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<meta name="Author" content="Copyright 1998 Rick Horwitz All Rights Reserved">
<meta name="Description" content="Kevin Kocher's 1991 Explorer XLT">
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<title>Kevin Kocher's 1991 Explorer Off the Beaten Trail</title>
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<td VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="145"><b><font face="Arial,Helvetica">Editor</font></b>
<br><b><a href="mailto:explorer@4x4central.com">Rick Horwitz</a></b>
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<center><img SRC="otbt.jpg" ALT="Off the Beaten Trail" height=52 width=330>
<br><font face="Arial,Helvetica"><font size=+2>Kevin Kocher's 1991 Explorer
XLT</font></font>
<br><img SRC="pict3.gif" ALT="Kevin Kocher's Explorer" height=233 width=350>
<br><font face="Arial,Helvetica"><font size=-1>Arroyo Seca Del Diablo Rd.
also near Ocotillo, CA</font></font></center>
<br>
<BR>
<center><table BORDER=0 WIDTH="75%" >
<tr>
<td><a href="truck1.jpg"><img SRC="truck1sml.jpg" BORDER=1 height=217 width=300 align=RIGHT></a>
<p>I bought my Explorer used in October 1996. After high centering it and
gouging the plastic ground effects on my first camping trip, I decided
that my future off road forays would require a ‘slightly’ modified vehicle.
Since about November of that year this truck has gone through many changes.
Mostly trial and error, or rather trail and error, and a lot of wasted
money trying to save money. The first major modification was the 5.5" Superlift
and 32" BFG ATs. I figured the stock 3.73 gear ratio could handle it, and
even though I wanted 33" muds, "practicality" won over. I could run with
stock rims too. Oh how nieve I was. After rubbing my sway-bar in the front
once, it was off to the tire store for AR 15X8 Steel Blades, standard offset.
This would be one of many instances of spending a dollar to save a dime.&nbsp;
<p>&nbsp; Figuring I was now on the road to "serious" mods, I decided to
research the pros and cons of "posi". Again, practicality won over and
I decided to go for "bang for the buck". I chose a Lock-Right for the front
and I figured getting rid of the stock limited slip in the rear wouldn't
be as noticeable an upgrade as eliminating the open front-end. This actually
proved to be a decent decision. If you can get used to the steering difference
when in 4 wheel drive, my truck is a much more capable climber against
an equally equipped but only locked in the rear vehicle. No doubt there
are trade-offs, but it's been over 2 years now and it's been good so far.&nbsp;
<p><a href="kocherrr.JPG"><img SRC="kocherrrsml.JPG" VSPACE=5 BORDER=1 height=192 width=256 align=LEFT></a>Things
were going OK, my trips to the desert were fairly successful. However,
I couldn't shake the sluggishness of the stock gears, and decided to upgrade...After
getting talked out of 4.56 gears by Pro-Gear in San Diego (I still hadn't
found Rick's site, I was doing this on my own), I chose to go to 4.10.
I still regret that, and to tell you the truth my camping bro's are ready
to kill me after listening to me bitc...er complain about it for the last
2 years. Anyway, while the shop was swapping out the gears they noticed
a hole about the size of a quarter in the top of my front diff. Apparently,
my driver side bump stop wasn't keeping the superlift bracket from making
contact. SuperLift has since changed their design, and they’re currently
in the process of changing it again.&nbsp; As of August ‘99 they told me
to keep in touch and they would send v3.0 when it's available.&nbsp;
<p>Limited gas tank volume and a desire to mount the 32” spare tire somewhere
else than on the roof rack took me to Extreme Fabrications in Escondido
California.&nbsp; I gave him my requests and complete creative autonomy
and the end result was a clean looking spare tire/dual jerry can/tailight
protector/bumper thingamajig. He also custom fabbed a front-diff skid plate,
and an L-Shaped piece of steel on the top of my front diff so that the
bump stop would hit against something flat, and not slide down to allow
that damn bracket to do its damage again. I’ve been very happy with all
the fab work and if you happen to be local (that’s local, NOT loco) I would
highly recommend him. I've been beating on all that stuff for close to
2 years now, and had zero trouble.&nbsp;
<p>Apparently I had been watching too many episodes of Home Improvement
because I had the urge for bigger tires and found myself grunting a lot.&nbsp;
(remember spending a dollar to save a dime?)&nbsp; Anyway some yahoo got
a great deal on a set of hardly used BFG 32” ATs and I was back at the
tire store for some "serious" skins. 33" BFG MTs.... biiiig lugs....wiiiide
tread.&nbsp;
<p>Well all was right in my little Explorer world until I learned that
things tend to work a little differently off road than in your driveway.&nbsp;
Remember how I said my wheels were standard offset? Well, with my bigger
tires/tread, I'm rubbing my sway-bar all over again. YET AGAIN! (so much
for being practical) it's back to the tire store. This time it's Progressive
Aluminum Blades, 15X8.5 and a 3.825" offset (yep, same as our friend Jack
Lobdell - I miss you bud). Now, I'm finally where I want to be (and where
I wanted to be in the first place). Things were finally starting to stabilize.
