My '92 Explorer is coming back from the near death experience it has enjoyed for the last four years. After considering financing a car and trading it in or fixing it up, I decided to rehab it. What a difference a few days makes.

I picked up a '91 front seat at a junkyard (mine was busted, and a pole has been holding it up for four years now). The '91 didn't fit the same mounting holes, so I had to put the two seats together and mount it. Then I put some nice covers on them so they matched.

I ordered door pulls for both sides off ebay (both of mine were broken). The color doesn't match my interior, but they're both the same color so I don't mind a bit of difference as long as its symetrical.

New tires all around-one was so bald it was dangerous. I put on the tires the truck came with originally. Yes they are Firestones-I live on the edge.

My tires were so bald because my ball joints are bad. next week-new ball joints, and a new radius control arm.

After all of this and about $1500.00, my Explorer will be almost as it was when new (its exeptionally clean inside). Its a lot of money, but it beats financing the kind of car I would want-like a WRX STi.

The last things to do will be a 4X4 maintenance to get it to work again (probably dirty inside the actuator) and get just one of the metal lug nut covers for the passenger side rear wheel. Then its totally "spec.", except for the climate control. Too expensive to be worth it.

I'll have to change my signature now.

Why did I do this? Its worth so little as a trade in, and it has never, never failed to start up to 141,000 miles. Almost no rust or corrosion, just one spot by the passenger rear tire. Its really a truck so I don't care. All the electrical stuff works, windows, locks, etc. Stereo is nice, too. Also, the MB is garaged for the bad weather (right now freezing rain and sleet) and still needs a water pump. I want everything fixed before I graduate from Law School in four months.

Wish me luck for the finishing touches.

Dude good luck


It's far more fun keeping an old one on the road!


later

Russ

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190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

Yeah, and cheaper, too. I must say I'm a bit impressed with the Ford. It always starts, I've only had the trans rebuilt at 120K, and its a French made trans not up to meeting the "power" of the 4.0L. Its up to 141K and I'm finally fixing all these things that went wrong 20K ago and it was stilll running fine through all these problems. It also makes a good pair with the MB.

There seems to be quite a following with the 1st gen Explorer. I get thumbs up's from people on the road with 1" lifted Cherokee's, and some dude tried to buy it off my driveway with a Cherokee. He didn't like my "buy it now" price, I think.

Anyway, fishing trips are again being planned in the house of Orkrist.

1996 Explorer, Limited, 2WD (Sold originally to doctor on Key West) is an absolute piece of junk. It runs so-so @ 132k. It also has the 4.0 liter V6. Being the Limited, top of the line model (higher than Eddie Bauer) it has (or I should say had) all the toys. Leather, dual power seats w/ memory, power glass moonroof, trip computer, digital overhead console, digital auto climate control, front / rear air, Auto dimming mirror, auto headlights, fog lights, power antenna, power heated mirrors, keyless / alarm system, keypad entry, aluminum alloy rims, 4-wheel disc brakes / ABS, leather steering wheel, Ford / JBL premier audio sys w/ rear subwoofer, 6-CD changer, rear audio controls----everything. Over 35k new. Bought 1 owner @ 69,000 miles. Previous perfect maintenance. Perfect maintenance with me. Now a perfect piece of crap. The leather wrapped steering wheel crumbled and fell off before 100k miles. It was just a thin plastic rim I was steering with until i bought one of those cheap K-Mart vinyl covers. Nice on a 35k car! The seats are shot in the front. The leather is cracked, and maybe like your problem it caved in on the driver's side. The panels which house power seat controls are busted off on both sides, although both seats still operate feebly. Power lumbar is junk on both sides. Stereo is really nice sounding, though 2nd to my 1992 Range Rover factory sys. However, half of the illumination has failed and you can;t see it at night. You also cannot shut it off because the power button has failed. The power antenna broke, no longer operational. Over 50% of all interior lights have failed, way to expensive to fix. I have replaced the cheap plastic door handles on the back door 3 times as they repeatly have broken because they are junk. The power lock motor fails in the tailgate constantly. I am on the sixth new motor. Sunroof, windows all work. keyless keypad doesn;t light up but works. Keyless fobs have both ceased to work, even with new lithium batts. Auto headlights work, but one headlight has failed. And its not a bulb. Fogs have cracked and broken and are junk anyway. Climate control won't light up at all. Auto dimming mirror won;t stay stuck to the windshield. It flops. Headliner is starting to fall apart arounnd the sunroof. Car has plenty of squeaks & rattles. Check Engine has been on for life of car, depsite tune-ups, new O2 sensors, etc. Coolant guage has failed since 71,000 miles. Now rear wiper / wash setup has literally fallen off back of truck. And this is all not even getting to the driving experience yet. Motor runs ok but is rough at times and has developed an internal squeal--bearings?? Trans is, what can I say, silky smooth though. ABS sys has failed once--scary--brke pedal goes to floor and you cannot stop until sys has reset. AnywAy, do not drive this Explorer at over 70mph on interstate highways, it is highly unstable even with new driving tires and shocks. It WILL flip if a quick turn is made at these speeds. I have seen more than enough Explorers of these years in the salvage yards that have rolled over and their roofs are now level with the hood to know that if it rolls with me in it I'm done, and so is any one riding with me.

