New 2008 Limited project truck

[ThunderbirdSport]

I'm the same way, coming from a 98 and getting into the 06.

I like the 98, it's just downright simple, reliable, and goes, and goes...and goes...

But the '06 is much, much more, yet, and has a bunch of cool stuff that at one time I swore were for old people, yuppies, and the wealthy....and since I'm not wealthy and damned sure not a yuppie...LOL.

Love the heated seats and the stability control.

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

Just received my winter wheel set. They are KMC’s new “Alpine” model, in satin black 18”. I’ll be having them installed with a set of Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 SUV winter tires in 265/60R18 this weekend. More pics to come following installation.

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

Winter wheel setup installed. I have no immediate impression of the tires as there is hardly any snow or ice to speak of to test their grip, and the 4th gen’s 4x4 system is still new to me. I’m considering some sort of helical LSD conversion in the future when funds allow in pursuing the ultimate winter traction solution. Looking at the side profile, I could also really benefit from some black housing aftermarket headlights, and perhaps a black powder coating of the roof rails. I am not a fan of chrome nor it’s plastic imitation.

 

[zerodevil]

Nice! I run Nokian Haakapellitta 9s up here in Alaska. Their traction on snow and ice is borderline unbelievable.

I run the same intake but with the Amsoil dry filter (had to go up a size but it fits fine). And the magna flow fatback. No noticeable gains in performance, but she sounds excellent.

Stay away from aftermarket coil packs btw, even the MSD ones are trash.

My next mod is looking to be a custom tune from brennspeed.

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

Nice! I run Nokian Haakapellitta 9s up here in Alaska. Their traction on snow and ice is borderline unbelievable.

I run the same intake but with the Amsoil dry filter (had to go up a size but it fits fine). And the magna flow fatback. No noticeable gains in performance, but she sounds excellent.

Stay away from aftermarket coil packs btw, even the MSD ones are trash.

My next mod is looking to be a custom tune from brennspeed.

I’m going to do the same SCT X4 from them after I buy a throttle body. I had an Amsoil filter on my K&N in my 2000, I’ll be switching to that once this filter is up for replacement. I’m curious about the coils, I used the Davis Ignition set (and gapped plugs) on my old truck too, and noticed mileage improvements. I will do the same with my new ‘08 eventually, and report findings.

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

After looking everywhere for the discontinued Rancho Quicklift struts for the rear, I ended up going with 1.5 inch rear strut spacers from Supreme Suspension to even things out. A front window tint has also been performed since my last photos were posted.

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

After developing a minor cylinder misfire, I have recently swapped all spark plugs to E3 Diamondfires. Dreading the breakage of the original plugs (I’m not sure they’d ever been changed, 123,000kms ODO), I was proactive in purchasing the extractor tool. I ended up not needing it, as thankfully none of the 2-piece old plugs broke, and I simply used hand tools and PB blaster in the process.

Despite having been recommended otherwise, I will likely be replacing all the coils in short order to the Davis Ignition 40,000V set.

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

I’ve just done the aftermarket projector foglight installation. Have yet to hook up the halo wiring, as I have a matching set of black housing headlights on the way as well.

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

Removed the chrome roof rails and had them powder coated in gloss black.

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

Today I installed Davis Unified Ignition’s “Sultans of Spark” coil-on-plug upgrade after recently having swapped the spark plugs to E3’s. It was an extremely easy mod to perform with basic hand tools, all you’ll need is a 7mm socket and extension. My first impression was that the coils felt heavier than the stock ones in my hand, likely due to extra conductive material to boost the output voltage from the stock 25,000v to 40,000v.

For those considering this upgrade, depending on which head style you have, the plug boot changed from black to brown in mid 2008. If you have the earlier design like I do, part# DUI-31850 will be the one you'll use, to replace the stock coil that has factory part number starting with "3L3E". If you have the late-2008 model redesign with the brown factory spark plug boots (factory part# begins with 8L3E), you would use part# DUI-31850BN.

I typically test the impact of new modifications on longer road trips, to be able to properly judge the impact on fuel economy and other parameters. As the “current situation” still has provincial borders closed, I will comment on any improvements at such time in the future when I’m able to properly test them out. Initial impressions are that of a smoother idle, and better, more consistent throttle response. I look forward to be able to provide some real world data at a later date.

Here is a picture of the aftermarket coil compared to the stock coil.

Passenger side coils installed.

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

Replaced the third brake light with a black led version. An affordable $50 part from Amazon that makes the back end look just a little bit better. I’m still contemplating swapping out the taillights for an aftermarket 3rd gen set, but I’m terrible at wiring and haven’t been able to figure it out yet.

 

[Harley McIntyre]

Replaced the third brake light with a black led version. An affordable $50 part from Amazon that makes the back end look just a little bit better. I’m still contemplating swapping out the taillights for an aftermarket 3rd gen set, but I’m terrible at wiring and haven’t been able to figure it out yet.
View attachment 317942

View attachment 317943

any bulb out messages or flickering?

 

[Harley McIntyre]

Today I installed Davis Unified Ignition’s “Sultans of Spark” coil-on-plug upgrade after recently having swapped the spark plugs to E3’s. It was an extremely easy mod to perform with basic hand tools, all you’ll need is a 7mm socket and extension. My first impression was that the coils felt heavier than the stock ones in my hand, likely due to extra conductive material to boost the output voltage from the stock 25,000v to 40,000v.

