Upgrading Suspension / self levelling shocks Help Please

[Terry876]

Hi I have same problem with my Ex, I spoke at length to Justin at Explorer parts Newport. He told me that he imports Monroe shocks to replace OEM, his last shipment was to arrive late Dec, each time I ring him he tells me he needs to check in the store but never rings me back, I do not think he will sell to me, but perhaps if you try he may have some which he will supply to you.

 

[SB98UKexplorer]

my dad had the same problem, he swapped the sensor leg over off my old one and working perfectly now.

 

[BIGHVM]

Arc problems that I have come across mainly start with the sensor being stuck frozen or stiff with rust...I used a dremmel to get rid of the rust on the cups and the balls in the joints then greased them big time...also sprayed a little WD in the sensor itself!
Mine works like a charm now!
Check and do that first b4 you undertake more expensive fixes guys!

 

[Terry876]

I have done all that twice now the arm and ladder thing are all loose and move easily but my light comes on after I fill up and drive about 10 miles, if I lay under mine its like the shocks are breathing, the pump runs the car goes up, the pump stops, and you can hear air coming from the shocks ,then the pump runs again.

 

[SB98UKexplorer]

you need to put you hands around the pipes to feel the air escaping then check the shocks. then you should work out the problem.

 

[CDW6212R]

The height sensor in back is about $200 for me, the good price at Ford. They have joints that do wear out. The height is not adjustable, but I did it. I drilled two new holes in the cross member. It only took about 3/8" to lower it about an inch.

 

[markwillenbrock]

Sorry about the heat/height typo above.

I've had lots of fun on our 2 Explorers with the blasted self leveling.

If the flimsy plastic height sensor bar drops off, you don't get a warning light. It lets the air out and the system sits idle.

If you (or your garage) forgets to switch the self levelling switch off and the car is jacked up, it seems to result in the rear suspension going 'hard'.

Getting rid of this is tricky - my car bounced and danced all over the place for ages, with the switch in 'on' and 'off' positions.

Finally I had to drive through a ditch and the resulting axle twist seemed to cure the problem and it went back to it's normal, comfortable self!

With one or two people you almost never hear the pump. Fully laden it runs alot and you can't miss it - even turned off it still kicks in. Locking the car seems to silence it.

Personally, I think that it doesn't do much to level.

It seems to be able to increase the firmness of the shocks to suit the load.

That said, after my fathers had been driven several thousand miles without the air, it did develop a list at the back.

 

[B1gM4c]

Ok.... as I bought the car in this condition ( the dash light appeared on the journey home the night I bought it ) I do not know if the car has been raised without the switch in the off position? I am willing to try ALL of your suggestions posted - but in what order? Do not want to make the situation worse. Any idea's.....

As for the supplier in Newport ....I value "good old fashioned service" where the customer is right ( most of the time ) so If he can't be bothered to phone you with info towards a potential sale...whats he going to be like if you have a problem with items he has supplied already?? I would rather purchase from USA/Canada and pay a little bit more....at least they know what car you are talking about!

B1gM4c

 

[CDW6212R]

First try to confirm that the compressor runs, that is key. Once you know it runs, then you can deal with leaks etc.

Each time you shut all doors/hatch after driving, after a pause there will be a clicking noise. The system is likely testing the air solenoids. You can only hear that in very quiet conditions. If the shocks need air, the compressor will come on at basically that same time, within a minute of shutting the last door.

You can make the compressor run(if it's operational), by turning off the ignition, getting out with shutting the door(s), and quickly stand on the back bumper. Within a minute the compressor should turn on.

 

[B1gM4c]

Result.....I think?

Guys, thanks to your help, advice and input I had some time and know-how today to go and have a look around under the bootspace of my EXP.

I found the ARC sensor and it was not connected to the plastic strip that runs at a right angle from the boot floor? I forced the ball clip of the sensor back into its position in the plastic strip and immediately air was pumped into the shocks - made me jump, which isnt a good thing when you are squeezed under the Exp!?!? The rear ride height has raised approx 1/2 - 1 inch. I have taken measurements at all four corners and they are pretty even.

CDW6212R - I have tried your idea now to trigger the compressor once I exit the car - switched off after a short drive and jumped on the rear bumper but no sound or movement whilst I stood there for 2mins? I weigh around 210lb but that is all the weight the EXP is carrying - should it have triggered? The car seems so much smoother its untrue? I wonder out of the 110k miles it has done how much was with the ARC not working. A little off thread this but what is stored / located above where the spare should be? Mine has been converted to LPG and has no spare because the doughnut tank is there but there is some kind of tray bolted to the boot floor with something sat inside it with either pipes or cables running to it?? The tray itself is corroded so I was thinking of removing it - just didnt want to open up a can of worms!
One more thing, what is the rubber pipe that runs into the rear axle??
Any help greatly appreciated.

B1gM4c

 

[Howard]

The compressor sits above the spare and the pipe is the axle breather. So its leave it all alone.

 

[CDW6212R]

That sounds good, just keep an eye/ear on it to make sure it's working and not leaking.

