New Owner Question - Squats

[tommyboy]

I just bought a 2000 Eddie B. with only 50,000 miles. It was extremely clean inside and out. I replaced the tires w/ Goodyear Wranger RT/S (maybe not the best choice but they look great). I'm pretty happy with this truck exept one thing. It sags it the back, or what I like to call "Squats". How can I get it to stand evenly horizontal????? Remember, I'm a new owner so forgive me if this is a dumb question. I'm just looking for some help.....

 

[slravene]

you can either install some shackles, or an add-a-leaf.

 

[tommyboy]

can i get these from my neighborhood auto parts store?

 

[j602]

If you want to fix the problem, go to a junkyard and pull some leaf springs from an Explorer with lower mileage. But yes, you can install shackles or AAL's to fix the height inequality. You can get "universal" shackles from Autozone for about $20. You can also get Warrior shackles, which are of much better quality, from 4wheelparts.com, desertrat.com, or others. They run about $50 for a pair. Add-a-leafs will run you about $20-$30, and I don't think you'll be able to find them in town.

 

[rblais]

Maybe the the torsion bars have been adjusted by a previous owner so the front end is higher than the back. I have a 2000 Mountaineer 5.0 with 52K miles and it does not "squat". Might want to take it to a Ford mechanic and have the ride height checked. Just a thought.

 

[tommyboy]

can the ride height be adjusted without add'l parts being added?

 

[98Explorer4x4]

exactly how bad does it sag in the rear? ive seen lots of explorers "appear" to sag some in the rear

 

[rblais]

You can adjust the front end (lift or lower) by winding up or down the torsion bars via the adjusting screws located near the frame, below the front seats. Lots of threads on this. Search for torsion twist or TT(?).

 

[slravene]

i wouldnt lower anything. I would do the above and go to a junk yard and buy some newer leafs (stay away from the stealership) and see if that fixes the problem. I assume you dont want the look of an offroad vehicle, so i recommend AALs. The shackles hang down and are visible. I have them, but my truck is also of the offroad style. The AALs are a bit more involving to install, but they are easy if you have the right tools and patience...many walkthroughs can be found on this site. Good luck, and make sure to take some pics, and document the fix so that others may benefit from it later; after all thats pretty much how this site works

 

[spta97]

I've got 43k on my truck and it has been sagging since I bought it at 26k so don't count on a pair of used leafs to bump up your sag. There was a link in one of the threads to a custome leaf made in Canada with a 2" lift. The prices were pretty reasonable. I decided to go cheaper and get the Warrior Shackles from Desert Rat. Their shipping will bump the price up to $70 though.

 

[tommyboy]

have you installed the shackles yet?

 

[slravene]

yea i have them on my truck...

 

[Longjohn119]

If your springs sag because they are worn out, shackles will only mask the problem, you'll still have crappy worn out springs ... if you have a local spot that specializes in springs get an estimate, I was surprised how reasonable the prices were at my local spring shop

 

[HardTech]

yeah mines about an inch off with a half tank and no one in the truck. I hate this because it makes me look like a very heavy person... lol

Longjohn119 how much did you get quoted for on an estimate?

 

[tommyboy]

i haven't measured but I think i'm about 3/4 to an inch off myself.
longjohn119 - will the spring shop reinforce or replace the springs?

 

[00XLS]

Does anyones truck sag a bit with a full tank of gas in it? Mine seems to lean a bit to the drivers side but I'm not sure if it was that or something a bit more serious.

 

[slravene]

every x has driver side sag....its from the gas tank

 

[Silver X]

Mine doesn't sag anymore and it doesn't have the driver's side lean either. No height difference with fuel level changes, or with or w/o my speaker boxes either. My stock springs sagged over 2 inches from new. By changing the leaves, I gained 1.5" or so over factory height, so total change of 3.5". Rides alot stiffer, but handles much better and doesn't get bounced all over the place on torn up roads. New shocks, EE sta-bar, and TT helped too. Also doesn't have that typical excessive front end raise/rear squat under acceleration or nose dive under braking. Has very little weight transfer now. Haven't had any complaints about ride quality yet and I like it alot better than the marshmallow it was.

 

[slravene]

mine is even now that its lifted, but before it wasnt.

 

[tommyboy]

Great information guys!!!!! I really appreciate everone's input. Now, I'm just about an inch lower in the back. I don't want the off-reoad look. I have a beautiful sage green and tan trim EB, freshly washed and waxed. It's my everyother day cruise vehicle(I also have an '04 Honda Accord 4cyl that I alternate with). I want the even height look for a cost conscience price. If I deciede to do with the AAL approach, approx how much will that cost me (Remember, I'm a novice at this)? And, if possible, where can I get them from?