Coilover Conversion

[tasmanian10]

So I am a noob to suspension but I think I would like to put coilovers all the way around on my 03 ST 2WD. I have read that mounts will need to be made to for the coilovers in the front. But most of it was for ST with lifts. How would you go about doing the stock ride height in the front with coilovers. Then for the back I want to lower it to be level with the front, but I haven't had any luck finding anything on converting the leaf springs to coilovers.

 

[Mbrooks420]

What makes you want to do this conversion? What's your budget and time you can be without a car?

 

[ntp7001]

I thought about doing coil overs on the fronts thinking that I can improve my ride over the bumpy, pothole ridden landscape of Northeastern PA. I have new shocks throughout, however I still don't like how it handles over the deep holes that jar your jaw. Would coil overs help? I assumed they would, but I do not have evidence to suggest it.

So I searched and searched, and I found a cheap way to do a coil conversion. *** I do not know if the suspension will handle any better with these shocks or any worse. The Extended Length and Compressed Length are close to stock, and the travel length is a little bit longer.***

A Monroe Premium Shock on my 01 Sport Trac would be a Monroe 34804, with an extended length of 18.1", Compressed length of 13.6", and a travel length of 4.52".

With a little research I found that a 1979 Ford F100 front end can use Monroe Load Adjusting Shock 58253 ( http://www.monroe.com/en-US/e-catalog/58253 ), with an extended length of 16.1", Compressed length of 10.6", and a travel length of 5.63".

The comparable Gabriel 34058 ( http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=3739398 ) shock looks to be a little bit closer to stock with an extended length of 17.13", Compressed length of 11.01", and a travel length of 6.13".

Both of these shocks have a stem on the upper part, and an eyelet on the bottom part. A Bar Pin Eliminator ($25) from Rock Road outfitters may make the shock workable on the truck. Using the Bar Pin Eliminator may get the overall length closer to stock specs.

Again, I have not actually tried this. I have new shocks all the way around and I believe I may have more of a sway issue than a shock issue. I also need to replace a few body mounts, so I am holding off until all of the needed repairs are complete before I invest more money into shocks I may not need at all.

Let me know if anyone has tried these load assist shocks on the front end.

Neal

 

[Mbrooks420]

I don't think of those as a typical "coil over" setup. Usually the spring in a coil over is what supports the weight of the truck. With those, your torsion bars would still be handling that, and is likely where the rough ride comes from. These would likely stiffen the ride even further.

 

[ntp7001]

Thanks for clearing that up.

So how do the torsion bars cause a rough ride? And how do you correct that?

Neal

 

[koda2000]

Torsion bars do not cause a rough ride. Stiff or worn shocks and over inflated tires on a truck cause a rough ride, not to mention a leaf spring rear suspension. Add to that the towing package and the ride gets even rougher.

BTW: The Sport Trac is known for its ****ty OE body mount bushings deteriorating. Replacing my near non-existent body mount bushings made a huge difference in the ride of my '01 Sport Trac. It when from super rough to very firm. If you still have what's left of your OE body mount bushings on your ST you'd better take a close look at them. They were made of some kind of foam material. I replaced mine with Prothane poly bushings. Best improvement I ever made.

 

[ntp7001]

Ok, thanks. The Body mounts are on my list of things to get soon. Body Mounts 2 and 3 on both sides look really worn as compared to the others.

 

[koda2000]

Ok, thanks. The Body mounts are on my list of things to get soon. Body Mounts 2 and 3 on both sides look really worn as compared to the others.

Those are the mounts that are made out of the foam material (AKA mount locations "B" and "C"). Mount locations "A" and "D" are made of rubber and something other than foam, respectively, and don't deteriorate as badly as the foam mounts. I replaced all of mine except the "D" mounts, as I saw no point in replacing my "D" mounts.

 

[CDW6212R]

FYI, one of the major body mount manufacturers has kits for the Sport Trac, and those have two choices of material. The version that has Kevlar in it are supposedly better for NVH, ride quality I took it to mean. Those are a grey color I know, because a got a set out of box to use for my 98 truck. Not all of the bushings are different for the 4dr versus the ST, many components are identical in shape.

 

[koda2000]

FYI, one of the major body mount manufacturers has kits for the Sport Trac, and those have two choices of material. The version that has Kevlar in it are supposedly better for NVH, ride quality I took it to mean. Those are a grey color I know, because a got a set out of box to use for my 98 truck. Not all of the bushings are different for the 4dr versus the ST, many components are identical in shape.

On the ST each bushing is unique. With Prothane you have the choice of red or black, but I had no preference for color. I don't see what difference color makes for that application. I am aware of 2 manufactures that make replacement body mount bushings for the ST. Most here seem to go with the Prothane brand. I have no complaints with the Prothane's and would buy again and recommend. Installation is simple in theory, but time consuming. Took me about 8 hours over 2 days and I was dealing with minimum rust. The second side goes quicker than the first due to the learning curve.

 

[CDW6212R]

Here's the link for the Daystar kit I referred to; http://www.daystarsuspensionparts.com/kf04015kv

This kit is grey, which is not for looks, but signifies it's made from a different substance than the regular black parts.

