97 XLT 4 dr. worn out tires and dangerous suspension!!! HELP!

[BlownSkillet]

I'm really just venting. We've owned our Explorer for just over a year and it has to be the worst riding, handling and hardest on tires of any vehicle I've ever owned. I realize it's not a Lincoln or a Mustang but I have a 1988 F150 w/275000 miles on it that rides better than this thing...HONEST! We had the front end aligned at 64000 miles and thay had to install caster/camber plates on it to allow enough travel to get it right and it still sways all over the road and feels very unstable! We bought it w/61,000 miles on it and now has 79,500 and I need some help deciding what shocks, tires or other upgrades I can do to this thing. This is a 2wd and will never go off road and we want the smoothest, best ride we can get. Thanks for your help folks!

 

[95ExplorerLtd]

I can tell you why your F150 rides better. It has alot longer of a wheelbase and weighs half the Explorer. We have an 89 F150 that rides alot better than the Explorer. A stock Explorer is no Lexus. If you want an SUV with a luxury car ride, buy a Mercedes or Lexus SUV. Just find some good shocks likes Edelbrock or Bilstein, but they're more pricey. The shocks we have on the F150 are some Gabriel VST's or some kind of Gabriel shock. Dad uses it mostly for off-highway duties, and he rides it hard, so he didnt wanna spend 60 dollars or a shock he would break after running a log up under the truck. He paid about 25 dollars a piece for them and they made a significant improvement, paired with BFG Longtrails. What kind of tires do you have on your Exp? The treadwear on our tires has been very good, your just might have a serious alignment problem if they work on it and it still isnt fixed, or maybe you need stiffer swaybars. Tires can make a big improvement too. If yours is a 2wd that doesnt go off-road, I definately recommend BFGoodrich Longtrails, they're a wonderful tire for the price, and I'm sure others would agree with me, but maybe I'm just a BFG freak

What year is your Explorer? And model? If its 95 or newer, you might need new torsion bars, or if it needs more clearance you could twist the torsion bars, and if the back needs more clearance, theres always warrior shackles or add-a-leafs. As for older than 95, you might wanna ask someone besides me.

 

[jwade]

Sounds like someone sold you a certified lemon or a wrecked vehicle. I have driven a ton of these suvs and NEVER have I had one that acted like yours. Instead of wasting good money to fix it, just dump it and get another one. I'm sure you have a better experience the next time around.

jwade