Conclusion--it looks good outside, it runs ok, but is overall junk, and not up to its heft price tag. Mine is a 2wd, but even with 4x4 it has zero off road ability other than driving over a curb.

In 1992, the Range Rover cost 45k--it has most of what the Explorer has for toys and they all work perfectly--even the leather on the steering wheel is perfect--yet it has 55k plus miles on it and 4 years older. And it is really unstoppable in any kind of terrain. Will never consider any Ford SUV again.

Just my experience.

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2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic
1995 Mercedes-Benz E320 Wagon
2005 Land Rover LR3 V8 SE
1999 Audi A8 4.2L quattro

That sucks. Mine has never given me so many problems. Everything that went wrong is maintenance type stuff, and I have totally abused it. I don't have power seats, antennae, or keyless locks and so on. Mine is very bare bones, but was the XLT for '92. Tjhe basic construction on the early models makes them a bit more reliable as far as the electrics and creature comforts go. Its really a truck with seats in the back, like the Bronco was but smaller. The engine is great, the trans suck but they were French made and not a good match for the motor.

I did find when I was looking for parts it was hard to find a salvaged '91 - '93. They were all '96 or newer, with all the power stuff you just mentioned so the seat wasn't compatible. Roll-overs do happen. When I found a '91, it had been rolled over the side of the highway and apparently rolled down a hill for some distance. I've never had a problem like that, but I take it easy. I'm always amazed when I'm driving in bad weather on the hwy at like 50, and people with SUVs pass me at like 70. Very foolish.

I haven't ever been really "off-road", but I have been on some rough service roads and "forded" some small rivers with no problem. I've always liked it, I bought it in 1997 or 1998 for 10K. It had 70K miles on it then, now it has 141K. It always starts, no matter how cold or whatever.

I would never buy a new Ford SUV, or any new SUV for that matter. They have all become too car like and too "luxurious", and way too expensive. When I look at a car that has all those electrical doo-dads I just think its something else that can break-plus I don't need power seats. I only move my seat once and then thats where it is. Anyway-sorry for your bad experience.

I think you're right, the older ones where actually made better and in general the fewer the gadgets the more reliable---but that makes me think the my Rover, 92 same year as yours, and all the toys work! Better quality? And I did have an 1988 Ford Bronco (Full size) XLT, which was a much better truck than the Explorer. (4x4, 5.0 Liter V8) The biggest problem was it was only a 2-door and it was starting to rust, and the electric tailgate never worked right, so you could never get in the back. Hmm...anyway, good luck with yours. I think the 1st gen Explorer like yours is less prone to roll-overs due to the steering is not rack & pinion like on the 1995-on models.

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2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic
1995 Mercedes-Benz E320 Wagon
2005 Land Rover LR3 V8 SE
1999 Audi A8 4.2L quattro

Better think about a timing chain with 140,000 miles on it. Probabally getting a little streched by now.

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2003 Ford Crew Cab 6.0 Powerstroke Diesel 6 spd 4x4(For Sale)

1981 MB 300SD 190,000 miles Gray with cream interior.(sold)
1981 MB 300SD 239,000 miles Cream with Brown interior.(sold)

Sorry to revitalize a pretty much dead post, but the whole Exploder roll over deal, and this is just my opinion, had a lot more to do with Ford than Firestone. The early Exploders (91-94) had a design flaw that caused a shake or shimmy at over 65 mph or so. When most of them were built, the speed limit was 55, so Ford engineered the problem outside of normal use demand. The problem had something to do with the engine mounts and the vibration of the motor at certain revs in top gear. Bear with me, I have limited info and it only makes sense b/c you reach the same revs at lower gears with even with an auto trans before an upshift and there isn't a shake/shimmy or whatever.

Ford offered several remedies, one of which was a "shock" type system manufactured by yours truly, MB. It was very expensive and not practical and so few went for it. When the class actions started coming Ford really dumped on Firestone. I think the Exploder had more than just this flaw, and its predecessor, the Bronco II, was one of the most dangerous cars on the road. How many other trucks had Firestone Wilderness A/T tires as stock? Did they roll over and explode in flames?
Anyway, just my two cents on the issue.

Also, a '92 Rover, so long as it isn't a Discovery, had better be working perfectly given the cost. Its a Rover for crying out loud. You're supposed to be able to drive through hell and back and make it back in town for your four star dinner reservations. Those S1 Discovery's sure sucked, though.

The Bronco is a kind of legendary SUV, like the old C5 Blazers and the Suburbans from the early eighties. Of course they rocked-look at them. That was before SUVs became things people would buy who lived in the burbs. When I was a kid anyone who owned one of those things was either living in a rural or gravel road with hills or was a hardcore sportsman. I've seen them on trails and I'd take one over a CJ. What I really wish I had was a Jeep Grand Wagoneer with the wood on the sides, heated seats, leather interior, etc. but I'm not a good enough mechanic!

Anyway, the work continues and is almost done. I'll have the chain checked next time its in the shop for the blower motor.