Hello from upstate NY

[P3anutbuttery]

Hello all, new member here. just recently picked up a 13 Explorer XLT 4X4 and so far i love it. I turned in a leased 16 scion tC for it. I'm still getting used to driving her. She has 78K on the clock and seems to run and drive fine. but there are some things that i need to have addressed. First thing is today i noticed that the securicode trim panel is separating from the door skin. did some searching and saw I'm not the only one this happened to, and isnt limited to just the Exp. does anybody know if i can just clean the area with some wax and grease remover and slam it home with some more 3M trim adhesive? also saw a suggestion of using a bit of window adhesive to glue it back into place. I'm a bit hesitant to pull the panel off the rest of the way for fear of breaking it. rather not have to replace it after only having the Exp for less than a month. The other issue is that there is a clunking in the front end that only happens when going over a bump. seems to ride just fine so i don't think its a blown strut, but maybe a bad strut mount, sway bar end link, or possibly a bad ball joint. hoping for end link... but either way, so far I'm satisfied with the vehicle. I do plan on doing a few small modifications to it. I've already purchased an AEM dry-flow reusable drop in air filter (I put reusables in all of my cars), and I'd like to do a catback exhaust system as shes just too damn quiet. I cant hear the engine and that bothers me. I'm a bit of a gearhead as I'm currently building a Dodge Dakota out with a hopped up 318 so im not scared to turn some wrenches on this Exp. So being new to this platform, what are some things i aught to keep an eye open for? what are some things i can do to liven her up? (I know its not a rocketship and short of Ecoboost swapping, theres not a whole lot that the aftermarket has picked up on for the ol' Duratec V6.) Any recommended items to replace or keep a few of on hand? (i.e jeepers keep extra crank sensors on hand) thanks in advance
Chris

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! Take a look at the section for the year of your vehicle. There's one section for stock Explorers, and another section for modified Explorers. Each section has a lot of useful information.