I found a set of axles in the junkyard that were equipped with 4.10 gears, and couldn't pass up the opportunity to replace Nel's 3.73's. I also decided to replace her springs with a set from a Mazda Navajo (Mazda's Ford Explorer). This raised Nel's height by about 1.5 to 2 inches and greatly improved the handling. The new springs also seemed to increase the flex a little more than before.
I also decided to update the grille by replacing the center section with one from an Aerostar van, giving the grille a cleaner look. Even though it's not something that really grabs your attention, especially with the push bar in front, it does make a noticeable difference.
Before:
After:
