Starliner

Ok, never easy. I had the driver's door apart last week to replace the regulator and felts, so not the end of the world. Back to the junkyard it is!

I degreased, then roughed the surfaces, then tried the JB putty. No good. The hinge separated. Maybe i should use the regular liquid JB? What do you think? Here is a stock photo of the area. Thanks.

Point taken. I was just trying to provide the OP an alternative source. I went thru a bunch of suspension modification stuff with my '96 Explorer trying to make it more off-road worthy. I ended up using an F-150 main leaf with the remainder of the original leaf pack. That was a real cheap way to get about 4" of lift without resorting to shackles. The owner of Eaton Detroit was very kind to trade emails and phone calls with me. He understood what I was trying to do and was willing to build Explorer leaf packs with F-150 main leaves, if anyone wanted them. I do not recall the cost of the packs though ($250/each?). That was quite a while ago. There's nothing worse than trying to cobble something together only to discover that what you thought was the 'magic sauce' was just a bunch of time & money tossed out the window. We've all been there. Sometimes you end up saving money by going with the expert's engineered solution even though it seems pricey at the time. Just trying to help out. I smartened up and ordered the pair of springs. I just couldn't bear to half-ass it. The 1650# ones looked right. Thanks guys.

Ah, great tip on re-tourqueing. Ok, I agree, do in pairs ideally. For me, ideally is eventually. I haven't driven it more than 30 miles since I got it. In the 2 or so months that I have had it I: Put a new carb on, (didn't have one), new distributor (HEI conversion), STARTED it! Recovered the seats, replaced a regulator, replaced rear drums, painted a junkyard dash pad, replaced the door felts and panels, new tires, vac lines, new kick-down, modified the EGR spacer plate to accomodate the rear exiting vac line on the Holley, . . . (add 10 etc's) And I still havent fixed the spring, and STILL need a rear hitch. I will spare you with the to-do list. I AM RUNNING OUT OF MONEY!!! So I will order one correct spring tomorrow, get the truck inspected, then unfold the to-do list again. On it, will be the other spring.

Wow, great. The numbers really help. Thanks.

The arch is definitely an issue, but their specs and even specific as to sprung and unsprung bolt hole distances. Example shown.

I found this website. They are very specific about what is available for my truck. Load capacities, bolt holes, stack height, etc., unlike other sites that just offer one universal replacement. I figure If I get this right, I can do just the one side. Worst case, I order the second one. No loss in shipping. I am taking the measurements and ordering from them. Because mine is a regular cab short bed, I bet that the lightest load rate after 2wd will work. Reasonable prices. Less that $200 including shipping. https://www.generalspringkc.com/pages/search/?Number-of-Leaves/4(3-1)

I cut down this aluminum army chest by 6" to use as a tool box. I didnt want it higher than the gunwales.

I looked in the document section, and the Ford numbers are legit to the catalogs. My question is, based on that part number, where would I find a correct replacement? The catalogs I have seen offer pretty generic 3+1 1650# etc. My top spring is good, and the +1 is good. The middle ones are broken. I think my choice is either replace both sides with matching springs, or do you think that based on the specs in the Doc section, a qualified spring guy could repair the one side? Thanks.

I am not surprised that it is in the library. Sometimes I need help with navigation, but I definitely haven't checked that section out, YET. Anyway, the bumper is lined up to military specs, thanks to a sledge hammer, a come-a-long, and a bashed forearm. It's not pretty, but neither am I. Thanks guys for the spec. Joe

Thanks a bunch. Now i know what I need to tweak. I appreciate you taking the time. Joe

have a big favor to ask. A lady tore my front bumper foo the other day. Now the holes don't line up. Fortunately, the previous owner only secured it with 2 bolts and no washers, so it tore off like paper. Some minor damage to both fender corners, but they fit in with the unintended theme of a rough rider. The favor, would someone please measure bolt center to center for me. I'm not sure if I need to spread the frame mounts or the bumper. Thanks, Joe

Not mine. On marketplace.

Thanks, Gary. I knew you could point me in the right direction. What an incredible resource. Appreciated, Joe

I searched and saw that Big Blue got some column updrades. Maybe went from tilt to straight? Anyway, I have the tilt column with the up and down wheel slop. It stays in tilt positions though. I need to replace the directional cam. While I am in there, is there something I can tighten? I read that some years have a top bushing repair kit. If you guys can point me to an old thread on this, I might be able to check this one off my list. Thanks, Joe