| I bought my 91’ Sport in
the spring of 1993. I kept the Sport bone stock for the first few
years,
primarily because I was not yet afflicted with the "build-up bug". Off
roading was limited to the beaches of North Carolina and local ORV
trails.
The Sport performed well, but would be a stellar performer with a few
upgrades.
The first modification was
the installation of the Borla Headers and Cat-Back Exhaust system,
installed
in 1995. The Sport was towing our other vehicle from North Carolina to
our new residence in Washington State and felt it was the ideal excuse
to add some bolt on performance. At this time I also added the
K&N
filter, and swapped out the original rubber with 30x9.50x15 Firestone
ATX
tires. The tires fit fine and the stock 3.55 gearing was adequate to
compensate
for the size difference.
Although the truck was still
largely stock, we still enjoyed taking it to the area beaches and
limited
4x4 trips throughout Washington State. The only modification was the
Smittybuilt
dual tube bumper (after backing into a telephone pole). It was not
until
this past year that the build-up began in earnest.
In September of 1998 I had
the Rancho 2½" Lift Kit installed. My rationale on the 2½"
kit was based on the thought that I wouldn’t go bigger than 31" tires
and
didn’t want to have to lengthen brake lines, install heavy duty brakes,
or upgrade to lower gearing. I chose AR 767 steel 15x8 rims with 4" of
backspacing. Although I could have kept the original rims, the stock
5¼"
backspacing on the 7" rims caused the front tires to rub the Rancho
extended
radius arms short of full steer.
For tires I went with the
31x10.50x15 Firestone RMT (Radial Mud Terrain). They are similar to the
BFG Mud Terrain, but the tread pattern is not quite as aggressive. The
on-highway ride is fine. To date I have been impressed with their
performance
in mud, slick rock, loose gravel, and sand. The 4" backspacing gave the
Sport a wider stance, but at the cost of exposing the front tires
outside
of the fender well. The solution was Bushwhacker’s Extend-a-Fenders,
which
fit perfectly.
After the switch to the 31s
I added the Jet Performance Chip. Although the gains did not seem
significant,
any small bit to increase horsepower is welcome. At this time I ordered
the James Duff Pre-Runner style front bumper. I had the rear tubular
style
and wanted to mirror the same style up front. After about three years
the
Smittybuilt was showing it’s age, so before mounting the Duff bumper I
had both front and rear bumpers sprayed with Line-X, a commercial truck
bed lining. This gives the bumpers a textured rubberized coating that
to
date has stood up well to off road driving conditions. The Duff bumper
had light tabs so I mounted Hella 500 fog lights up front. Both bumpers
look great, and the new front bumper allowed me to mount GM tow hooks
to
the frame. I like the GM hooks because they are flat, keeping a yank
strap
from sliding off as well as being a great jacking platform for the
Hi-Lift.
I also created a drop bracket from squared steel tubing to mount GM tow
hooks to the rear of the vehicle, which again makes a great jacking
platform.
Next was traction control
and gearing. By now I really had the build-up bug and wanted to get
great
traction without sacrificing on-highway performance. I looked at all
conceivable
options: Limited Slips, E-Z Locker, Detroit,
"Clutchless" and
of course the Air Locker from ARB. Since my truck is a daily driver,
lockers
front and rear would probably be too hard on the drive train. I could
not
find a limited slip for the front reverse cut Dana 35- - but I’m sure
they
are out there somewhere. The final outcome was the ARBs. Most expensive
of the bunch, but the first climb I would have not made with limited
slips
would have made wish I’d dropped the extra money for the ARBs. With
traction
improvement I also went to lower gearing, settling for 4.10s. Although
my initial intent was not to swap gears, I found the 3.55s lackluster
with
the 31s. Additionally, I plan to go to at least 32s, so I figured the
deeper
gears would be better suited for future upgrades.
I’ve recently added a Con-Ferr
roof rack, Warn Lock Out Hubs, and the KKM filter element.
Future upgrades include armor
for the front and rear differentials, and rear shock mount skid plates.
Additionally, I’m planning to fabricate a storage system for the rear
cargo
area.
Only regret (or "If I had
to do it all over again") I would have probably gone with a 4" lift kit
in lieu of the 2½" kit. I have a very capable off-road vehicle,
it would be more so with 33" tires.
Specifications
Engine
- 4.0 L V-6
KKM Filter
Jet Power Chip
Suspension -
Rancho 2 ½" Suspension Lift Kit
Rancho RS 9000 Adjustable Shocks
Transfer Case
- Borg-Warner 1354, Electronic
Warn Lock Out Hubs
Axles
- Front: Dana 35 reverse cut, 31 spline shafts
Rear: Ford 8.8", 31 spline shafts
Exhaust
- Borla Headers
Borla Cat-Back Exhaust
Gearing
- U.S. Gear - 4.10 Gears
Differentials
- ARB Air Lockers
Tires
- 31x10.50x15 Firestone RMT
Wheels
- American Racing 767 Steel 15x8
Bumpers - Front:
James Duff Pre-Runner
Rear: Smittybuilt
Both sprayed with Line-X textured bed liner
Lighting
- Hella 500 6" Fog Lights
Electronics
- Radio Shack CB
Miscellaneous
- Con-Ferr Roof Rack
Bushwhacker Extend-a-Fender Flares
GM Tow Hooks front and rear
Contact Paul:
ptsabin@lvnworth.com
|
