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Modifying Ford Explorer Leaf Springs for Lift using F-150 Leaf Springs
- Thread starter Bronco638
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Benjam
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Snagged some leaf springs from a 92-96 generation f-150. Unfortunately, these are 3 inches wide..
Any way I can make these work,or did I just blow 80 bucks?
Benjam
Any way I can make these work,or did I just blow 80 bucks?
Benjam
zero_psi
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so can u tell me what u exactly did? what year and gvw f150 were the leaf packs off of and did u just unbolt ur old leafs and bolt the f150s on? vie heard people taking apart the leaf pack and making there own but i just want a easy swap.... i made longer shackles and did a adda leaf and i still don't have enough lift to match my rough country lift coils so i want to do these leafs.
blakshukvw
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So I don't see how just changing out my leaf springs for some old F150 springs is gonna fix my left leaning problem. The Op measured the F150 springs he took and they too were sagged on the left side. So what is the fix for the left side of the truck being lower than the right? Swapping a set of sagged F150 springs isn't going to fix that.
Silver X
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That's why I bought brand new leaves when I did mine. Didn't want to worry that some random springs might already be worn out.
The swap turned out great for me.
The swap turned out great for me.
Orangeoutlaw
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I did this mod last week.I have a dilemma though.I used the explorer main leaf and the bottom 4 leaves from a super cab F-150 which had a total of 5 springs including the overload spring.When I reassembled I had gain 3.5 inches but my goal wasnt to lift it was to level out with a little but of rake so when towing my small trailer and or passengers.It felt very tippy and rode bad.So I took out the bottom leaf and its just about level.And I love the way it rides but would like to have .5 to .75 more ride height.Any Ideas?
jakemccarthy
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what year f150s should i look for?
azstang
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I used G code springs from a 1996. Look at the door tag to see what spring code is has.
Shawn
Bronco638
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Hi Everyone,
I very pleased to see that this post still "has legs". Occasionally, I'll get a PM from one of you asking for details. I would love to help but at this point I haven't owned that particular Explorer (or any Explorer for that matter) for six years. I simply don't recall much of what I did anymore (old and feeble now...). I apologize.
What I do suggest is to re-read my original post and then read all of the Comments that came thereafter. There are some follow-up posts, from me, as well as some posts from others that either did the swap or did research regarding the swap. As Silver X recently posted, he sourced leaf packs directly from Eaton Detroit Spring (instead of scouring junk yards). That worked out great for him. I would hope EDS is still willing to help out but they may not be "into" it anymore. You will have to check with them.
As I mentioned in my original post, I believe the F150 leaves that I used came from a late 80's truck. What's more important is the width of the leaves and the load rating of the spring packs. You can easily measure the leaf width. Load data should be available on the VIN sticker in the driver's side door jamb.
I have seen local Explorers with a suspension lift as well as shackles. In my research, I determined that shackles only add to the instability that's already inherent in the rear suspension (remember the Firestone tire fiasco?). Adding the F150 leaf pack gives you lift AND stability. If you need more lift, contact a leaf spring supplier regarding custom arched leaves. I know that's not cheap but it's better than the distinct possibility of flipping over due to shackles. This is my opinion and I'm not here to start a flame war. I don't frequent these forums anymore so replying with a rant, aimed at me, won't have much effect. If you choose to install shackles, that's your choice. I'm not suggesting you're an idiot for doing so. All I'm saying is that, in my opinion, it's not the right way to gain lift. Off my soap box now.
I originally posted to help other "cheap a$$ bastids" get some suspension lift while curing the instability. I still enjoy "junkyarding" very much and thought this was a fun/cheap way to get more out of my (ex) Ex. As you can see, there's quite a bit of physics and engineering in suspension systems. I'm not an engineer. I do have access to two; my brother-in-law (a PE in Colorado) and my best friend (an ME with a Masters degree in Massachusetts). Both are enthusiasts and know of which they speak. They also provide the same responses when I ask them questions (in other words, they confirm each other with respect to engineering data/questions). So, while I've really only "scratched the surface" there is some validity to what's been presented here. However, you're on your own when it comes to what you choose to do to your own vehicle. If you have any question about any of this, I would suggest you contact a profession engineer or not make the modification. Just because a bunch of us have done this modification, and had success, doesn't mean we're not crazy....
To those who choose to make the mod, I hope it works as well, for you, as it did for me. Cheers - Dave.
I very pleased to see that this post still "has legs". Occasionally, I'll get a PM from one of you asking for details. I would love to help but at this point I haven't owned that particular Explorer (or any Explorer for that matter) for six years. I simply don't recall much of what I did anymore (old and feeble now...). I apologize.
What I do suggest is to re-read my original post and then read all of the Comments that came thereafter. There are some follow-up posts, from me, as well as some posts from others that either did the swap or did research regarding the swap. As Silver X recently posted, he sourced leaf packs directly from Eaton Detroit Spring (instead of scouring junk yards). That worked out great for him. I would hope EDS is still willing to help out but they may not be "into" it anymore. You will have to check with them.