Of course now that Home Improvement is syndicated and reruns are on every
night....&nbsp;
<p>It was high time to "beef" up the front. I'd suffered from winch envy
long enough. Down to the store for a Smittybuilt winch bumper (with Warn
winch plate) I went. My buddies Phil Sperandio and Matt Barlow helped me
weld on some light tabs, and my night drives were back on. Warn XD9000i
sale (with free accessory kit), and my envy days were over.&nbsp;
<br><a href="kocherfrtrock.JPG"><img SRC="kocherfrtrocksml.JPG" HSPACE=5 BORDER=1 height=192 width=256 align=LEFT></a>The
last 2 tweaks I made were in the area of articulation and waterproofing.
Off came the rear swaybar, and thanks to Jack (again) I was able to order
the JKS Swaybar disconnects for a CJ-7 with confidence. Total install time?
15 min.&nbsp; My waterproofing tweak was to take 25 feet of fuel line and
some vacuum tab Y-connectors for the rear and front breather hoses. The
rear runs from the diff along the frame rail, joins the front breather
with a Y, and then a single line comes up into the engine compartment as
high as I could mount it. Got a lot left to do in that area I know, but
it was a start. Like I said, all these mods have been ongoing, but thanks
to all the good advice on this site especially from Jack, Rick, Paul (and
Darien), I've been able to fix a lot of my early mistakes. The Los Coyotes
trip saw it all come together, but that is a different story...&nbsp;
<center>
<p><img SRC="pict4.gif" ALT="Explorer picture" height=233 width=350>
<br><font face="Arial,Helvetica"><font size=-1>Just play'n around</font></font></center>
</td>
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</table></center>
<center><table BORDER WIDTH="80%" >
<tr>
<td><b>Ford Explorer 1991 XLT&nbsp;</b></td>
<td VALIGN=TOP>Sound package and leather interior.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Performance Mods</b></td>
<td>Magnaflow Exhaust&nbsp;
<br>JET Ind. Performance Chip&nbsp;
<br>135Amp Alternator for a Crown Vic Cop-Car</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Lift</b></td>
<td>Superlift 5.5"</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Shocks</b></td>
<td>Front - Bilsteins for a Jeep Cherokee
<br>Rear - Bilsteins for an F-150</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Articulation</b></td>
<td>Rear - Swaybar Removed&nbsp;
<br>Front - JKS Disconnects for a CJ-7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td VALIGN=TOP><b>Skins and Wheels</b></td>
<td>BFG MTs 33X12.50 on Progressive&nbsp;
<br>15X8.5 Aluminum Blades 3.825 offset</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td VALIGN=TOP><b>Differential</b></td>
<td>4.10:1 Gears with a Lock-Right Locker in Front</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td VALIGN=TOP><b>Bumpers etc.</b></td>
<td>Front - Smittybuilt Winch Bumper w/custom light tabs&nbsp;
<br>Rear - Custom Fabbed Bumper Combo with full size spare,
<br>and mount for 2 Jerry cans.
<br>Garvin Roof Rack,&nbsp;
<br>Smittybuilt Nerf Bars.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Recovery</b></td>
<td>Warn XD9000i</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Lights</b></td>
<td>1 pr KC 150W ea. Floods (outer pair)&nbsp;
<br>1 pr KC 150W ea Pencil Beams (inner pair)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td VALIGN=TOP><b>Misc:</b></td>
<td>Custom fabbed front diff skid plate&nbsp;
<br>Steel rear diff cover with custom fabbed drain-plug&nbsp;
<br>Kocher patented (not really) diff breather system :)</td>
</tr>
</table></center>
<center><br>
<a href="newstuf7.jpg"><img SRC="newstuf7sml.jpg" ALT="Skid Plate" BORDER=1 height=240 width=320></a>
<br><font face="Arial,Helvetica"><font size=-1>Front skid plate also by
Extreme Fabrications</font></font><br>
<br>
<BR>
<br><a href="kevani2.gif"><img SRC="kevredbowls.jpg" BORDER=0 height=197 width=294></a>
<br>Kevin climbing out of a cinder bowl. Cinders OHV area
<br><font face="Serpentine"><font size=+1><a href="kevani2.gif">Animated
Seqence</a></font></font><font face="Arial,Helvetica">(88k)</font><br>
<br>
<BR>
<br><a href="mailto:kocke01@mail.cai.com">Send email to Kevin</a>
<br><a href="mailto:kocke01@mail.cai.com">kocke01@mail.cai.com</a>
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