Looking for suspension ideas up front on a lowered X

[IZwack]

well coil springs can lay horizontal too... but then you get into all the fun of cantilevered suspension :

Thats true, and your'e right, most of them are pretty much horizontal with levers for both the coil(s) and shocks.

 

[CDW6212R]

The front suspension is fine for the stock ride height. When the height is changed then the ride suffers because the control arms are no longer anywhere near level. If you could alter the front to get the control arms more level, then the handling and ride would improve.

For the back, IRS is great but how many people have done that, plus how much work was it? The big limiting issue in the back is lateral control, leaf springs don't do well naturally for that. If, big if, if you can find a way to mount a panhard bar to the rear frame, that would solve the back end issues for most applications. Before you jump deep into the IRS project, why not climb under there and see if you can fit a frame bracket inboard of the leaf on one side, to run a PHB to the other side where a diff mount is easy.

The front coil over swap needs reinforcements for the upper shock mounts. I hope to go that route some day, for the better ride. The back I'd love to do something with, but the IRS is too far I think. Regards,

 

[diesel_s]

Never heard of a formula one car using torsion bars, ever. I know that with torsion bars it's a fully independent suspension, but the fact remains, they still suck for true performance applications, I can't think of many companies who still put torsion bars stock on their vehicles anymore, they're an outdated form of suspension, try make way to much noise, mine creak and moan all the time, another reason I wanna get rid of them

 

[Hartman]

An Explorer is not a formula one car, nor is it supposed to be performance oriented. It's a truck that's designed to haul people to and from the mall.

 

[corkey]

i could drop my front this far in a matter of minutes,,

 

[IZwack]

Never heard of a formula one car using torsion bars, ever.

Check out Mr. Vettel's and Mr. Webber's rides - the RB[x] series of cars have been using torsion bars for years now, and they've been at the top of the podium. Last weekend in Suzuka, Vettel came first and Webber second (+00.9s). Mr. Webber holds overall point standings for the season (14 points ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso).

McLaren Mercedes has also used torsion bars: example, Hamilton's MP4-23 which won the 2008 World Driver's Championship.

 

[diesel_s]

An Explorer is not a formula one car, nor is it supposed to be performance oriented. It's a truck that's designed to haul people to and from the mall.

A vehicle is designed with a general purpose, what exactly the owner does with it is completely up to his or her descretion. I have been obsessed with performance cars for a while, when I got the x, I saw potential for performance enhancement and so far everything I've done with my X has worked. Over the past several years, I've seen some crazy x's here in the south that have only added fuel to the fire

 

[diesel_s]

i could drop my front this far in a matter of minutes,,

What shocks and coil overs r those? I'm sure they are qa1

 

[diesel_s]

Check out Mr. Vettel's and Mr. Webber's rides - the RB[x] series of cars have been using torsion bars for years now, and they've been at the top of the podium. Last weekend in Suzuka, Vettel came first and Webber second (+00.9s). Mr. Webber holds overall point standings for the season (14 points ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso).

McLaren Mercedes has also used torsion bars: example, Hamilton's MP4-23 which won the 2008 World Driver's Championship.

That's a torsion bar application I never would have considered, good examples for torsion bar suspension but I still hate them lol

 

[drothgeb]

Those shocks are coil-overs - there's a coil spring that goes on the outside that supports the weight of the vehicle, which means there's no more need for a torsion bar.

Example:

Who is running these and any pros/cons so far? I'd love to switch to that set up and it's not too pricey.

 

[mojavexploder]

simple just get a 3rd gen they already are irs ifs :

 

[diesel_s]

This is true but i dont like them at all

 

[mojavexploder]

This is true but i dont like them at all

i dont know how this would be done but have you thought of putting your leafs inverted or if there ontop of the axle relocate them to underneath

 

[diesel_s]

i dont know how this would be done but have you thought of putting your leafs inverted or if there ontop of the axle relocate them to underneath

What i ended up doing upfront was coil overs...what i'm gonna do in the back is install a few items that i have to list for ya. Theres one i purchased last night that will eliminate wheel hop and theres one i am going to buy in a few weeks that will completely tame my rear end and will act as if i have a 4link in the back

 

[IZwack]

You sure your vehicle can produce real wheel hop considering its weight and stock torque ratings?

 

[diesel_s]

The trucks motor isn't stock. So I have a higher torque rating and it's done wheel hop many a time before during burnouts. I have a burnout vid where u can hear one of the wheels hopping around at first

 

[IZwack]

Would love to see a vid. Ive seen wheel hop before in an explorer but that was in low range.

 

[CDW6212R]

Let us know what you do about side to side movement of the rearend, that's a killer for road racing.

 

[diesel_s]

I'll post the vid when I get on my comp, on my phone at the moment. I have an idea for the side to side movement, a pan hard bar is part of it, as far as the rest, I'll have to see how it all plays out

 

[IZwack]

Wait, this is for real road racing on a real track??