Let’s talk rear suspension upgrades

[jamesTexplorer]

so I really need a truck but don’t want to spend the money.

What can be done to upgrade the rear suspension? Handle a heavier load?

Is the PIU a tougher rear end? What about new rear springs and control arms?

 

[goalieThreeOne]

Are you trying to tow something that exceeds the factory tow rating? I'm not sure that's a good idea. Even if you could beef up the suspension to (theoretically) handle a higher tongue weight, you still run the risk of overheating your engine, transmission, and brakes which wouldn't be very safe. In particular, these transmissions aren't what I would call "heavy duty" and there's very little available to "beef" them up. 2012 had a Class III towing package as an option. I don't know what drivetrain you have but here is the towing chart from the owner's manual:

Tongue weight shouldn't exceed 10-15% of the loaded trailer weight. If your loaded trailer is over 3500lbs and/or you're getting excessive rear axle sag like in your photo, you may consider a weight distributing hitch:

https://www.etrailer.com/faq-weightdistribution.aspx

Towing information starts on page 248 of the owner's manual:

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/catalog/owner_guides/12expog2e.pdf

 

[jamesTexplorer]

Let’s not bother with “heavy duty”. 177K+ and going strong. I change the trans and PTU fluid every oil change.

I’m holding out for the next gen Ford Ranger or Ram 1500 EV.

I was just curious if any member had upgraded the rear suspension. A more heavy duty.

I use a load distributing hitch and respect the 5000 pound tow capacity.

 

[goalieThreeOne]

Steeda has some options for suspension upgrades, but I don't think many are really intended to be "heavy duty". There are lots of threads discussing suspension options so you might try looking through those

 

[mguy13sport]

The Steeda components are pretty beefy however the design of the IRS on the Explorer is far from heavy and not very upgradeable. You better off spending $800 on a rusty fullsize pickup