“Thunder” 1998 Expedition Build Thread

[MISTERgadget]

So, next step was some of the easy cosmetic tweaks. The door strips and Eddie Bauer trim on the doors are simply held on with double-sided tape and removing those greatly cleans up the sides so off they come! An eraser wheel made quick work of the cleanup.

Looking much sleeker with the clean flanks now

 

[z168]

I always hated the door moldings. What eraser wheel did you use and how many did you end up using?

 

[Texpedition]

I am very interested in following your progress on this project. I am doing some planning for the same type of upgrades.

 

[ExplorerTom]

Very nice. Looks really slick now. And I'm not normally a fan of 2wd lowered trucks.

Can you point me ("us" as there seems to be a few) toward more info on the hydroboost swap? Better braking is something a lot of people are interesting in.

I've been tossing around the idea of the PMT trailing arms myself. I think you're the first that I've read about actually using them. Good to hear that they firmed up the rear end.

 

[MISTERgadget]

I always hated the door moldings. What eraser wheel did you use and how many did you end up using?

I used an Astro Pneumatic eraser wheel I bought from Amazon. Only needed one for the pinstripes, door molding amd EB molding on both sides.

Very nice. Looks really slick now. And I'm not normally a fan of 2wd lowered trucks.

Can you point me ("us" as there seems to be a few) toward more info on the hydroboost swap? Better braking is something a lot of people are interesting in.

I've been tossing around the idea of the PMT trailing arms myself. I think you're the first that I've read about actually using them. Good to hear that they firmed up the rear end.

Thanks!

Ultimately your braking capacity is unchanged, since the tires, calipers and rotors determine your stopping capacity, but the hydroboost makes a huge difference in feel and by creating greater power assist, lets you effectively "push harder" on the brakes and get the most out of them.

The hydroboost uses hydraulic pressure from your power steering pump instead of the vacuum booster for power brake assist, and the hydraulic system generates more assist, better pedal feel, and isn't susceptible to weak vacuum lines or vacuum leaks.

You get a stiff, tall pedal that feels much better than the mushy vacuum assist, and it starts braking more, earlier on in the pedal throw vs the vacuum assist, making short stops much easier to modulate.

This thread goes over the pros/cons well, there is a ton of info on the Lightning boards regarding both the Hydratech kit and junkyard setups as well.

http://www.lightningrodder.com/foru.../244250-hydroboost-set-up-likes-dislikes.html

 

[MISTERgadget]

Ok, So my next step was really not quite in the original plan, but who was I to say no to a great black friday sale from TRS right after Morimoto released the best Mini H1 projector to date?

Unboxing, the internet's new favorite thing!

Very nice casting on the bowl with great fit and finish

In keeping with the "OEM" modifications theme, I went with an SVT logoetching to match the SVT logo on the bulb covers of the OEM Lightning headlights.

The base was a set of replica "Lightnin" headlights, and it came together with some Apollo 2.0 D shrouds to finish them off, and XSB 2.0 switchback halos to finish off the lights with a modern look. Kept it chrome and fairly mild so it stayed within the "could've been factory" theme.

Low beam output shot here - even though it's a phone picture, easy to see the excellent output of the MIni H1 7.0 here. It really punches above its weight considering the compact size and ease of install.

 

[Texpedition]

I used an Astro Pneumatic eraser wheel I bought from Amazon. Only needed one for the pinstripes, door molding amd EB molding on both sides.

Were the pinstripes painted on or decals?

 

[MISTERgadget]

They were the factory EB decal pinstripes.

 

[Texpedition]

Good to know. Thanks. Mine have faded and look like crap. Want to get rid of them prior to paint.

 

[MISTERgadget]

Good to know. Thanks. Mine have faded and look like crap. Want to get rid of them prior to paint.

Yeah, mine were starting to crack and flake