Question about lowered Explorer

[aldive]

If ine uses the Explorer Express lowering kit...

What effect of payload does the lowering have?

I often have 12 Scuba tanks and ancillary equipment in the back as well as 4 people in the truck. Will I be OK to lower and still do this?

Thanks....

 

[expo5.0]

it depends on the shocks you will be using. if you keep stock shocks and you lower the x. you will be closer to the bumpstops and then if you load it up you will be even closer, which could lead to really poor ride quality when its fully loaded and a tendency to bottom out. however, if you only do a mild drop, 1-2, you can probably offset it entirely with some stiffer aftermarket shocks. hope that helps

 

[Anime]

slam

Most lowered suspensions dont handle loads well because with leafs, they are usually de-arched or sometimes just taken apart and a reduced number of leaves is used to achieve the lowering effect. Expo 5.0's right about the bottoming out and bumpstops too.

You can offset the problem by using - air bags!
Just have a shop install them or do it yourself- they just go between the suspension and the frame and you pump em up when the load starts to make the rear sag. Very handy and a good set of quality airbags (depending or size) has HUGE load capacity- they use these on slammed crewcab duallies. You can slam your X all the way with bags. The extra feature is you can hook these up to an internal compressor and use them to lift your ride over bumps or to keep it at a decent height for driving, then deflate them when you want to be all the way down.

Air shocks are a cheaper and easier option, but bags are way better. You would benefit from getting lowered shocks if you do more than 1-2" of lowering.

 

[aldive]

Thanks, guys for the kind help.

One more question... with the Explorer Express lowering kit, do you recommend the special shocks for lowered Explorers?

Thanks....