For those considering this upgrade, depending on which head style you have, the plug boot changed from black to brown in mid 2008. If you have the earlier design like I do, part# DUI-31850 will be the one you'll use, to replace the stock coil that has factory part number starting with "3L3E". If you have the late-2008 model redesign with the brown factory spark plug boots (factory part# begins with 8L3E), you would use part# DUI-31850BN.

I typically test the impact of new modifications on longer road trips, to be able to properly judge the impact on fuel economy and other parameters. As the “current situation” still has provincial borders closed, I will comment on any improvements at such time in the future when I’m able to properly test them out. Initial impressions are that of a smoother idle, and better, more consistent throttle response. I look forward to be able to provide some real world data at a later date.

View attachment 316521
Here is a picture of the aftermarket coil compared to the stock coil.

View attachment 316522
Passenger side coils installed.

i wonder if these die quickly like the MSD coils do on our engines, ive always heard motorcraft was the best option

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

any bulb out messages or flickering?

None at all, much brighter than stock, especially through a housing that isn’t old, weathered, and clouded over.

Regarding the coils, I used a DUI ignition kit for my old 2000 build, and it lasted problem free for the 6 years following the install. I’m not sure what to expect out of these new coil-on-plugs with this V8, but they are a very nice upgrade so far with noticeable improvements over the stock set.

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

After a few months of no upgrades and not much driving, I set my sights on a few stereo upgrades. I did a set of JL Audio C2-570x coaxial speakers for the front doors, and some Dynamat sound deadening insulation. I plan to get a matching set of speakers and insulation for the rear doors in the very near future.

As some of you likely know, removing the interior door trim on these trucks is a fairly simple job. After removing the armrest and window switch trim pieces, remove the two 7mm bolts under the armrest/door handle, and the two bolts at the bottom of the panel. Then, remove the cable that connects the door handle pull to the latch. You will be left with a naked door panel covered in the factory plastic sheet and some RTV gasket maker. Removing all of that will leave you with the stripped interior door:

Dynamat is a pain to work with, but in my opinion absolutely worth the $150 for the “door kit”, which contains four strips of dynamat, sufficient for full coverage of two doors on our Explorers. Wear gloves. Once you start cutting the material, it is essentially thick aluminum foil with some thin, sticky rubber on the back for vibration dampening. The foil will cut your fingers as you make cuts for the cabling, and other reliefs you need to expose to properly reinstall the trim panel. I used a paint pen to mark all the holes and reliefs that needed to be cut out so that I didn’t cover up something by mistake.

I saved most of the cutoff pieces to later cut into shapes to help seal tight areas, awkward corners, etc. At the end you will have covered your door panel, which should look something like this:

Make sure to leave adequate access for any future servicing of the power window motor or other accessory work that may be necessary, so that a future tech or vehicle owner does not have to cut your work to pieces.

After a brief test, I am extremely pleased with this speaker set for the money. I neglected to do the dynamat insulation on my old truck (2000 Limited), and my recommendation would be that additional money is better spent on dynamat than it is a higher end speaker set. Basically, this $250 speaker pair plus $150 Dynamat, sounds better than would a $400 speaker set, without using the insulation. The speakers function far better with all the little unnecessary holes in the door panel sealed, and the insulation works extremely well to cut down on vibration and clean up the bass and mid range. My plans for the remainder of the stereo upgrade is a matching treatment for the rear doors, aftermarket head unit with Apple CarPlay, GPS, etc., and some type of sub enclosure, amp and DSP setup that I haven’t fully settled on yet. I already have an Optima Yellowtop battery to power the system, but will likely look into a custom higher output alternator before I put the amp in so I don’t have any electrical system issues.

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

Winterized today.

 

[Bazz270]

Hi!

Please explain about your lift upgrade.

Is the 1 inch strut lift give you about an additional 1.5 in ground clearance?
Is your ride quality affected alot?

Maybe you can take a photo of your front upper control arm angle (i mean to see your balljoint position)

Thanks a lot!

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

Hi!

Please explain about your lift upgrade.

Is the 1 inch strut lift give you about an additional 1.5 in ground clearance?
Is your ride quality affected alot?

Maybe you can take a photo of your front upper control arm angle (i mean to see your balljoint position)

Thanks a lot!

The Rancho Quicklift struts have been discontinued. With adjustable damping the ride quality is greatly improved over stock. I suggest looking into the strut spacers available from Supreme Suspension, for both your front and rear struts. I purchased my rear spacers from Supreme, and have been pleased with the results. I will message you privately with a photo of the upper control arm ball joint angle. My plan for the near future is to get the aftermarket uniball upper control arm set from BTF fabrication, which corrects the angle of the upper ball joint due to minor lifting.

 

[Bazz270]

I understand...waiting for your photo.thanks a lot!



The major problem with 2.5 inch kit is Israel Transportation Ministry with some stupid laws about SUV lift..so

For 4gen X: only german made Spaccer company lift kit allowed here..
Since in Israel( legally) 12 to 46 mm lift spacers is possible im trying to deside the right spacer thickness.

 

[AZExploder]

Rancho RS5822 Series Strut is tough to find. Found one and now I think I will have to sell it and think about a puck lift since I cannot find another one..​