99 Exploder

[donalds]

I am guessing i am just wrong
The difference must have been in my head

Boy it was a different animal with rebuilt suspension

I wonder why they sold so many explorers with a stiff harsh ride quality Americans seem to be more picky

 

[Mbrooks420]

I don’t think you are wrong. Worn shocks vs healthy shocks will make a noticeable difference, plus I’m sure the bushings in the arms being replaced by tight, soft bushings vs the old hardened and worn bushings made a huge difference.

I think In the mid nineties it just seemed “truck like” and helped with its load carrying ability?

 

[koda2000]

I had a '87 Chevy Blazer that I bought new. It road very rough. It rode like a truck. In '92 I replaced it with a new GMC Jimmy. Same frame, same suspension design (torsion bar front and leaf spring rear). By the early 90's GM had figured out that SUV buyers wanted a more car-like ride. I don't know how GM changed the suspension by '92 (I know they switched to a softer sidewall tire) but the ride was much improved and quite car-like for the time, considering its body-on-frame design.

We currently have a '00 Mountaineer and a '01 Explorer EB. Both are identically equipped except that the Expl has 16" wheels and the towing package. Both have Michelin tires running 32-34 PSI of tire pressure. The EB has fairly new KYB Gas-A-Just shocks and the Mountaineer has its original OEM shocks (now with 260K miles on them). The Mountaineer rides much softer than the Expl. I notice it every time I drive the Mountaineer (even for a short distance), so it's not my imagination. Other than my driveway, the roads around where I live are quite good. If I were to run over a pencil-sized diameter stick in the Expl I'll feel it. In the Mountaineer I barely notice it. I guess the stiffer springs of the towing package make the difference. My old '00 Expl XLT (with 210K on it's original OEM shocks) also had the towing package and stiff-walled Fusion tires. It rode even rougher than the '01 Expl.

I don't mind the rougher ride and I realize the suspension and body-on-frame design has it's limitations.

 

[donalds]

I like the way you put it yoda I meant koda

I don't mind the body on frame design
A stiffer ride is worth having a frame under me imo

 

[CDW6212R]

The Mercury Mountaineers usually came with softer springs, front and rear. The 4WD optioned Explorers usually got the stiffest springs. I swapped my front torsion bars of my Mercury in 2007 when I rebuilt the front suspension. That made it a little stiffer(I chose the "B" bar), but it was more controlled, also added Bilstein's and the 1.5" sway bar then. The back of that Mercury bottoms out easily with any load in it.

Do what you have to with the suspension first, before tires. Any poor suspension parts will eat up tires fast.

 

[sport40]

I have a 2001 sport 2wd and 5 speed ,yes they ride like crap, i lowered in front 2' using torsion bars and 3" in back using blocks and it rides ALOT BETTER and handles like a diff car.

 

[danno2944]

Interesting thread, I am currently debating doing my front suspension. Always a Tough decision with an old vehicle...

I have the same parts list I am ready to order minus new shocks since I already did them.

My question is whether it is worth it to do the inner tie rods as well since everything will be apart.

No one has spoken about the inner tie rod, how prone are they to failures?
I can't find a suspension squeak and am starting to think it may be be the Inner tie rod

 

[Mbrooks420]

The inners are easy to replace. I wouldn’t rebuild the remainder of the suspension and leave them.

 

[Mitch86]

Interesting thread, I am currently debating doing my front suspension. Always a Tough decision with an old vehicle...

I have the same parts list I am ready to order minus new shocks since I already did them.

My question is whether it is worth it to do the inner tie rods as well since everything will be apart.

No one has spoken about the inner tie rod, how prone are they to failures?
I can't find a suspension squeak and am starting to think it may be be the Inner tie rod

I'd say it would be a good idea to replace everything you can afford while you have it apart. Can't hurt. and a lot of it has to come off to put the new parts on anyway.

Not sure about the tie rods...but if it has a rubber style bushing, it's probably brittle and can't hurt anything to replace it. But I think that's another part that requires an alignment afterwards .(don't quote me on that)

 

[danno2944]

The tie rods are two parts, an inner and outer.

You don't have the inner tie rod on your list which is why I asked.

And Yes, usually once you mess with tie rod ends you will need a alignment, also the two piece UCA on the passenger side also messes with the alignment.

 

[Mitch86]

I have a 2001 sport 2wd and 5 speed ,yes they ride like crap, i lowered in front 2' using torsion bars and 3" in back using blocks and it rides ALOT BETTER and handles like a diff car.

I've come to the conclusion that it's just going to be a rough ride. I'm fine with that.

I think I'll probably go the opposite direction and just put some bigger mud or all terrain tires on it and I plan to do the whole vehicle in bedliner later on. Make it look tough and since the ride is already rough the tires won't matter much. It's just a back and forth to work truck anyway.

 

[Mitch86]

The tie rods are two parts, an inner and outer.

You don't have the inner tie rod on your list which is why I asked.

I'd go ahead and do both if you have the cash. I ended up with just control arms/ball joints and shocks and sway bar links since money was tight but I was afraid the ball joints were failing and the shocks were shot.

Later on I may put some more money in to parts under there.

 

[danno2944]

Oh, I just noticed your 2wd, you may have a different set up, not sure.

