Modifying Ford Explorer Leaf Springs for Lift using F-150 Leaf Springs

[Greg L]

Thanx a lot Dave. I'll let you know how things work out in a few weeks once I am out of school and ready to begin work.

 

[autigers2325]

will this mod work if i have a 98 explorer sport. are the leafs shorter than a regular explorer? mine only has 1 leaf right now but i wanted to get extra lift in my x with the f150 leaf pack.

 

[Bronco638]

Greg - let me know if you have more questions or need help.

autigers - This mod would not work very well (if at all) with the mono-leaf on your Sport. From what I understand, the mono-leaves are tapered toward the mounting eyes (variable width). However, there are quite a few Forum members that have swapped 4-door leaf packs into their Sports. So, start with a 4-door Explorer main leaf and then add the F150 leaves to complete the pack. If you're lucky, you might be able to source all the parts from one junkyard! If that's the route you decide to take, the job will be slightly easier since you could build the pack before you install it. And, trust me, spending less time under the back end of your truck would be a bonus.

Dave.

 

[CHH777]

Well, I think I know why the full F-150 packs worked for me. Sitting next to a 94 Explorer Sport 4x4 in our shop my Navajo has about 12" of lift. That should be enough to fit those 36s, eh?

Fanning of the leaves won't be an issue as I did the U-bolt thing Gerald posted.

Thanks again for this write-up. I got exactly what I needed for $40...

 

[Bronco638]

Twelve Inches of Lift!?

Excellent!

I would think 36" tires would not be an issue. And all for $40. What a bargain!

D.

 

[ericradford01]

12in of lift what u do for that i got an 01 sport and want to lift thats fairly cheap what u do to do that i dont want to do to mch owrk so i want to just swap it in?

 

[Bronco638]

I don't know exactly how CHH777 got 12" of lift. Try send him a PM for further info.

D.

 

[CHH777]

I don't know exactly how CHH777 got 12" of lift. Try send him a PM for further info.

D.

I got 12" lift with the springs AND 36" tires. So I'd say I got around 8" lift from the F-150 leaf springs alone.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[MartyD]

Ok, now I'm more confused than ever. I have a 96 Sport with those MISERABLE mono leafs and was originally thinking of 4 door spring packs in the back with an AAL and warrior shackles, and TT in front. Then I read this VERY informative article. However due to health probs, I can't do the heavy wrench work required here. Bronco 638, did you ask Detroit Eaton about re arching springs? Could I get the F code spring packs from a 4 door x rearched to give me the 2" of lift i'm looking for right now? I have found a donor vehicle but want to have ALL my ducks in a row before I get into this. The yard will sell me the leaf packs for $50 removed by them. There is a local spring shop that does re-arching and I'd probably just take them the springs, have them go thru them and put them on my truck. I'd rather do it myself but...
Any advice here will be deeply appreciated.

 

[Bronco638]

Marty,
Yes, I did ask Mike Eaton about re-arching leaf springs. He told me that in order to do it right, the shop that does the re-arching should heat the leaves to a certain temperature, re-arch, re-heat and then cool. This allows the metal to retain the new arch and it's tempering. However, most shops do not do this. They simply re-arch the springs using little, if no, heat. This will cause the springs to lose their 'new' arch and eventually settle back to their original arch (without the proper heat treating, the metal has a 'memory' and returns to original configuration). So, it ends up being a waste of money.
Sorry to hear that you're not capable of doing the wrenching. I think you'll find that the added lift from the F150 leaves will get you at least 1.75" of lift provided the donor truck wasn't beaten to death. You may even get 2" since you have a Sport (less weight at the rear than a four door). As I mentioned in the original write-up, be sure to keep track of which side the F150 springs came from. You'll want to put the passenger side F150 springs on the driver's side of your truck and vice versa. Same is true of the donor Explorer springs.
Let me know if you have any more questions - Dave.

 

[Stuman78424]

the time has come

Alright the time has come...i'm ready to lift my 98' sport. this past summer i got hold of some 4-door leafs (for free) and swaped them in place of the p.o.s. mono leafs (anyone want to by them?, they'd be nice to lower your ex a few inches) now, i want to go higher with 2 inches all the way around i know the torsion bars will be fine for the 2 or so inches up front and for the back i have rounded up a set of 1983 F-150 leaf packs(5 leaf). My only drawback is that i dont want to butcher my 4-door springs as i might be selling my ex pretty soon(and getting another of course!) and i would have it back at factory height when i sell it. so i have a few questions:

1) would the entire F150 pack fit? about how much lift would that provide?
2) could i use the single leaf from the mono set up and use the lower 4 from the f-150?
3) and as a last resort would i be able to "undo" the mod if i combine the 4-door and the f150 springs?

any answers would be greatly appreciated
thanks guys, i dont know what i would to without this forum....oh wait, yea i do i would have spent just under $1000 on the timing chain tensor problem(because ford wasnt going to tell me that it was a recall)
and god only know how much on everything else!

