Performance suspension

[07Bighorn]

I'm a newbie when it comes to these trucks so take it easy on me..

I have been searching the net but found nothing regarding performance struts and shocks for my girls 02 eddie bauer with the 4.6L ... I don't like how it drives its very loose and squirrly and sometimes scares me with her driving it.. Im looking for a way to stiffen up the suspension a little maybe even an adjustable system but cant find anything... I did find some old school air shocks but not sure if they are for her set up being new to these SUV's... any help or direction will be nice and much appriciated...

Thanks
Dan

 

[lynchy wa]

How many miles are on it mate? Maybe just getting new stock shocks will fix the handling up? Check out the EF vendor section to see what replacement suspension parts they have, some good deals there!!

 

[Ronin8002]

Do a search for a review on KYB struts. I hear they are good.

 

[07Bighorn]

I will look at the Kyb's I have run there product on multiple mustangs so I trust there stuff...

As for mileage its a bit high at 140,000 and I'm not sure how well it was maintained before her.... I have gone through it a little and just picked up all the stuff to do a complete tune-up.

I Kinda want to make the suspension a little more on the sport side, kinda looking at changing things up a bit on the truck as looks go, its a 4x4 but sits so low i see it a waste to lift it and with the 4.6L is sh!#s and gets pretty well so I figured a nice set of rims decent color and good susp will do for now, until we decide whether we are going to keep it or buy a newer 4door JK jeep...

Thanks for the info

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

Ground Force makes lowering springs, so couple that with KYB shocks and it should respond a lot better.

 

[2002GreyHD150]

the "squishy" ride is mainly from the crap BFG Long Trail (Sloppy trail) TIres when new. If the previous owner stuck with BFG Long Trails or a comparable tire, the handling will be mush, no matter what you throw $$ at.

Good, all season performance tires (Continetal, Kumho, Hankook, Falken, Yokahama, Pirelli) in the stock size or 1/2 or 1 size wider will stiffen the side walls and get more meat to the pavement.

KYB is the only performance-ish strut option. Unfortunately. I wish Edelbrock would have developed the IAS Performer struts or KYB had actually done the AGX's.

Lowering Ground Force is the only real option. But not the best overall choice. A larger tire (if you have 17" wheels: 255/65/17 or 265/60/17) will fill up the wheel well nicely.

At 14x,000 you need to be thinking about front hubs, brakes, and sway bar bushings to tighten things up in the front.

Rob

 

[chitown1211]

the "squishy" ride is mainly from the crap BFG Long Trail (Sloppy trail) TIres when new. If the previous owner stuck with BFG Long Trails or a comparable tire, the handling will be mush, no matter what you throw $$ at.

Good, all season performance tires (Continetal, Kumho, Hankook, Falken, Yokahama, Pirelli) in the stock size or 1/2 or 1 size wider will stiffen the side walls and get more meat to the pavement.

KYB is the only performance-ish strut option. Unfortunately. I wish Edelbrock would have developed the IAS Performer struts or KYB had actually done the AGX's.

Lowering Ground Force is the only real option. But not the best overall choice. A larger tire (if you have 17" wheels: 255/65/17 or 265/60/17) will fill up the wheel well nicely.

At 14x,000 you need to be thinking about front hubs, brakes, and sway bar bushings to tighten things up in the front.

Rob

BFG is a bad tire?

 

[07Bighorn]

the "squishy" ride is mainly from the crap BFG Long Trail (Sloppy trail) TIres when new. If the previous owner stuck with BFG Long Trails or a comparable tire, the handling will be mush, no matter what you throw $$ at.

Good, all season performance tires (Continetal, Kumho, Hankook, Falken, Yokahama, Pirelli) in the stock size or 1/2 or 1 size wider will stiffen the side walls and get more meat to the pavement.

KYB is the only performance-ish strut option. Unfortunately. I wish Edelbrock would have developed the IAS Performer struts or KYB had actually done the AGX's.

