suspension 2dr

[faron021]

quick question:
how do you know if your front end has been missed with or factory?

the reason, i know it was in a wreck on the pass side front, theres paint on harness' and extra cut and metal in the hood thats been cleared in. someone has took the time to change the rear shocks havent really looked into the front much, cant tell till i take them off. a few things are going on, #1 i believe the past owner has lift the front using the TT. #2 the steering is so senitive i could use one finger to make a u-turn with very little pressure. #3 the outside of the front tires are slowly going (alignment) #4 when you floor it, it feels like the rear end hits the ground.

im wondering that someone has changed something in the front would almost add up to everything, if it was lift via TT that would explain the alignment being a pos camber, which would explain the steering. but i cant firgure out why it feels like there is no rear suspension, i have changed the rear shocks to a oem spec.

my biggest question is i know how to front sets higher then the back in these models, but everyone i see looks like it is lower. i dont have a good oem height to check it by, if i knew for a fact it was lifted i would let in back down replace shocks and have it aligned. im thinking of having it done anyway, but i dont want to get there and they tell me they cant do it because its not oe height and they still charge me and did nothing. the toe might just be off. i have no ideal where to begin on this, i just hate to pay for an alignment.

i have owned a 99 2dr in the past and it never rode like this one does. i mean im fearing my life when i take a curve at 20mph much less just driving at 60, i think the next car, or gust of wind is going to flip me, i know its not, but to even have that feeling i know something is wrong.

does anyone have any ideals or have had this problem? thanks

 

[flamingX]

This is only speculation but from what you are discribing it sounds like you may be right with your thinking about the TT. It would make sense that if someone did crank up the front and not beef up the rear that it would cause more weight tranfer to the rear (general physics).

Normally I would tell you that I find the mono-leaf set up on the Sports to be soft and saggy anyway, but being that you have already owned one you should already know how it feels and that your saying this one is worse, it's obviusly not right.

My suggestion would be to make sure the rear leafs, sway bar, shocks etc. are up to par then either turn down the T-bars OR beef up the rear (stiffen it not just lift it) til it sits level. Suspension mods are great, but if not done right, have disasterous results.

As for any concerns about cranking down your T-bars, Ford Dealer's fix for complants of saggy rearends on Explorers is to turn down the T-bars til it's level and an alignment.

 

[faron021]

i did some more searching on it today, found the sway bar links to have been replace the bushing looked very new as well as it was very shiny. rear shocks i have changed to new, with no effect. today i finally decided i would just try to drop it about an inch in the front and see what i got, and that made a whole lot of difference, the front still sits about 1/4-1/2" higher then the rear but thats alright just guessing at it keeping both sides equal i would say it came out pretty well, it still shifts to the back on take off but no where near as much, also i was flying around curves and had a rear performance feeling. of course my daily drive is a 07 f150 4.6 long bed 6" flip rear and 2" front coil drop. with a whole different setup, trying to compare that, on top of that truck having a 145" wheel base, im not sure what the 2dr's are, i can hang corners right corners with the truck at 80 not shape corners lol, they cant be compared.

however going form slowing down to 20 and fearing for my life in the x, to going around a corner with a smile on my face taking off fast out of the corner, is a world of difference. who would ever think an inch would make that much, of course im 80% sure someone has messed with it before, so its prollly really only back to factory. just needs an alignment pulls to the right at 80 real bad. other then that this problem has been sloved.

the one i past owned was a 99 2dr i was really young didnt know to much about them, but im pretty sure that one didnt have a rear sway bar. so i firgured comparing the two 99-01 no sway bar vs. sway bar it should ride better if not the same. im glad i firgured it out, i need to check the rear sway bushing, i forgot to do that when i replaced the shocks.

is there a upgrade for the rear leaf or could a swap it to a multi leaf out of another truck. i did that on my 01 f150 i switch the 3 pack to a 5 pack form a harley. it rode alot better. rangers have the same leaf pack dont they? i would if i could find one with a tow package that doesnt set up any higher, althrough rangers leaf are top of axle and x are bottom.

hmmm... think i found my next project, at lease look into it some more.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

ditch the mono leaf, and swap in a set from a 4 door explorer. that makes a world of a difference as well. if by chance when your taking (if you decide to take) the leafs out to swap them, and the bushings in the frame are gone, or the bolt is frozen inside the bushing, ford will tell you, you need to order the entire frame because they show no part number for it. give them this part number F57Z 5A546 AA. that goes from the shackle to the frame, not leaf spring. if you swap leafs, it will give you a way firmer ride, and also take most of the "wiggle" away. over the years i have bought and sold a few sports and when i compared them to mine, i couldnt figure out how i drove it with the mono leafs in it.

 

[faron021]

thank you, i will see if a can get a set form the junk yard, or somewhere. if i switch them will it make the height any different then what it is now? what year of a four door should get them form or does it matter?

 

[flamingX]

Anything '01 or older will be the same. As for height they will most likely ride a little higher because even though they have a tendency to sag too, the 4dr weighs a little more. I dont know if by removing a leaf will help or if it will put you back in the same boat as with the monos, hopfully vroomzoomboom will chime back in with that answer, he's done it before.

 

[sjr033]

You need to check your rear leaf springs. You may already have the multi leaf. Most '01 Sports seem to have the multi leaf.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

whoops! sorry, i didnt see that it was a 01! 95-00 had a mono leaf, 01 and newer had a leaf pack. sorry, for wasting your time on my post, but yea, swapping in a 4 door pack will not be any better then. however, you may also then have a broken leaf in there some place. look in the center of the pack near the ubolts are on both sides and see if one is cracked someplace.

 

[faron021]

alright i will check it out, and dont worry about the past post. no biggie. it will be a few days before i get to check it out, i need to check and make sure the rear sway bar is even hooked up, never checked it, that would make it ride to. i wonder if the past owner ever replaced the rear sway links, i know the front was done, hmmm... ill keep yall posted. however after i lowered it about 1" in the front it did seem to help quite a bit.