Flat tire - spare is totally different tire - how bad is this?

[ELeBlanc]

Well I love my Gen 2 Explorer but the issues are piling up and as issues pile up so does money (as I dont do the work). He is mentioning (I think) Damper Shocks?? What are they? He is going to look at the leaf spring brackets on the front also.

 

[C420sailor]

Ah. Not doing your own work on these vehicles gets very expensive very fast.

 

[ELeBlanc]

With my first 97 5.0 AWD when I bought it four years ago I drove it home and my then 17 year old son got in and on a short NYC block I floored it and he said "I LIKE IT!!". So beside a 17 year old's approval the 5.0 and 4R70W are solid last a long time base components.

 

[ELeBlanc]

Any help on what my mechanic might mean by damper shocks (as opposed to the 4 regular shocks?).

 

[Mbrooks420]

All shocks are dampeners, that’s their sole function. Your AWD has 4 (or 5, but I think that started in 98?) shocks that are typical, old school shocks.

 

[ELeBlanc]

Ok it's a steering damper.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Should be nothing to dampen the steering besides what’s inside the rack and pinion, which is a large, mostly non serviceable unit.

 

[ELeBlanc]

Dont know this is what they are talking about but found this which it says is compatible with my vehicle.

SC2958 Monroe Steering Stabilizer Rear New for Ford Explorer Mercury Mountaineer

 

[ELeBlanc]

Dont know this is what they are talking about but found this which it says is compatible with my vehicle.

SC2958 Monroe Steering Stabilizer Rear New for Ford Explorer Mercury Mountaineer

It's also called an Axle Shaft Dampener

 

[Mbrooks420]

It’s the 5th shock. It goes between body and rear axle. It’s not terribly important. The V6s didn’t have them, and have the same suspension geometry.

It’d be very low on my list of things to replace.

 

[ELeBlanc]

I appreciate your help...

 

[Mbrooks420]

It goes between the frame and axle, not body and axle. I ran without one for years.

 

[ELeBlanc]

These are what he picked up for Shocks - TRW-JGT4424S. All I do is street driving and mostly highway driving. Is there a better choice? I'm not opposed to spending more for better. Maybe if you had two suggestions I could present them to him

 

[C420sailor]

I just run cheap Monroes. They work great and last a long time.

I’ve got brand new ones in my V8 and over 100k on the same ones in my V6 and there isn’t much of a difference in ride quality yet.

 

[ELeBlanc]

thanks C420Sailor... I realized my question was way too open ended because it has been addressed in lots of other posts...

 

[Mbrooks420]

If you are considering junking it why are you replacing shocks?

 

[ELeBlanc]

Mbrooks420 - truly excellent question. So I need a usable car. I thought I had at least until the spring with this vehicle. When checking out my flat with the vehicle lifted I saw the driver side rear leaf spring bracket. It needed to be replaced immediately so for better or worse I've commited funds to this vehicle... And so now I'm also considering Tirerack and four new tires. And I even hesitate to include this next sentence (for fear of being lan idiot) but it does have a slight leak from the rear main seal... Yuck... Mo Money down the line.

 

[CDW6212R]

A slight leak is no big deal, but a rusted frame or suspension parts can be. If you keep it for a while, get good tires on it and check the fluids etc, to keep it safe for the short term.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I wouldn’t worry about the rear main, too much. Check the oil regularly. If you need shocks for a short term, get whatever babe brand you can on a deal. There’s almost always a deal on at least one brand.

 

[XLTrunner]

Rockauto has qty of three of those TRW JGT4424S shocks on Wholesaler Closeout for $12/ea. as of this morning. Never heard anything about them...but, probably as good as any for your needs.