Lowering Ground Force is the only real option. But not the best overall choice. A larger tire (if you have 17" wheels: 255/65/17 or 265/60/17) will fill up the wheel well nicely.

At 14x,000 you need to be thinking about front hubs, brakes, and sway bar bushings to tighten things up in the front.

Rob

Its not really the front that is the problem, but its already on the list of inspections.. but its def the rear that is looser than a working girl in the redlight district...

As for the tires def not a bfg issue, I'm pretty sure those have been long gone for awhile.. she has some firestone continental touring type tire... either way I don't like them either.. I'm hard to please

as for lowering I dont really want to lower it anymore than how low it sits now... its pretty low already... so low I cannot crawl under the step boards on flat ground and I'm not a big big guy... I will look into the Kyb product though and work that into the maintenance scheduled for this thing...

Thanks for the help

 

[2002GreyHD150]

BFG is a bad tire?

Ok.... generalize much?

READING is fundemental... the OP complained about SQUISHY response... The OE tire, for the 2002-2005 17" X/monty was the BFG Long Trail.. a total street compromise. Give people a fake sense of a multi-purpose tire. WORTHLESS

if take the time to READ what the OP is asking for HANDLING & a LOOK not being raised on 35" tires and rock crawling... OP doesn't care about anything except handling & looks.. STREET USE... do I need to use more caps?

BFG, Like every other tire company makes tires to fit a niche/need. NO, in my opinion BFG offers middle of the road performance in ALL categories for the average consumer... Sue me I am honest. for the trail/street guy the Rugged trail is laughable, for the street-truck/performance buyer, anything under the KDW-blah-blah is also laughable, based on what else is out there...


BFG isn't a "bad tire" its an over priced tire in a market for the average consumer... Think of BFG, again, at least in my opinion, as Too Big for their Marketing Britches... Not all that... However depends on the category and USE of the tire.

Don't oversimplifiy what I said. Bad ju-ju for those who put words in my mouth.

Rob

 

[2002GreyHD150]

Its not really the front that is the problem, but its already on the list of inspections.. but its def the rear that is looser than a working girl in the redlight district...

As for the tires def not a bfg issue, I'm pretty sure those have been long gone for awhile.. she has some firestone continental touring type tire... either way I don't like them either.. I'm hard to please

as for lowering I dont really want to lower it anymore than how low it sits now... its pretty low already... so low I cannot crawl under the step boards on flat ground and I'm not a big big guy... I will look into the Kyb product though and work that into the maintenance scheduled for this thing...

Thanks for the help

I appologize.. the comment was "squirrly" not "squishy"... my error... STILL...

The FRONT is a problem as in the 2002-2005 X/Monty platform after about 125K miles the front bearings start going south & getting sloppy. Random ABS Lights are usually a sign the bearings are going, allowing the hubs to walk, wobbling the rotors, all adding up to worn pads, worn rotors, worn hubs, bearings, etc...

If the rear of the truck is feeling "loose" (as in NASCAR "loose") then less bar out back, MORE bar up front... huh? who'da thunk... didn't I say that before? Good bushings after 125k+ miles will tighten up any vehicle.

Don't depend on me, but also don't shoot me as the messenger. I'm going through the 145-170K regiment right now... I am speaking from real world, wife is driving it everyday, not driven hard, & sure as hell not as well maintained as I would like, experience... Real world... take it or leave it. I've done bushings, minor replacements here and there as I see issues, and it simply shores up things. The main issue with the overall "feel" if the truck, surprisingly


bottom line: OP is bothered by "squirrly" performance & I am saying:

** struts: the best "performance" option is the KYB... that's only saying a little.

** Unless the OP wants to invest in KYB or Koni adjustable inserts & the work to modify OE housings, there is no adjustable option.

** "squirrly" is 85-95% TIRES on this platform. A solid performance, All Season tire, with the correct size or up size, willl help tremendously... When My wife comments how much better the truck feels after new tires... THAT is saying something.


