — they’ve only settled slightly so far. I may push the rear axle back with a zero rate to help level it out.
Why I Need Longer Shocks:
Rear End Articulation:
Still running the sway bar (too lazy to pull it before the trip), but it stuffs surprisingly well.
Damage Report:
Overall, not bad for a budget rig — but I did bash in my brand-new gas tank pretty good.
Future Plans / Dilemma:
I’ve got a line on a cheap ‘79 D44, but I’m torn. I really want to stick with the TTB — but it’s tough when everyone trashes it and posts flex shots. That said, in the washboards and on little jumps, this thing absolutely rips. The 5.8 is running strong, and it’s hard to argue with how fun it’s been so far.