The individual components are obtainable separately I was told. If you dig into the inventory list of the ST kit in black, and a 4dr kit in black, there are many parts with the same part number(given the same chemical make up).

 

[ntp7001]

Ok. I'll check it out. Thanks

NeaL

 

[swshawaii]

Agree to replace body mounts FIRST, otherwise you may doing serious damage to the structural sheet metal due to excessive movement. Another thing to consider is your front shocks. Is your ST at stock height? If it feels like you are bottoming out or over extending the front shocks over potholes and deep ruts, make sure you have the correct shocks for your 2WD ST. Monroe's OE Spectrum (formerly SensaTrac) RWD (37177) shocks have 2" more travel (6.375") than the 4WD (37122) models. Oddly enough, all other shock brands I've found including Bilstein, KYB, etc. only offer the shorter travel shocks designed for the 4WD. May be the reason the Monroe 37177 RWD shock works so well for lowered ST's. My front is lowered about 2 1/2" and may be outside the shock "comfort" zone, but at least there's bottom travel left. Also check front and rear rubber bump stop clearance bolted the the front upper control arms and rear frame.

See "Tech Specs"
RWD
http://www.monroe.com/en-US/e-catalog/37177#tech-specs

4WD
http://www.monroe.com/en-US/e-catalog/37122#tech-specs

 

[ntp7001]

I certainly didn't mean to hijack this thread.

Swshawaii, Thank you for the info. That has always been the question I have been asking....What is better a longer travel or a shorter travel? I have all new shocks, Ranchos in the rear and I believe KYB's in the front (my brother in law bought them on his commercial account so I am not sure what the specs are for the fronts).

Honestly, my 01 4x4 seems to ride smooth until I hit some rough terrain, then it seems like the truck wants to go all over the place. So, the body mounts are on the list to get replaced, I'm just waiting for a little bit more funds.

Do you think the Axle shaft damper shock would also be a benefit? How about the Anti Wrap Bars that came on the Pre 2000 Explorers?

I really am interested in street driving only, which includes the rough sections on the way to and from work.

 

[swshawaii]

Sorry ntp, my reply was regarding the OP's RWD. As you mentioned, most ride complaints with the ST usually occur when moving over rough terrain, and hitting bumps in curves when the rear of the truck seems to break free ending up in the next lane over. Scary indeed. I've read this is caused by worn shocks, solid rear axle, etc., but have never read a definitive explanation or reason. Check your front and rear bump stops for bottoming out "witness" marks using chalk or talcum powder. Tires and pressure have a huge influence on ride and handling quality. Since KYB uses the same front shocks for RWD and 4WD, you likely have the correct model. Check RockAuto to confirm. I honestly would replace the worn body mounts before going any further. Trusty koda has said MANY times outside of this thread, it will feel and handle like new truck.

 

[koda2000]

Sorry ntp, my reply was regarding the OP's RWD. As you mentioned, most ride complaints with the ST usually occur when moving over rough terrain, and hitting bumps in curves when the rear of the truck seems to break free ending up in the next lane over. Scary indeed. I've read this is caused by worn shocks, solid rear axle, etc., but have never read a definitive explanation or reason. Check your front and rear bump stops for bottoming out "witness" marks using chalk or talcum powder. Tires and pressure have a huge influence on ride and handling quality. Since KYB uses the same front shocks for RWD and 4WD, you likely have the correct model. Check RockAuto to confirm. I honestly would replace the worn body mounts before going any further. Trusty koda has said MANY times outside of this thread, it will feel and handle like new truck.

@swshawaii Before I replaced the body mounts on my RWD ST I experienced the "automatic-lane-change" in a curve on a bumpy road. Quite scary. Since replacing the body mounts I have not had that out-of-control sensation repeated. My front/rear shocks could probably stand replacing (at 190k), but after recently replacing my upper/lower ball joints, getting an alignment and installing new Moog poly front sway bar end links I really don't have handling complaints. Thanks for the info on the RWD front shock length.

 

[ntp7001]

Believe it or not I added a Axle damper shock last night. I ordered this a few days ago after visiting the junkyard and seeing the 5.0 Explorers with the Axle Dampers. I thought that having one certainly wouldn't hurt. i have seen posts on this forum claiming that it has no effect, and therefore it is not needed. I can tell you for certain that this simple $30 addition to my suspension has greatly improved my ride overnight. I drive 50 miles one way to work everyday, so I know how my truck handles this same route.

Of course I still need the body mount kit, however I am quite pleased with this upgrade. I don't know why Ford stopped putting these on Explorers in 2000, but I think its worth the money if you are experiencing a bumpy ride over rough roads.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm been Mulling over this, and will just go ahead and replace mine. What brand did you install?

 

[ntp7001]

Hey no problem. I used the KYB SS10201.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=2451374&cc=1362462&jsn=506

Hope this helps. I am very pleased.

 

[tasmanian10]

Sorry I didn't have notifications on for this somehow. I don't have a time frame to complete this. And the budget is pretty flexible.