 

[Bronco638]

Glad to hear you're getting you money's worth here (consider becoming Elite!).

As for your questions:
1 - No. The F150 main leaf is too long to fit in place of the Explorer's main leaf (and kind of defeats one of the main reasons for the mod - to better support the main leaf to prevent droop near the mounting eyes).

2 - No. The monoleaves taper (in width as well as thickness) and should not be used in conjunction with other leaf springs (I posed that very question to Mike Eaton of Eaton Detroit Spring).

3 - Yes. The F150 leaves will simply bolt on in place of the Explorer leaves and vice-versa. As long as you keep those old Explorer leaves, the mod works in reverse. I would try to keep the original leaf packs together to facilitate this. If you plan to do this, I suggest getting a spare set of leaf retainer bolts. To undo the mod, you can simply cut the (newly installed) 'old' ones off.

Dave.

 

[Lloyd10977]

Update on F150 spring mod?

Dave, now that you've got more than a few miles on your handiwork, can you give us an update on at least (but not limited to) the following?
1) additional problems incurred and solutions applied
2) evaluation of the ride
3) performance vs the original setup
4) suggestions that would apply to four-doors ves 2-doors

 

[Bronco638]

Certainly!

Although it's been 10 months since I did the mod, I've only put about 3K miles on the truck (mostly highway and none off-road). Thanks to the light rail system in and around Chicago, there's no reason for me to drive it much.

1 - Additional Problems/Solutions. I have not had any issues with the springs. I have heard from other members that have experienced "fanning" of the leaves. I'm not quite sure what causes this but I suspect it might have to do with mixing and matching of various leaves. In other words, keep the packs together as a unit. Since spring steel has a 'memory' individual leaves take on certain subtle differences with respect to twist and arch. When the leaf above and/or below isn't from the same pack, the leaves may not "mesh" well together which causes them to fan. Retaining straps would resolve this but would also limit flex if you plan this mod for off-roading (as I did). I am not running retaining straps but have some new ones of anyone needs some.

2 - Evaluation of the Ride - This will be pretty subjective since we all experience things differently. As I originally mentioned, the ride is much firmer than stock. I owned an '89 F150 and I find the ride to be similar. The Explorer ride is a little softer due to the additional body mass over the rear of the truck. I really like the OME shocks and think they are worth the extra $$. I do not haul or tow anything of significant weight. I do have a small utility trailer for hauling motorcycles but I barely notice the additional drag on the motor let alone any effect on the rear suspension. I would think you'd be able to tow a trailer with more tongue weight or haul heavier objects without noticing a large amount of rear spring "squat".

3 - Performance versus Factory - Again, as above, a firmer ride than stock. I'm curious to see what it rides like with a load of off-road tools/spares/gear since that was the reason for the mod, in addition to lift, in the first place. I'll have to let you know as I plan a few off-road trips next year.

4 - 4 Door versus 2 Door - I've never ridden in a Sport. I do know that riding in a Zeep can be pretty rough due to the short wheelbase. I've read several threads about upgrading the mono-leaf to a four door leaf pack. I would think that the Sport might start to ride quite rough with the full five leaf F150 pack. Someone might experiment with a four leaf F150 pack in the Sport.

Editorial: I will say this, I see a lot of members considering or installing AALs, Double AALs and shackles. After an extensive email conversation with Mike Eaton of Eaton Detroit (excerpts of the conversation appear in the original post), installing a double AAL will result in a pretty stiff leaf pack. If your intention is lift without flex, this is a good option. If you need flex, it's best to stay with as few leaves as possible. A single AAL would work but you're still dealing with the original leaf pack. Chances are this will provide some lift (1" ?) and may not be worth the effort. The 'second' F150 leaf almost fully supports the main Explorer leaf which keeps droop near the mounting eyes to a minimum (thanks to GJarrett for discovering that). Shackles are the easiest way to get your truck some lift thru the suspension. It's also the easiest way to add more instability to the vehicle. As we all saw recently with BBQ_Hotdogs, these trucks have a high CG and have stability issues when it comes to high speed maneuvering. Providing lift with the torsion bars and leaf packs raises the truck but brings the CG of the frame closer to the CG of the body. With those two CGs (known as a 'couple') closer, the suspension (sway bars, too) is better capable of 'catching' any lean of the body (before that force can cause a flip). You do not get this benefit with shackles. Granted the amount of time/effort/money with a shackle install is much less but I don't think it's worth it. (I'm off the soap box now).