 

[J_C]

And Yes, usually once you mess with tie rod ends you will need a alignment, also the two piece UCA on the passenger side also messes with the alignment.

The only alignment adjustment that can be changed on the two piece if you only replace the ball joint piece, is caster. Caster will remain the same if you leave the adjustment screw alone, or mark where it is if you want to take it out and clean rust off, and if the replacement part has the same dimensions, which it should if it isn't junk.

Inner tie rod ends, if there is excessive play I would replace them. If there is just a squeak, I would pull the boot off (you may need a new band clamp if the original is pressed on) and lube it.

I wouldn't buy inner tie rod ends without play because I hate paying twice for parts. Replacement racks come with them so when the day comes that the rack is replaced, you'll be replacing them anyway.

Granted they aren't very expensive, but they are still about 1/4th the price of a rebuilt rack that includes them (depending on what you get).

 

[Mbrooks420]

There’s a pretty fair chance you’ll never replace the rack. You’re already in there, and I hate doing labor twice. Plus, you are already on the hook for an alignment.

 

[danno2944]

If I Mark/measure the tie rod end threads and the left UCA bolt, then I assumed I wouldn't need an alignment. I understand this do it while your there, but all these bits add up, and I am not sure it is worth it for the small amount of ride quality gained..

I have body roll like mudufudder, so I have elected to do this for now, and I just got new shocks.
Sway end links ,front/rear
Tie rod ends
Upper control arms
lower ball joints
I feel like these parts are most worn...and for not even $200.00 it seems like cheap insurance on these highly worn important parts. You guys have no idea how much Rock auto saves me, my local parts store has an average of 100 percent mark up on there prices.

Do a lot of people elect to swapping the whole lower control arm? Seems overkill to me. I got the motocraft that states it is slightly oversized for old control arms.

Also, What size is the front axle nut?

 

[J_C]

^ Front axle nut is 32mm (or a loose fitting 1-1/4" will also work)

I would also replace the sway bar bushings, not just end links to reduce sway.

Some have had success using a "string method" or measuring wheel to wheel in front to set toe-in after changing the tie rod ends, in addition to marking # of turns for the old ones, but it seems to be hit or miss if that comes close enough, unless you have old tires and don't care much about accelerated wear because you'll be replacing them soon and getting an alignment then (and handling isn't compromised!).

I don't think you'll have any luck trying to mark the positions of the UCA bolt-washers and put them back like they were, especially if you had an alignment done for new tires previously while the UCA bushings had some wear.

As far as "for not even $200", it can depend on which parts you pick. If you go too low end, the new parts may wear out faster than if you left the old ones on, in the case of BJs (or control arms with them included), tie rod ends.

If the vehicle has never had the BJs changed and they aren't extremely rusted in (so the control arm hole diameter doesn't increase from having to remove the rust from it), you probably don't need the oversized replacement BJs, and in that case the oversized BJs could be significantly harder to press in.

When I did my lowers it was the first swap and the regular sized Moog PS lower BJs fit plenty tight, even pressing them in after being in a deep freezer to contract their diameter a bit. They weren't hard to press in, but I was nowhere near needing oversized BJs.

 

[Mbrooks420]

If you aren’t buying super high quality parts I wouldn’t expect the geometry of them to be a dead match. 4 tires cost a whole lot more than an alignment.

 

[danno2944]

I have probably 70percent on michelins, so I guess as will get alignment. I already have motocraft shocks.

I got moog UCA's and motocraft lower ball joints, went with what I thought was quality there.
The 2 motocraft parts listed under ball joints on rock auto state this "slightly larger than Oem" in the descriptions/info on part so not sure what that means, if it's motocraft it should fit?
I Went midrange mevotek original grade on the endlinks, which are pretty much non existent right now anyways so they can't hurt.
And finally midrange on mevotek original grade tie rod ends as well, which I did question, but I ended up cheaping out on...and I usually never do buy cheap, but man....this trucks old...

Hard for me to justify all top quality parts for a 20 year old vehicle.
It gets me from point a-b but I have 287,000km,not miles, but it's rusting out and with original motor and tranny, starting to hear what I think is the death rattle on cold starts too for a few secs depending on temp.
I have also overhauled the motor/all gaskets, new aluminum thermostat housing and motocraft thermostat this year and did brakes/shocks/muffler all fluids and the list goes on... just doing rear diff now and a few suspension parts but you see where this is going...

it's been a few thousand dollars I put in to it this year hoping to get a year or so out of it and I figured I owed it to the truck since it really hasn't had many problems in the 170000kms I have put on it. I do drive it like a grandma so hopefully it will last a little longer yet, I also enjoy fixing everything and learning, so there is that.. It's never missed a 3000 mile interval without an oil change either...

 

[CDW6212R]

I just recently bought new TRE's for my three Explorers, to install soon as I get time. I liked the Pro Forged brand, lifetime, and the prices on Rock Auto were great compared to local parts stores, or Ford. The inner was about $25 each, # 104-10437, and the outers were around $15, # 104-10240. They were much more on Amazon etc.

Short term you can change the TRE's without an alignment, by counting the number of turns they take to remove. Put the new one on the same number, and the toe will be fairly close. Don't rely on that for long on new tires, find a reason to do the alignment.