Rob

 

[07Bighorn]

I'll will take a closer look at the front end, I am chasing a problem up front with a hub and brake issue. I know I have issues up there but trust me, I know what a loose front end and rear end feel like, and as tire wise not that either in this case.. I don't doubt these trucks go through the stuff as you mention but this feels a little more then tire issues and front end, the front actually is pretty tight, I have been driving it for the past week and she has had my truck and with that I could kinda play with it and work out and pinpoint more what was bugging me about how it roles, it feels like it has tremendous body role (I know its too be expected with a suv) while the front stays where it should. I don't know if its the body design and weight distribution mixed with the independent rear suspension... I'm going to put on a set of upgraded shocks or little better than OEM and go from there, it is slated for a new set of hides pretty soon so that will be the next, then I'm going to dive into the front end... I'm looking to put a set of wheels and tires and repainting it and cleaning it up a little and if I cant get the ride right to where I feel comfortable with her behind the wheel its getting turned into something else before I do all that...

but thanks for the info on the ABS and hub issues, I think thats one of the issues I'm chasing, I have been hearing a bearing sound since we started dating over a year ago but the odd part is is comes from the rear not the front, I have been expecting a rear bearing to go out.. but again I don't know very much about the quirks of these SUV's

 

[lynchy wa]

I had evil body roll until I widened the stance, front track was LESS than the rear track. I know that they aren't sports car's but bloody hell, she used to nose wallow something fierce on corners. Drives pretty good now tho'.

 

[Jonathan46237]

I had VERY BAD!!!!! rear "sway" in my 02 mountaineer, I went on on the town for a friends b day and I was "dd" with the third row I had 7 guys in my truck and I couldn't keep the thing in a lane. come to find out it had broken rear springs, so after replacing the rears it still wasn't much to talk about and very loose in the rear. I now have 20" wheels and much better my tires were crap!!!( I will agree on greyhd on that one) but still bad in the area of body roll, I'm looking to replace the struts and sway bar bushings at 150k (they say you should replace struts like every 60k but in the real world we know that's not going to happen) but my truck is in pieces and not drivable due to my M90 supercharger I'm fabricating so i would love to hear what you find with yours because mine sure needs something

 

[IZwack]

It is [after all] an SUV...

 

[2002GreyHD150]

Im no X/Monty specialist... but I do carry just a lil "school of Hod Rodding" guts & A whole wheel barrel full of "hard knocks" experience... lol

My 2001 Monty Premier had the full Exporer Express lowering, sway bars, Edelbrock/Xpress shocks, the works.... Eat that Saleen .. lol

We bought my wife's '04 because she "got" the basic platform of the 2001 & wanted the safety & "feel"...... but I, of course, couldn't leave it alone. But was told "No touching the Montianeer!!!!"

So as things have failed, I researched improvements that keep Momma-Sita happy.

With that said. Struts are still in "research mode". Although @ 170K (almost) its getting close to pull that trigger.

I can say, without any shadow of heistation TIRE choice on this platform is CRITICAL to what you, any of you expect.

** If you want comfort/Caddy/Lincoln ride... simple: Michelin's, pay the $$ move on.

** handling: loaded statement, what weather? Until UPS finds my Falken Ziek's which were supposed to be here 5 days ago, I can tell you the Kuhmo & Hankooks are a significant improvement to the feel on the X/Monty in stock sizes, I had some wear issues... but that wasn't the tire's fault. We deal with 1 month of snow/ice in Dallas every year. So A/S tires are a compromise for us. My wife preferred the "feel" of the Kumho's over the BFG crap-trails the Monty came with.... HER words not mine.

** Wear: things are tough all over... tomorrow, wed at the latest will be the first time I have put a full set of 100% brand NEW tires on the Monty in 70K. The funds have always limited us to buying full sets of used/gently worn sets. Dunlops, Michelins, Hankooks, Goodyears, all have worn well. All were like spark plugs, of course the "new0ish" tire felt better & Momma never complained. So they were all a win in their own respects. This week into the next year+ will be a REAL test of tire application in my little saga... 210% brand new, all (4) Falken Ziex ST's are due once UPS can find the missing semi-truck that has them on its trailer (don't ask!)... New shoes... new lease on life? or will the new shoes uncover the struts are worn out? only time will tell.

