I have some trouble with turns...

[MyTrac]

Is there any possible way that this truck can not feel like its going to tip over every time I make a damned turn????? I see these off roading pics and they are almost all the way over sometimes and they arent gonna fall over!!! Whats up with mine?!

[MyTrac]

and BTW.....I am having real trouble with my back tires squealing when I make the easiest of turns....especially with roundabouts.....

[roamer37]

How are your sway bars? are the links hooked up? You should have one front and rear, the squealing on turns could be a locker or limited slip rear axle. Some squealing with a empty bed is kind of normal if your agressive on the throttle.

[shooterdude199]

sway bar bushings and blown shocks are mainly the ones to blame. if it feels like its gonna tip over i assume that the bushings on the sway bars are done and your shocks are blown at the same time.

[MyTrac]

thats awesome. are sway bar bushings easy to replace? or will I have to takie them to a $100 dollar an hour mechanic??

[shooterdude199]

well id probably check the shocks first because they compress and extend to give you a better ride. plus many people ride around with sway bars off and say it doesnt have very much body sway if not any, including myself. bushings shouldnt be too bad but you would need to use a lot of wd40 and some elbow grease.

[swshawaii]

Being an '01 ST I''m assuming your OEM shocks and tires have been replaced.
After that, upgrading the REAR sway bar is by far the best handling upgrade.
It will almost eliminate leaning or roll you're experiencing in turns. Also towing
stability. As mentioned, inspect the end links, fronts are very prone to breaking.
Search and read the stellar sway bar reviews. This is an important safety issue.

P.S.- If you are off roading, the sway bar upgrade is probably NOT for you.
Many use them and install quick disconnects when off the pavement. GL

http://www.explorerexpress.com/swayb...way-p-574.html

http://www.zabteck.com/swaybar.htm

[shooterdude199]

shocks can be a big factor. not trying to pick a fight but just because the oem shocks and tires have been replaced before doesnt mean they arent bad. before i built the suspension on my truck i had all motorcraft parts. some are prone to go out faster than others. just check shocks, sway bar bushings and all. but its like i said before, many people on the forum arent running sway bars and don't notice a difference. thats why i say shocks first, sway bars second. like i said not trying to argue too but 4 new shocks are definitely cheaper than buying a whole new set of sway bars.... just my .02

[swshawaii]

Shooter- Shocks are an absolute FIRST safety priority. I agree 100%

[shooterdude199]

i know my rear bushings and end links are gone in the rear end but the shocks i have make up for it to be honest. thats why i hardly ever feel body roll.

[swshawaii]

Originally Posted by shooterdude199

i know my rear bushings and end links are gone in the rear end but the shocks i have make up for it to be honest. thats why i hardly ever feel body roll.

Really have to try one to believe it. I know it's hard to imagine improvement.
There are a few early ST's that have only recently upgraded. Their reaction
is always "why did I wait so long". Wish I could loan you mine, it's unbelievable.

[Kazer]

Originally Posted by MyTrac

and BTW.....I am having real trouble with my back tires squealing when I make the easiest of turns....especially with roundabouts.....

Try lighter shoes

[MyTrac]

Kazer- LOL!...maybe I should a litttle.

And I will check shocks. I don't really know how to test them though. I hope they are bad so I can have an excuse to buy the rancho ones! Those look awesome!

[shooterdude199]

yeah man i understand. i can understand a bigger better sway bar making it much better or even better bushings. ive thought about running a bigger rear sway bar as well. but you may as well rule out the cheaper option first before you start spending money on a bigger sway bar and it not be the source of your problem. so mytrac, check both the shocks and the sway bar end links and bushings for rot and see what you come up with.

[MyTrac]

Okidoki. grr.....I want to start performance stuff so bad....but I keep getting these pesky little problems! AH well I have an interview for a job tomorrow so hopefully that all goes well!!! (hopefully money flow resumes)

[shooterdude199]

well a clear sign is if theyre leaking. unfortunately ive found the only way to see if you have a blown shock is take it off and see if you can compress it by hand. if it doesnt rebound its pretty much blown. to be honest though itd be an upgrade worth doing. definitely worth a hundred bucks or so. your truck wont ride like dookey and could potentially be the source of your cornering problem. also to add i really liked the ranchos when i had them on. i only had them on the front but they did great. if you want them i still got them. i only had them on the truck for like a year and half or so. theyve never seen anything more than a dirt road.

[MyTrac]

shooter you have mail

[shooterdude199]

you've got a reply.

[WidgetTrac]

The sway bar bushings are cheap and easy to replace, and I definately noticed the difference when I changed my front ones - about half of the rubber donuts were completely gone!

How does it handle bumps - bouncy? Does it nosedive when you brake and lean back when you take off? Those are shock issues.

[WidgetTrac]

Originally Posted by shooterdude199

...see if you can compress it by hand. if it doesnt rebound its pretty much blown...

I'm not 100% positive, but I think that only applies to gas-charged shocks, the regular (old) kind stay however you leave them - they have resistance to being compressed OR extended, until they go bad in one or both directions.

With gas-charged it takes muscle to compress them against the gas pressure (unless it leaked out), but a person might also be aware of some hydraulic resistance. When you let it go the gas will extend it back out, but the resistance should make it extend a little more slowly (still pretty quick!) instead of just popping out to full length in the blink of an eye.

I'm pretty sure the OEM shocks are gas type, but a lot of replacements are not, including some of the heavy duty/higher priced ones.