Body mounts part #? | Ford Explorer Forums

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Body mounts part #?

Hossexplorer

Well-Known Member
Joined
September 30, 2008
Messages
138
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22
City, State
Baker City, OR.
Year, Model & Trim Level
'93 XLT
I am doing a body lift on my 93 xlt and the front body mounts were in poor shape in the radiator core support position. Where can I get new ones? I am having trouble getting them.
 



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You can get new rubber body mounts from the dealer, but they are expensive compared to buying brand new Polyurethane body mount bushings from Daystar.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122116

If you're doing a body lift, and the front bushings are bad, you may as well replace all the bushings. Daystar part number for the body mount bushing kit is KF04009BK for black or KF04009RE for red. Costs about $125-150 depending on where you buy.
 






I installed the Daystar poly bushings on my '94 5 years ago, and they have been trouble and noise free.
 






I installed the Daystar poly bushings on my '94 5 years ago, and they have been trouble and noise free.

Hey Ghosttrain, can you share what prompted you to do your body mounts? Did the ride quality improve? I'm getting a lot of small but annoying rattles and shaking when going over potholes.
 






Hey Ghosttrain, can you share what prompted you to do your body mounts? Did the ride quality improve? I'm getting a lot of small but annoying rattles and shaking when going over potholes.

You may want to replace the shocks and suspension bushings, and inspect items like the ball joints.

Body mounts that are falling apart can cause noise and issues, but you can generally tell visually when the bottom nut/washer is falling apart and so the mounts and hardware would benefit from a replacement.
 






You may want to replace the shocks and suspension bushings, and inspect items like the ball joints.

Thanks Anime! I've put in a nice set of Bilsteins approx 2 years ago, which improved the ride... somewhat. I then also had the ball joints and pretty much all the other common front suspension stuff done 1.5 years ago.

I am about to replace the front springs and isolators, as well.

My current issues with the suspension are that a) every pothole feels "raw", like it transfers directly to the dashboard console, door and trunk panels, and causes excessive rattle...
b) even with the good shocks and new sway bar bushings, the car seems to wanna wobble and oscillate too much and too easily going over uneven terrain,
c) I suspect sag in the rear springs. Asked my wife to confirm, she says it looks like there is very little sag with me in the car. The truck looks even and level when empty.

Visually inspecting the body mounts I can tell they're still there :salute:. It's hard to judge the condition of the mounts without knowing the new OEM body mounts' height under load though. We don't have harsh winters and much road chemicals so the rubber look "meh"/ok.
 






Have you checked the ride height of the suspension overall? Sometimes the front AND the rear suspension sag with age and so it's less noticeable. If the front suspension has sagged, the bump stops will be closer to the axles, and so when you hit bumps, instead of the suspension soaking up the bumps, the axles will just hit the bump stops and transmit vibration directly to the frame and body. The fix for this is either new springs or washers used as spacers under the front coil springs.

You can get aftermarket springs from Moog, but be sure to get the CC868 springs, since the CC870 springs are too soft and reports are they just collapse and are just too thin and weak for the Explorer.

Generally I think adding washers under the front springs are a better option since it costs less and the old springs have already sagged, so the height restoration is pretty much permanent. New springs can sag and cause the same problem all over again, and while the Moogs can ride nicer, they can also be noisier since they have a dual-rate winding, with the top coils closer together rather than the evenly spaced coils of the factory springs.

As far as the body mounts, they can cause body movement if enough of them are in really bad shape, but if they are in good condition and there are no rusted off washers or anything indicating problems, it's unlikely that replacing them will be the fix you're looking for. New polyurethane mounts can still give a slight improvement over old rubber mounts, but it's a bear of a job and depending on how it's done, can be incredibly expensive, especially if the old hardware is destroyed in the process.

Here's a forum thread on the body mount replacement process with photos, showing factory mounts and hardware in good condition:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=389677


If the body mounts look like any of these, then you probably should consider replacement:

26c3a864-dee5-1030-83d1-a6ebaa90d167.jpg


18205Body_mount_3R.jpg


bml1.jpg


You don't need to measure the body mounts for height or anything like that, they will obviously be compressed due to the weight of the body, but it's more about what shape they are in, as a mount that has been compressed too much will have cracks and obvious visual signs that it needs to be replaced.

You might also consider tires and tire pressure, if you are running cheap tires or LT truck tires at high pressures (40-50 psi) they can contribute to a harsh ride, and on the other end, low tire pressure (under 26 psi) can cause mushy handling and wobbling.

If the radius arm bushings were not replaced when you had the rest of the front suspension done, or if they were replaced with rubber bushings, you might consider getting them replaced again, this time with polyurethane bushings from Energy Suspension. They last longer and are firmer, giving more control and better handling.

Same thing with those sway bar bushings. If they were replaced with cheap rubber ones, they may have broken down or gone soft and so replacing them with Energy Suspension poly bushings will dramatically improve handling.


Some of it may just be from having a solid rear axle, too. There are times when my ride, with Bilsteins and Energy Suspension bushings, still hits bumps the right way and so wobbles the whole vehicle. Nothing you can really do about that except get coil springs and a four link rear suspension, or get a whole new rear axle with independent suspension like the newer Explorers.
 






Thanks for the tips, Anime! I have poly radius arm bushings. I got the Moog CC868s, will report back once I got those installed.
 






The poly body mounts have been in for almost 5 years now, with no issues. I rechecked torque after 6 months, and they were still tight. I also did radius arm bushings, at that time.
 






I got the new Moogs swapped in. Front end sits 2cm ~3/4" higher now, measured from the top of the wheel rim to the apex of the wheel well. The ride quality improved some: there seems to be a bit less lean when turning, and less wobble when going over speedbumps. The ride quality is totally subjective observations and could be "confirmation bias" though.

My explorer's ass looks saggy now, I guess i'm gonna get the rear springs re-curved next X-)
 






Having leaf springs re-arched usually isn't worth it, since they will just sag back, and in shorter time too.

A better and more permanent solution to spring sag is to swap the leaf springs side to side, which events out the body lean, and use slightly longer shackles. WAR123 shackles are slightly longer than stock, and when drilled out with a 9/16" bit, and used with 14mm / 9/16 bolts, fit the stock springs perfectly and give about 1-2cm of lift.

Even better, put a set of 3-leaf packs from a 4-door Explorer on there. It will ride a little firmer, but the rear should go up more than the front and it will have near-factory rake again.
 












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