hwy ready lifted explorer?

[MountainMonkey]

so my explorer has 3" bl and 4" suspension lift and its scary as hell to do more then about 65-70 kmh so driving on the hwy is out of the question. i havent used sway bars since i lifted so im wondering if people think it will improve hwy driving? or is there anything i can do to make it feal less wobbly and like its going to roll constatly or is a lifted explorer just not ment to be on the hwy? i go on a yearly camping trip about 1200km away from home on labourday weekend so im wanting to get the x ready to make the drive..... or possibly just get a 3rd vehicle to use on long hwy trips to go camping, would much rather use my explorer though.

:roll::thumbdwn:

 

[Suicide77]

I found the front sway bar makes a huge difference! Front sway bar and the highway feels barely any different (I just did a 3" lift). No front sway bar and HOLY SCARY! Just put the sway bar on and take it off at the destination. I just took off the rear sway bar and left it off, it doesn't make much of a difference on my truck.

 

[MountainMonkey]

right on. if that all it takes that will be sweet. just need to go junk yarding untill i find one now. do you totaly disconnect the swaybar from your x or do ya got something else riged up for it?

 

[malohnes]

The rear sway bar is important, just not critical like the front one is. You might consider upgrading to the next size up with a BL. The 3" rise is a stronger lever that the stock bar may not handle too well.

 

[MountainMonkey]

i think your right, having the swaybar break going around a corner would be alot worse then not using one at all. are there upgraded swaybars available for the explorer?

 

[cloaked_chaos]

I have a 6" suspension lift. I use my front sway bar but not my rear. Most of my driving is highway driving and I don't have any problems with it. I even regularly take it up to ~100mph and it just stays planted wherever I put it, even changing lanes quickly it feels solid.

 

[Jason94sport]

100? How do you manage that? You have more testicular fortitude them me
No way I go that fast with my stocker. When I had 31's I could barley hold 80.

 

[Xeek]

5.5" on 32s, no sway bars. ive been up to 80mph. yea it wobbles, but i got used to it and know its limits. the front sway bar alone makes a huge difference in handling

 

[Naasau]

I have a 6" suspension lift. I use my front sway bar but not my rear. Most of my driving is highway driving and I don't have any problems with it. I even regularly take it up to ~100mph and it just stays planted wherever I put it, even changing lanes quickly it feels solid.

x2 (with 33's); I did drive without the front sway bar for a while and with a perfectly tuned alignment the beast would do 85, comfortably, in low wind.

As for sway bars, some X's came with an inch thick bar, and I made my own extended end links with quick disconnects so that at ride height the bar ends were parallel with the ground. That way I have plenty of travel and control, the front still has a good amount of travel, and the sway bar is still tucked up out of the way, not lowered on blocks looking stupid.

Oh, and a completely stock X can take I-70 through the Rockies uphill and down at greater than 120mph. (Not safely by any means, but they can)

 

[cloaked_chaos]

I did my own alignment through trial and error. Before I perfected it, my X would quickly wobble from side to side while going down the highway which can be pretty scary if you don't cancel it out with the steering wheel. Now that I have it perfected, it just stays planted like I mentioned previously. I have the stock sway bar on the front with stock length end links so my sway bar is aiming pretty far down. No sway bar in the rear.

Fun fact: With stock 3.73 gears, I can actually go faster with 33's than stock 235's due to the X being in a better power band when it hits that 100mph mark. The 235's just allow me to get up to that point quicker.

As for my testicular fortitude, yes I do have a bit more than most. It is a combination of being a young male in his early 20's, and also being a motorcycle rider. I have gone 170mph while racing other people before (on the track - street racing is illegal ).

 

[Jason94sport]

I drive the heck out of my SRT8, but no way I'll try my luck in a 93 X.
How do you guys know your doing 100 or more? GPS?

 

[cloaked_chaos]

Yep. I use a GPS app on my phone. They are surprisingly accurate.

 

[snoranger]

I drive the heck out of my SRT8, but no way I'll try my luck in a 93 X.
How do you guys know your doing 100 or more? GPS?

GPS....

 

[Suicide77]

I'm not aware of any upgraded sway bars for the Explorer, sorry man. As for the sway bar on my truck, I haven't had a chance to off-road it yet. I think I will probably just bust out the wrenches and take it all the way off, doesn't bother me, I've put worse in the back of my truck!

 

[corkey]

Explorer Express has upgraded sway bars,,

i took both mine off on my 96, but the front wasn't needed with the coilovers, they worked way better than the t bars anyways

 

[snoranger]

I'm not aware of any upgraded sway bars for the Explorer, sorry man. As for the sway bar on my truck, I haven't had a chance to off-road it yet. I think I will probably just bust out the wrenches and take it all the way off, doesn't bother me, I've put worse in the back of my truck!

The stock front bar is 1". I'm running a 30MM (1 3/16") bar off of my old '89 Ranger STX. It made a noticeable difference over the 1", but I drive "aggressive" to say the least.

 

[MountainMonkey]

I drive the heck out of my SRT8, but no way I'll try my luck in a 93 X.
How do you guys know your doing 100 or more? GPS?

lol ya i've hit 260kmh in my rt challenger on the freeway here all the time but even when my x was stock i never went over 120kmh and that still felt sketchy. and people have done 120mph???? thats like 200kmh. i think i would **** my pants driving that fast in an explorer

 

[Flip4ford]

I have a 1.5 inch body lift and 5.5 suspension-- set the cruise @ 75mph with the front sway bar connected-- without the sway bar-- 60mph max. My sway bar is extended a few inches but otherwise it is stock.

 

[zavaral]

Other than my truck being lifted 5.5" with the 3.55 gears when I can do 70 I do, but I have front an rear sway bars connected. And when I go wheeling I disconnect them cause I got a set of jeep sway bar quick disconnects.

Sent from my crap Sidekick using Forum Runner

 

[malohnes]

Yes, a properly aligned front end is very key, but just cause you can, doesn't mean you should drive hi speeds with out a sway bar.. With that being said, I prefer the control sway bars bring in the event of a course correction. Anything is doable when one goes in a straight line! LMC has upgraded sway bars, kinda pricey though.