Not Another CTOR Build

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

Project Rough Neck

D44 HP w/3.54 open= will be shortened on the pass side with Chrome moly EB shaft

1986 B2 Frame

you might remember this frame from its previous life

and the 1987 B2 Body

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

Donor parts from explorer

trans, tcase, rear suspension, and frt springs and coil buckets, shock mounts will find their way into the new rig, the other parts will be sold off to fellow cheapthrills RBV's

Progress so far i have modified the firewall to work with the pedal assm and the dash from a 91 Ex as well as i installed the heater assm inside and outside of the firewall. Gonna start stripping the frame here the next few days as well as get the drivetrain out of the explorer

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

Actually that was the one nice thing about my Explorer..........It stood out so well, their were several diferent websites/clubs out on the dunes that day and everyone of them that i talk with on the net saw my explorer and knew it was me and came over to introduce themselves....

And its funny i saw two B2's saturday and sunday and one of them was the same two-tone paint as the one i'll be using .........but your right the B2 is kinda something different that you don't see everyday lifted and locked and built RIGHT

More progress made...

Got the old susp and body mount brackets off the B2 Frame, got the crappy frame out from under the B2 Body

Got the trans and tcase, the entire frt axle assm and brackets out of the Explorer
Skyjacker brackets :hammerhit:

got the frame seperated

got a bunch of the barckets and what not removed from the frame

explorer getting stripped

my new D44, the other one was a f250 8 lug and had a broken Right axleshaft, picked this one up for $150 and it came with good shafts, the arms, well you can see it for yourself.........i plan on reusing the stock radius arms with the b2

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

after much measuring, comparing, and comtomplating (sp) i have decided that i will be going full width instead

i'll have to get wheel adapters to go from 5x4,5 to 5x5.5 and i'll probaly get two rims with an inch diferent BS to finsih the compensation of width

8.8 WMS 60"
D44 WMS 66"
3" each side=wheel adapters 1.80" thick=1" back spacing difference=close enough

mocking up the frt axle for now, gotta reposition the coil buckets yet and getting my bushing kit for the frt axle from broncograveyard tomorrow

those are not the coils i'm using, the red ones on the left are the coils that i will be using

i also got a good core support and fneder support from another donor, so i ended up drilling 100 spot welds twice today......that sucked

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

donors gettting loaded and off to scrap

fender and core support removed

fender and core support from donor cab

got the old 87 style dash and seats out and installed dash and seats from a 91 Explorer

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

had to make some repairs to the rear 4 body mount holes in the frame (common problem with salt belt B2's

frame is cleaned and primered,

frame is painted, starting to do final mock up of the axle and getting the susp squared away

i alos got the top end of my motor torn down and will be reassm. this weekend and getting that on the frame

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

taken a break for dinner and a little interent time.........heres what i am working on tonite

nothing is finished, still in the design process

the steering linkage is just their to keep the tires apart and so i can roll it around, i cut the end off at the pitman to attach a normal style tie rod at the pitman so it would bolt up, just for moving around purposes only, i plan on using the steering set-up from a 78-79 FS bronco in the long run,

the radius arms are at the stock length for the stock truck, it puts them right where the tranny x member will be, roughly same length as duff arms

the radius arm mounts are in no way even close to being finished, i need to get the trans and tcase in to see where my driveshaft will sit

i may redo the coil spring mounts all together, but if i don't i plan on runnning truss's on the three sides not currently supported

NOTHING is even close to being were it will when i am done

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

Got my rear brake line ran, got the fuel lines run, radius arms and trans crossmember finished for now (i'm sure i'll change it again later)

the Steering is set-up,

i still need a gas tank, front carrier (3.90+) axle shafts, need to shorten the frt driveshaft, and get my wheel adapters for the rear and a lot of other loose ends to tie/buy up

yeah i was gonna wait till saturday to put the body on.......i just can't wait to get the rear tires on with the wheel spacers to see how it really looks
as far as the coils is was kinda whatever fit the bill while i was doing whatever i was doing, but in the end it will be the red 8" SJ coils, then after i recover $$$$$$ from the build i'll get XJ coils

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

actually the body is solid (floors and rockers) however it has been in a wreck and poorly repaired in certain spots and have found alot of bondo covering dents not rust

i paid close attention the frame and surrounding but don't care much for the body that'll get trail rash soon enough

got the engine fired up, but still have no tank and no exhaust etc......

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

best pic i can get right now, been working on alot of things that aren't picture worthy (wiring, etc...)

got the 8" springs in it, got my pinion angle set on rear, and got everything for the rear susp set except shocks, got the engine install done and everything hooked up and full of fluids, working on wiring up the brake lights and interior lights

The old explorer looks pretty sad doesn't, far off from its heyday

heres a shot of the coil mount i made on the left

its is 4x4 sqaure tube notched like a spring perch and welded to the tube, then theirs a really thick washer about 6" round welded to the 4x4 and the stock D35 TTB bolt holding the nut and washer that holds the coil down

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

rewired the rear lights tonite, that was horrible

Bronco 2 runs the harness along the frame rail, Explorers run them through the interior...........since i swapped in the explorer dash and wire harness i took apart the loom and found the wires needed for the lights ran those along the inside of the body and out to the tailights and got them all working nice and good, took a while, its nice having the manuals on hand

one step closer..........just ordered my 5x4.5 to 5x5.5 lug spacers for the rear

got these today, now i can finally see what it willlook like with all 4 tires on her

but the difference in width is still to much, i'll need to widen the rear another inch on each side, i'll probably change the backspacing on the rims to compensate for it

now i really only need 4.88R gears and a gastank,fuel pump, and straps

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

just got both my driveshafts picked up to get shortened, should see those back tomorrow or Fri

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

so i was driving the truck around in the yard for the first time with the new truck, and the whole time i thought it felt like it was in 4-lo, just seemed really touchy.

Now the whole time i had my Sport it was always a dog. Never had any balls, then again the motor had 340+K on it.

Now i reused the same trans,tcase, rear axle/gears that the explorer had, only difference was the motor. The motor i am using now has 170K on it.

But man what a diffference this new motor feels like in 2hi what the old one did in 4lo

started to mount my front bumper and winch on last nite. Had a set-back though with the project, the carrier i bought thinking/told that it was 3.90+ is not so i am still need of a carrier

i did get the hub off, i used a 4ft long peice of 4x4 wood and just beat the hell out of it, actually broke two of the 4x4 posts in the process

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

Well got a bunch done, i have found that the Clutch/Brake pedal
Assm is not only different from an explorer to a B2, but the
length the pedal travels vs firewall clearance is different.
I could not get enough travel in the pedal to disengage the clutch.
So I cut the pedal off and repositioned it to clear. I also got my
brakes working Front and Rear. But after running it in my yard i
found i have a small Radiator Leak on the Right tank about half way
up.

I also got my front bumper about half on (half on being not full secured yet)

First time its really been mobile so i thought i would mess around

i wasn't stuck i was able to just back out but i really need to get my 4wd working (get the right carrier and 4.88 gears)

here is my rig parked next to a buddies, his is a 80's 3/4 with 4"? susp lift and sitting on 35x15.5 16.5

CheapThrillB2 · Aug 7, 2007

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