As I mentioned in my original post, I believe the F150 leaves that I used came from a late 80's truck. What's more important is the width of the leaves and the load rating of the spring packs. You can easily measure the leaf width. Load data should be available on the VIN sticker in the driver's side door jamb.
I have seen local Explorers with a suspension lift as well as shackles. In my research, I determined that shackles only add to the instability that's already inherent in the rear suspension (remember the Firestone tire fiasco?). Adding the F150 leaf pack gives you lift AND stability. If you need more lift, contact a leaf spring supplier regarding custom arched leaves. I know that's not cheap but it's better than the distinct possibility of flipping over due to shackles. This is my opinion and I'm not here to start a flame war. I don't frequent these forums anymore so replying with a rant, aimed at me, won't have much effect. If you choose to install shackles, that's your choice. I'm not suggesting you're an idiot for doing so. All I'm saying is that, in my opinion, it's not the right way to gain lift. Off my soap box now.
I originally posted to help other "cheap a$$ bastids" get some suspension lift while curing the instability. I still enjoy "junkyarding" very much and thought this was a fun/cheap way to get more out of my (ex) Ex. As you can see, there's quite a bit of physics and engineering in suspension systems. I'm not an engineer. I do have access to two; my brother-in-law (a PE in Colorado) and my best friend (an ME with a Masters degree in Massachusetts). Both are enthusiasts and know of which they speak. They also provide the same responses when I ask them questions (in other words, they confirm each other with respect to engineering data/questions). So, while I've really only "scratched the surface" there is some validity to what's been presented here. However, you're on your own when it comes to what you choose to do to your own vehicle. If you have any question about any of this, I would suggest you contact a profession engineer or not make the modification. Just because a bunch of us have done this modification, and had success, doesn't mean we're not crazy....
To those who choose to make the mod, I hope it works as well, for you, as it did for me. Cheers - Dave.
Naasau
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Well said!
My only issue with your statement Dave is that I grabbed a set of after-market leafs from EDS and they sagged down to almost stock height from 6" within 6 months (I didn't even go offroading). Might have been just that pack, but they weren't willing to take them back as I had them in my garage for 6 months before I installed 'em. I'm not saying they are terrible people, just telling folks to be careful. When my F-150 pack finally dies, I plan on ordering a set of 'military wrap' springs from James Duff. I don't imagine them ever not being 'into' Fords.
Either way, thanks for all your ideas and help! My junkyard pack is nice and sturdy.
My only issue with your statement Dave is that I grabbed a set of after-market leafs from EDS and they sagged down to almost stock height from 6" within 6 months (I didn't even go offroading). Might have been just that pack, but they weren't willing to take them back as I had them in my garage for 6 months before I installed 'em. I'm not saying they are terrible people, just telling folks to be careful. When my F-150 pack finally dies, I plan on ordering a set of 'military wrap' springs from James Duff. I don't imagine them ever not being 'into' Fords.
Either way, thanks for all your ideas and help! My junkyard pack is nice and sturdy.
Spicycook
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Karpiel73
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Disregard what I asked. I realized everyone was replacing the EXs leaf with F150s where as I will be adding leafs to the pack. Thanks though.
Karpiel73
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They're from a 93 F150. I'll probably add 3 leafs from the 150 pack.
Silver X
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That's correct that we didn't stack the new leaves as extras. Most of us stripped the Explorer leaf packs down to the main leaf and swapped the rest of the leaves with several F150 leaves per side. The amount of leaves used varies by how much lift you want and how stiff of a ride you can handle.
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Blue Coupe
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I used the 3 lower springs from a 1996 F150 with a ED spring code.
Results:
Drivers Side lift: 1 1/8"
Passenger lift: 1 3/8"
Couple of tips:
-Disable the ride control if equipped (switch is located in the cargo on the drivers side i.e. removal panel).
-Remove the lower shock bolt 1st.
-I used Grade 8 7/16 Fine thread 3" bolts for the spring packs. I grinded the tops of the bolts to match the factory fasteners. The larger diameter nut requires the lower perches holes to be enlarged, quick work with a stepped drill bit.
-The hardest part of the job is installing the 3 F150 springs to the top spring on the Explorer, it would be easiest to remove the upper spring.
Results:
Drivers Side lift: 1 1/8"
Passenger lift: 1 3/8"
Couple of tips:
-Disable the ride control if equipped (switch is located in the cargo on the drivers side i.e. removal panel).
-Remove the lower shock bolt 1st.
-I used Grade 8 7/16 Fine thread 3" bolts for the spring packs. I grinded the tops of the bolts to match the factory fasteners. The larger diameter nut requires the lower perches holes to be enlarged, quick work with a stepped drill bit.
-The hardest part of the job is installing the 3 F150 springs to the top spring on the Explorer, it would be easiest to remove the upper spring.
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