 

[Lloyd10977]

Valuable commodity

It appears that there may be considerably more people interested in this site and specifically the F150 to Ex mod because I am finding F150 springs extremely hard to come by due to "high demand for all years from 1984 through 1996". One boneyard that I contacted in the Bronx NY gave me a quote of $75 EACH! And they were not certain that they had a matching set! And then I was contacted by a recycler in AZ who was "eager" for my business and offered a matching set for $45 each, with shipping of $50 each. Not exactly what I would list as a bargain.

 

[ExplorerJimbo]

first off all bronco638, ive just read the whole write up on the f150 to ex spring pack mod. and its great? fantastic work... but i think i went through it a little to quick (the whole thread that is) reading all these different questions... im confused.

if i can locate a spring pack on a early to mid 80's F150 then would i be able to just take my ex springs off and put the f150 springs on... with a little bit of cleaning and preping or no?

 

[Bronco638]

Wow, I can't believe that something like this would be so popular (it's all GJarrett's fault! ).

Lloyd: No, those are not "bargain" prices (perhaps I need to scour more bone yards for F150 springs!). I have a good friend at the local Ford store (parts manager). Next time I stop to see him, I'll ask him if he can tell me what exact F150 model years these leaves come from. It might help you locate something at a better price. I have also found pricing to be wildly different locally. It really depends on what the yard owners/operators think they're worth. I also discovered that at the "you-pick-it" yards, prices differ from employee to employee. So, if you get a quote from the "dude at the counter in the red shirt", be sure to find him when you're paying for your parts. If these things weren't so heavy, shipping would be more affordable. Also, it's distinctly possible that a leaf pack from another 1/2 ton pickup might work, too. All the dimensions for the individual leaves are provided in the first post. I wouldn't be surprised if Cheby or Do(d)g(e) leaf packs would work, as well.

Jimbo: No. The main F150 leaf (with the mounting eyes on each end) is too long to fit in place of the main Explorer leaf. One of the reasons for this mod was to keep the main Explorer leaf from drooping near the mounting eyes. The 'second' F150 leaf is almost as long as the Explorer main leaf (almost full support). So, unfortunately, you're going to need to get into some disassembly but I still recommend the cleaning and prepping!

For fun, I'll send Mike Eaton an email asking about pricing for basic F150 leaves. Perhaps, if there's enough interest, a group buy could be arranged.

If anyone would like to see pictures of the finished install (and a few others I took during clean-up and data gathering), I'll do my best to insert them into the original post.

Let me know if you have any more questions or other ideas - Dave.

 

[Bronco638]

For fun, I'll send Mike Eaton an email asking about pricing for basic F150 leaves. Perhaps, if there's enough interest, a group buy could be arranged.

Update
Mike is interested in helping out with an 'upgrade' kit (F150 leaves, center bolt and retaing straps) at an affordable price. I am going to contact Rick to see if they can be offered thru this site (as well as Mike's site). I'm also wondering how many orders it would take to get Mike to give us a volume discount.

Dave.

 

[Lloyd10977]

Dave,

I need a little advice. I have been offered a set of rear leaf springs (5-leaf including overload) from an '89 Bronco. They are rated at 1650# capacity. And the price is great!! Problem: I have not seen them yet but the owner says that they are 3" springs. I don't know if he actually measured or guesstimated.

In your opinion is this something that I should look at seriously or not?

 

[Bronco638]

Lloyd,
As far as I know, the Bronco was built using F150 parts. I'd be surprised if the leaf packs were different than the F150 (I had an '89 F150). There's a pretty simple way to figure this out. 1) have the owner of the Bronco leaves measure the width. They should be 2.5". Perhaps he could measure the length of the individual leaves as well. 2) Call a Ford dealer and ask if the leaf pack part number for a '89 Bronco is the same as an '89 F150. If the part numbers are different, refer to #1.

How does the owner of the Bronco leaves know they're rated for 1650#? If he still has the truck, ask for the GVWR and GAWR which are on the sticker in the door jamb. Then compare those numbers with the GVWR and GAWR numbers from the F150 in my original post. If they are close and the leaves measure 2.5", go for it!

Forum member Buchvilleman is using an '89 Bronco as an engine donor. I'll send him a PM and ask him to measure the leaves on his donor Bronco.

Dave.