ride quality in a lowered X

[DeagleDave]

well i'm doing a 2/3 drop here pretty soon and was just wondering what to expect. i've got the blocks for the rear and i'm ordering the front springs on monday. i will have to wait a while on the new shocks. am i in for a bumpy ride?

 

[Hartman]

Well it depends on what shocks you have. The ride will be a bit bumpier, but with a good set of shocks, it shouldn't be that noticable.

 

[DeagleDave]

well these are same shocks on it since i bought it. and that would make it bout 80k on them. the rears have been replaced for sure but not sure bout fronts they might be stock

 

[Hartman]

Definately get rid of those stock shocks ASAP, or your ride quality will be very poor.

 

[Crankcase]

I would expect a bumpier ride, definitley get new shocks...

 

[Ross-N-Chicago]

Dave,

I had a long talk with John at Explorer Express and they tried everything on a lowered 91-94 and could not get it to handle or ride any better than stock. He said the ride is worse b/c it is so damn hard, including the best bilsteins and edelbrocks. And if you went poly bushings you would hate your rig.

With that, he said to upgrade the sway bars and shocks and leave it alone. That in itself would make an absolute world of difference in his words. In some places (sway bar bushings) poly is better, in some others replacing with new rubber is better. Very informative 15 minute talk with him, nice guy.

 

[DeagleDave]

so according to that guy...the ride would be worse with it lowered? i'm not tryin to slam it...just 2/3 drop. springs are already here i'm just waiting on the blocks and the shocks. shocks will have to be after christmas, i'm looking at belltechs as my best bet right now

 

[tbomb]

Originally posted by rossneag
Dave,

I had a long talk with John at Explorer Express and they tried everything on a lowered 91-94 and could not get it to handle or ride any better than stock. He said the ride is worse b/c it is so damn hard, including the best bilsteins and edelbrocks. And if you went poly bushings you would hate your rig.

i heard the same thing about lowering 1st gens from other members of this board, too.

 

[SaleenEXP]

I was talking to a guy at the track who had a black 1st gen XLT with a billet grill lowered on Cobra R's. Looked pretty nice, especially in black and with the grill, but he said he couldn't stand the way it rode, he said it was very uncomfortable and he didn't have that much of a drop, I know he had bilsteins on and about a 2" drop in front and 3" or so in the rear.

He was actually getting rid of it for a 2003 4dr Explorer, he said they ride almost stock when lowered (which I agree on), and that he just wanted something more comfortable when lowered and loved the outside and interior of the 03 and 02 Explorers.

Our 94' isn't lowered but I have Edelbrock shocks and poly bushings on it and it rides a lot better than stock and handles a lot better too, but again, it's not lowered so......

 

[TDG]

Take a look under a stock 2wd first gen with a tape measure and look at the distance between the I-beam and the rebound bumper / bump stop, stock on my 92 it was just a little more than 2 inches. So if you install 2in lowering springs you aren't very far from the bump stops and I imagine a few trucks are probably sitting on them most of the time. Most I-beam suspensions ride like crap stock just imagine what happens when you take most of the travel out of them.

 

[MO_GUY]

This is in reply to no other post but the topic starter, I did not take the time to read the other replies so forgive me if I'm lazy and repeat something....

Ride Quality - Can't get any worse than it already is...my '00 Sport is bumpier than my 95 cougar was...and it only sat about 3 inches from the ground

great deal of ride quality will depend on the parts you use, and if you do it the right way....

going out cheap by heating or cutting springs will bring out the worst in ride quality

if it were me doing this job i would use koni adjustables all around, you can change up the ride firmness with the turn of a knob

 

[DeagleDave]

well i have belltech drop coils...and was contemplating belltech drop shocks. but you think koni's would be better? koni's are a shock correct?

 

[MO_GUY]

i cant say koni's are better, its all about personal preference, ask around see if anyone else has tried them, they are usually a pretty good shock but you may not like them

 

[Hartman]

Frank Rizzo has Koni's, but I haven't heard him say much about them. As far as I know, they aren't cheap.

 

[Ross-N-Chicago]

Similar to koni, the Tokico package runs $430 which includes 4 shocks and 2 composite rear leaves to smooth out the rump. Bummer is its only sold in pkg form.

 

[SaleenEXP]

Originally posted by MO_GUY
This is in reply to no other post but the topic starter, I did not take the time to read the other replies so forgive me if I'm lazy and repeat something....

Ride Quality - Can't get any worse than it already is...my '00 Sport is bumpier than my 95 cougar was...and it only sat about 3 inches from the ground

great deal of ride quality will depend on the parts you use, and if you do it the right way....

going out cheap by heating or cutting springs will bring out the worst in ride quality

if it were me doing this job i would use koni adjustables all around, you can change up the ride firmness with the turn of a knob

Your gonna ride harsher anyway cause of your short wheelbase, my friends 00' Sport rode harsher than my 94' XLT, his 01' that he had rode better though cause I think they used the two-stage leafs or something from the Sport-Trac which rides softer.

B/c of the suspension on a 1st gen it's going to ride very bad, 2/3 drop would probably be the limit to at least have some sort of comfort (not a lot though).

Your right about the springs, heating/cutting them is a ricer tactic , the spring loses it's tension and rides like crap and will sag lower eventually like in a few weeks.

Konis' are pretty good, very stiff shocks though even if you have them at a soft setting, but it will handle damn good, FrankRizzo can probably take some nasty corners with his Koni shocks and 18" Saleen wheels.

 

[bigpimpin]

k so 2/3 drop springs would ride like crap? is this the conclusion? if ne one knows exactly how bad these springs r....r if u think they r good and worth buying send me an e-mail at rjkerner@sigecom.net as to where i can order some of these springs at

 

[JOHN V.]

Bigpimpin

Is your early Explorer a 2WD or 4WD? I have seen drop spindle set ups advirtised for 2WD Rangers with twin I-Beam suspension (see Truckin Magazine) A true drop spindle set up would get you better results. Pretty rare on Explorer, not possible on a 4WD. I have heard of guys re-arching the twin i-beams, but I 've had no experience with it. You may check one of the Ranger web sites like www.rangerpowersports.com If you you have a 4WD you coul consider converting to 2WD(that's a lot of work!)
It was my 1994 Explorer 4WD that we put the lowering springs on. I hated it and my wife and kids hated it more. The results are not the same as the GEN 2 X's. The handling is much improved with X-Spec Sway Bars and Edelbrock shocks. I can hang a sweeping turn near my house at about 70 MPH. I thouht it be better when it was lowered. It was thrashy and out of control. I had to slow down to keep it on the road! I changed it back as soon as I could. I can probably hook you up with some of those lowering springs, but it is definitely more show than go. Let me know if you have any questions.

John V @ EE