07 Sport Trac, Suspension & more. HELP. Advice needed.

[david.suggs]

I currently have a 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac XLT 4.0L V6 2WD. So far all that I have been able to do is upgrade the speakers and stereo to a Kenwood Head Unit plus JL Audio Coaxial Speakers. I have also Gone ahead and both purchase and installed the Traxda (truxxx) Lift and level kit for the 2006-2010 Ford Explorer / Sport Trac. I'm happy with the lift, but I really would like more of a lift on it. I'm not exactly sure what i should do to get another 3 or so more inches in height. I'm currently in the market for new wheels and tires and am looking at 17x9 5x4.5 Fuel Hostage's, and 265/70/17 Nitto Terra Grapplers. Other than upgrading to 31.6x10.5 tires (from 29.5x9), what else can I do to it for added height?

In regards to other things, I really need help finding performance mods that i can get. I have a 4.0L V6 on my 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac XLT (2wd), I'm wanting to find a Cold Air Intake, Throttle Body Spacer, Tuner, and Exhaust for my truck but have been unable to really find anything. If you know of certain products which I would be able to use, let me know and I'll really appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[Syco]

Only lift option left is a body lift...
Ranger body lift can be modified..
Our axles cannot take more angle then the level kit..

 

[david.suggs]

Have you done a ranger body lift for your sport trac? And would Rancho Shocks not work on a 07 sport trac? Yet they work on an 07 explorer?

 

[Syco]

It is my understanding that using both Rancho's and a level kit you will not get full advertised lift of both...as seen here
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=321900
And the quick lifts are much more expensive..
You can still get a larger tire...like
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=384260
Or
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=375287&highlight=lift
I personally haven't done a body lift on a 2nd gen sport trac..but examples are
1 1/2inch
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=312012
3 inch Sport trac
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=382081&highlight=lift
3 inch explorer
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=282489&highlight=lift
3 inch Explorer
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=320839&highlight=lift
Just to name a few..
I personally have purchased the level kit and will install when I can convince my wife that its a good idea..
I can't justify the cost of the quick lifts for the small pay off..I don't want to body lift my truck..but I think I can be satisfied with a 275/70/18
Hope some of this helps..

 

[Flag Gibby]

As far as the intake mods go, just put a drop in K&N filter in it since the air box on the V6 is already a true CAI. A throttle body spacer doesn't gain you anything on this motor so not worth your time. Tuner wise I would go with a Superchips 1865 and flowmaster makes a cat-back exhaust system for your vehicle.

 

[david.suggs]

As far as the intake mods go, just put a drop in K&N filter in it since the air box on the V6 is already a true CAI. A throttle body spacer doesn't gain you anything on this motor so not worth your time. Tuner wise I would go with a Superchips 1865 and flowmaster makes a cat-back exhaust system for your vehicle.

Where could I find the Flowmaster Cat-back for the 4.0L? What good does the K&N Filter do for the motor? And in the performance setting for that tuner how much HP more are you getting? And in the fuel economy setting for the tuner how much more MPG's are you getting?

 

[Flag Gibby]

The flowmaster can be purchased through summit racing equipment. The K&N drop in provides more airflow through the intake which gives a slight HP boost. The performance gains for the tuner is +20HP and +28 Tq for your model and as far as the fuel economy setting, it didn't work for me but may for your driving conditions/vehicle. With my setup I actually get the best fuel economy when I run the towing tune, but most individuals test all the tunes to see which one yields the best fuel economy for them.
I looked up the exhaust on summit racing and noticed that they sell a Gibson cat-back for your vehicle and I actually prefer them for trucks over the other brands. Personally I would have gotten a Gibson system if it was available when I went to do mine.

 

[david.suggs]

The flowmaster can be purchased through summit racing equipment. The K&N drop in provides more airflow through the intake which gives a slight HP boost. The performance gains for the tuner is +20HP and +28 Tq for your model and as far as the fuel economy setting, it didn't work for me but may for your driving conditions/vehicle. With my setup I actually get the best fuel economy when I run the towing tune, but most individuals test all the tunes to see which one yields the best fuel economy for them.
I looked up the exhaust on summit racing and noticed that they sell a Gibson cat-back for your vehicle and I actually prefer them for trucks over the other brands. Personally I would have gotten a Gibson system if it was available when I went to do mine.

Will a Throttle Body Spacer and K&N Air Filter Help me with throttle responce? Same with the Gibson Exhaust? And on the performance setting could you feel the difference between stock and the +28 torque gain?

(I'm really tired of mashing my foot on the accelerator then waiting 3 seconds before my truck begins to accelerate)

 

[Flag Gibby]

Like I said, the throttle body spacer is a waste of time and money (nothing to be gained by it for us since our engine is built for torque and not horsepower like the mustang 4.0). The throttle response is improved some with the tuner since most of the delay seems to be related to the transmission trying to figure out what gear to be in and yes, you can definitely tell the difference between the stock tune and the performance tune. I have adjusted to how I use the pedal when trying to pass individuals and I have noticed that it responds fastest and best with a more gradual input so I don't notice the delay anymore. If your vehicle already has 2.5" tubing from the muffler on back you really won't notice much change with the different exhaust except for a slight fuel savings at freeway cruising speed and a different sound. However, it is important to remember that everything adds up collectively to give you the most performance that can be gained with such minor modifications (which, short of a complete rebuild of the engine with different pistons etc. and a custom tune it's all you can really do). The filter is letting more air in so you can burn more fuel, the programmer is giving you different timing/throttle response and better air/fuel ratios so you can get more HP/Tq, and the exhaust is allowing the extra gasses to be removed more easily from the engine.

It is important to note that on our vehicles,because they are so heavy, need to have the focus on gains in torque in the low to mid RPMs and let horsepower be a secondary benefit in order to be noticeable/beneficial.