I weighed about 210 when I was finishing my truck and the rear suspension. It took some time before I figured out that the clicking was normal(height check etc.), and how to adjust the height. I read about how the ARC works before thinking of the weight added to the back to force it to function.

You have done that with it being low on air and fixing the height sensor.

The ARC isn't supposed to function with any doors open, but I know that isn't entirely correct. In theory it will check for level after the doors are shut for a short time. You should also be able to load some weight in the back with the hatch open, and the ARC lift it shortly after the doors are all shut.

I don't recall reading this, but in practice my truck generally never runs the ARC just after loading it. I always go indoors to clock out etc(5 minutes), and come back to start the truck to go. The ARC almost always turns on to level my new load just after starting the truck. That to me suggests that the ignition needs to be on after a load is added. My ARC will run if the truck is parked on an incline which drops the back end(uphill). Mine runs predictably enough that I know that it works and doesn't leak such that I can tell. That is ideally what you want. It works as needed but needs no care.

 

[Stenasev]

A little off thread this but what is stored / located above where the spare should be? Mine has been converted to LPG and has no spare because the doughnut tank is there but there is some kind of tray bolted to the boot floor with something sat inside it with either pipes or cables running to it?? The tray itself is corroded so I was thinking of removing it - just didnt want to open up a can of worms!

Sounds like you're talking about the carbon canisters. Mine was rusted badly as well so I dumped the lot and blanked the two tubes off. It's not even electrically connected on UK models so you won't be missing it!

SS

 

[SB98UKexplorer]

Sounds like you're talking about the carbon canisters. Mine was rusted badly as well so I dumped the lot and blanked the two tubes off. It's not even electrically connected on UK models so you won't be missing it!

SS

further more i noticed that too, waste of space and weight having it there, unfortantly on my present 4x4 i have the lpg tank there too and would need to drop it out to access it.

 

[CDW6212R]

The charcoal canisters collect fuel vapors instead of letting them escape. That saves fuel, the vapors are sucked into the engine while it runs, the control solenoids are under the battery next to the horn. I'd leave them on, and use them if you use gasoline and not LPG.

 

[BIGHVM]

I thought they were dead on UK Exs- I have had mine down and seems like they are not live.....I left them alone just in case and forgot them till this came up!

They are not even mentioned in the service docs for our Exs- I am sure!

 

[B1gM4c]

Thanks for the replies / comments... as mentioned the only way I could access the tray is by dropping the LPG tank which I do not want to do! Will the corroded tray create a problem when my MOT is due? It isn't chassis related so I am guessing not??

 

[BIGHVM]

Guys, thanks to your help, advice and input I had some time and know-how today to go and have a look around under the bootspace of my EXP.

I found the ARC sensor and it was not connected to the plastic strip that runs at a right angle from the boot floor? I forced the ball clip of the sensor back into its position in the plastic strip and immediately air was pumped into the shocks - made me jump, which isnt a good thing when you are squeezed under the Exp!?!? The rear ride height has raised approx 1/2 - 1 inch. I have taken measurements at all four corners and they are pretty even.

CDW6212R - I have tried your idea now to trigger the compressor once I exit the car - switched off after a short drive and jumped on the rear bumper but no sound or movement whilst I stood there for 2mins? I weigh around 210lb but that is all the weight the EXP is carrying - should it have triggered? The car seems so much smoother its untrue? I wonder out of the 110k miles it has done how much was with the ARC not working. A little off thread this but what is stored / located above where the spare should be? Mine has been converted to LPG and has no spare because the doughnut tank is there but there is some kind of tray bolted to the boot floor with something sat inside it with either pipes or cables running to it?? The tray itself is corroded so I was thinking of removing it - just didnt want to open up a can of worms!
One more thing, what is the rubber pipe that runs into the rear axle??
Any help greatly appreciated.

B1gM4c

Cant get mine to trigger that way unless I jump up and down on the bumper and I weigh a bit more- but mine does trigger if I reverse onto a slope, or when I have my drums in the back and open the door doors or boot.
I want to lower mine as since I put the shackles on it triggers less then b4. I will look at that next sunday if the weather is good...must charge the drill first to relocate the mount.

 

[CDW6212R]

The height sensor determines what level the ARC will try for. So mechanically altering the ride height does not change the height sensor ride height.

If you lower the truck(blocks etc.), the shocks will have air added to return to the original height.

If you raise the truck(shackles etc.), the shocks will have all of the air removed from them, which will ruin the shock.

Meaning you have to alter the height sensor also. If you go by my picture above, you can generally see how I lowered my truck just shy of an inch, probably 3/4" from stock. I have 1" lowering blocks, and moving the height sensor upper mount about 3/8" upward got me that slight drop. Be careful because you can't raise it much more than that, the bracket of the height sensor will touch the floor of the truck and push it down, , defeating what you are trying to do. I had to play with it for a good while to figure that all out, and get the right location and clearance. Make clearance at the floor as you go.

If you need to raise the truck, going the other way(down with bracket) is not as tough.

 

[Terry876]

Hi all
The air from mine is leaking down the inside of the shocks, just ordered 2 new shocks from ebay USA, monroe 40006 and 40007 replacement OEM parts they work with the ARC system, will see if this cures my first problem, then I can start on my others!