Question for all those with lifts

[JMan689]

How does your X handle on the streets? I will be lifting mine next summer and i have a friend and all i ever hear is "your such an idiot you can't lift it, it will roll-over" thing is im going to go with a 2" suspension and 2" body so will i need to use wheel spacers to keep the center of gravity down or will i be fine? Thanks

J

 

[Welshdragon79]

Most people after lifting a truck will stuff larger fatter tires under it. Usually this will take care of some of the CG problem by both widening the track width and adding more weight lower on the vehicle in the form of rubber and suspension components. But, lets face it, we don't usually lift a vehicle to turn around and drive it like a Porshe. Just like driving a SUV is going to require you to drive different than driving that Porshe so is adding a lift going to have to make you change your driving habits. From reading reviews about various lifts some people claim to have better handling after the lift, but this could be because they went from rubber to poly bushings or just switched their old bushings out.

 

[Lt.Jim]

You can get aftermarket wheels with less backspacing and wider tires to give it a wider stance. Just remember that it's not a Ferrarri it is an Explorer. They don't handle like a sports car. Yes it would be easier to roll with a higher center of gravity but not if you drive with that in mind.

*edit*
Welshdragon and I had the same thoughts he just types faster

 

[BMXunleashed]

ya, SUV's will roll over....if you know how to drive like a stunt driver you might be able to handle the explorer in racing/sport car type manuvers....


i have had my rear end let go before my truck flipped though but that was on concrete and fresh paved asfault..... but if you hit any sort of rough road its all over....hahaha, ive been close to rollover (2 wheel riding, scariest thing on the face of the planet) but i saved it....


but ive slowed down and im sure everyone else with a lift slows down too....like they said its not a sports car

 

[kert0307]

I agree with everyone else's opinions... just as a side note, you were talking about adding wheel spacers, the equation for a vehicals rollover most commoly used it T/2H, T being the width and h being the hight of the COG. So if you lift your truck up a total of 4in, you need to widen your track by 8in, which is complely not practical. Just watch you're driving like everyone says....

 

[Minivek]

Interesting article about Rollover probability comparisons for various vehicles. Apparently, trackers, vitaras and rav-4 are the most likely to rollover SUVs.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/consumer/autos/mauto694.htm

 

[Carlos Osornio]

I got a 5.5" SL lift with 35" BFG Mud tires and have no issue driving on the HW, except that I need to take the turns a bit slower than if driving a stock SUV

 

[sn0border88]

How does your X handle on the streets? I will be lifting mine next summer and i have a friend and all i ever hear is "your such an idiot you can't lift it, it will roll-over"

J

Tell em to get a pair and f-off. 2" sus, 2" body is nothing. If you acually know how to drive, you wont roll. Hell, I have 9" of lift and im not worried of rolling, because im a damn good driver and I know what my vehicle can and cant do.

 

[LBarr2002]

I've got 2" suspension, 3" body, and I haven't really changed my driving habits form when it was stock. As far as cornering it handles better than stock, and with stiffer suspension and wider tires there is no more (maybe less) body roll than stock. Like everyone else said, drive it like its an SUV and you've got nothing to worry about.

 

[cculter]

I have a 5.5" superlift. I drive it on the street. I have severe death wobble. I need wider tires and I expect it to go away.

 

[410Fortune]

First off your truck likely needs a new suspension, the springs, shocks, bushings are probably worn out.
When you do a lift you have the opportunity to replace all of this stuff

So that right there will improve the ride.

My BII handles FAR better then when it was stock, street, highway, dirt, whatever.
I suggest going with a 4" suspension with extended radius arms
skip the body lift
minimize bump steer you get from lifting the factory inverted Y steering linkage
for street keep your sway bars, make some disconects
spring rate should be geared towards the truck use, more off road = softer, almost all street = stiffer

getting more width will keep it stable and effectively lower the center of gravity
keep the weight down low (anti body lift)
fight body roll (sway bars, good shocks, stiff springs)

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I recently finished my lift and now that it is lifted and I have gotten used to the height, I love it. I still am running on stock width wheels and don't really notice any driveablity issues. I extended my sway bar links, and my rear springs are stiffer, so body roll is reduced or the same.

Like others have said, you cant drive it like a sports car, but with sensible and attentive driving, a lifted ex can be driven daily and safely.

 

[BMXunleashed]

you should be able to get an explorer to handle nice....a lot of it is built really nice...the rear suspension is good for street and offroad because both rear shocks are angled back and in wich gives good side to side resistance.... but ya, like "410" said....bushings and RA's, etc etc...

i have seen on some class8 trucks like the mcniel f-150 with a custom long travel rear sway bar that actually works!!! and they have a 4linked 33" rear travel set up.... so its do-able to get the best of both worlds...hehe to a certain extent.... just takes lots of research as "410" keeps telling me to do....


research.....

 

[kert0307]

I have a 5.5" superlift. I drive it on the street. I have severe death wobble. I need wider tires and I expect it to go away.

tires won't help you, check your bushings and for other loose suspension parts. I belive there is a post somewhere that says exactly what causes the "wobble" in first gen explorers.

 

[JMan689]

Thanks for all the info guys and belive me i know how to drive an SUV, i had a 93 untill i was involved in an accident and totalled it but i used to drift that thing everywhere i went...so much fun.

Also my front tires are a little of chamber, driver side by about -1 degree and passenger about -.5 degree so will that be a big problem? (i just got new tires and had a kit installed but for some reason thats as close as they could get it)

 

[sn0border88]

Thanks for all the info guys and belive me i know how to drive an SUV, i had a 93 untill i was involved in an accident and totalled it but i used to drift that thing everywhere i went...so much fun.
it)

Stupid and Fun are seperated by a thin line, drifting in an SUV.... which side is that on?

 

[3DFanatic]

Stupid and Fun are seperated by a thin line, drifting in an SUV.... which side is that on?

rofl