I type all this to paint a picture... I, obviously, take a VERY systematic approach to my research & cash spending. I don't Dink around. I need to keep Momma happy while maybe, just MAYBE adding a lil fun for me while I drive the Monty. Simple as that.

I see a flaw I look for an improvement. I find a piece that works, I'll let you know.

Rob

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

I'm going to put on a set of upgraded shocks or little better than OEM and go from there, it is slated for a new set of hides pretty soon so that will be the next, then I'm going to dive into the front end... I'm looking to put a set of wheels and tires and repainting it and cleaning it up a little and if I cant get the ride right to where I feel comfortable with her behind the wheel its getting turned into something else before I do all that...

The coils springs are notorious for breaking on the earlier models, so you will be best served to replace them along with any new shocks.

 

[chitown1211]

BFG is a bad tire?

Ok.... generalize much?

READING is fundemental... the OP complained about SQUISHY response... The OE tire, for the 2002-2005 17" X/monty was the BFG Long Trail.. a total street compromise. Give people a fake sense of a multi-purpose tire. WORTHLESS

if take the time to READ what the OP is asking for HANDLING & a LOOK not being raised on 35" tires and rock crawling... OP doesn't care about anything except handling & looks.. STREET USE... do I need to use more caps?

BFG, Like every other tire company makes tires to fit a niche/need. NO, in my opinion BFG offers middle of the road performance in ALL categories for the average consumer... Sue me I am honest. for the trail/street guy the Rugged trail is laughable, for the street-truck/performance buyer, anything under the KDW-blah-blah is also laughable, based on what else is out there...


BFG isn't a "bad tire" its an over priced tire in a market for the average consumer... Think of BFG, again, at least in my opinion, as Too Big for their Marketing Britches... Not all that... However depends on the category and USE of the tire.

Don't oversimplifiy what I said. Bad ju-ju for those who put words in my mouth.

Rob

Wow....overly defensive much??? lol


I just asked if BFG was a bad tire ? Most people rave about BFG so I was curious. I will be getting new tires soon and BFG was on my list......


Sorry my question angered you so much buddy. wow


P.S. Bad juju for people that are so concerned with being an internet thug that a simple HARMLESS question could warrant such a childish tirade.

 

[zerodevil]

ground force springs, eibach sway bars, 20's with sport tires, and KYB shocks is about as good as your going to get, no one has designed a real suspension upgrade, but there is a lot of room for improment. if you wanted to further reduce body roll a helwig rear spring would also do the trick. im sitting on sway bars and lowering springs for the next time i feel i can drop 600 bucks for someone to install them for me.

 

[2002GreyHD150]

Wow....overly defensive much??? lol


I just asked if BFG was a bad tire ? Most people rave about BFG so I was curious. I will be getting new tires soon and BFG was on my list......


Sorry my question angered you so much buddy. wow


P.S. Bad juju for people that are so concerned with being an internet thug that a simple HARMLESS question could warrant such a childish tirade.

again.... DEPENDS on the application thus BFG = good or bad.

BFG 31.50 All terrain = great

BFG 245/65/17 Long Trail TA = sucks booty

For the OP there is not a BFG tire in any profile or fitment that will meet his needs. End of conversation.


ps.S. Bad juju for people that are so concerned with being an internet thug that a simple HARMLESS question could warrant such a childish tirade.

Waaaaa... I would cry tears for you but... not so much... I don't "roll" thug style.... FT

 

[xplorerguru]

again.... Depends on the application thus bfg = good or bad.

Bfg 31.50 all terrain = great

bfg 245/65/17 long trail ta = sucks booty

for the op there is not a bfg tire in any profile or fitment that will meet his needs. End of conversation.


Ps.s. Bad juju for people that are so concerned with being an internet thug that a simple harmless question could warrant such a childish tirade.

waaaaa... I would cry tears for you but... Not so much... I don't "roll" thug style.... Ft

x2