Smooth Ride

[flyguy]

This might sound like an odd question to post here but Im looking for a smoother ride in my '94 explorer, similar to that of the newer models. Can anything be done? I do alot of traveling compared to my off road use and would like to smooth out my city/freeway rides. I tend to bounce around alot, which can be expected of an explorer.. but any suggestions are welcome. I was currently thinking about purchasing a sway bar and some poly bushings.. but I wasnt sure if that would have the desired effect or not...

Nick

 

[MW4HD]

Exploder Susp...

Hey Nick, are your coils and leafs stock. Is it lifted and if so, how? There's a lot you can do with the Explorer suspension, starting with the right spring and shock combos. Post up, let me know...Mark

 

[flyguy]

everything is stock on the suspension but my shocks and it is standard height. However, I was planning on buying larger tires soon and would probably do my suspension upgrades at the same time. Things I have been looking at are the progressive rate springs that Performance products sells and a lighter overload leaf that carparts.com sells. plus, new bushings and a sway bar. I dont even have the slightest if any of this would be good or not.. Im just shooting in the dark. Suggestions?

Nick

 

[MW4HD]

Exploder Susp...

Hey Nick. Mark in Littleton, Co. Okay, first thing I'd do is get a 'leveling' coil for a Ranger. Second, you'll need a 'full length' add-a-leaf kit. You don't want another overload, they cause too much rebound. I'd pull the overload and install the add-a-leaf kit. Replace the radius arm bushings, your axle pivot bushings should be fine, and install the Hellwig rear swaybar. Do you know what size your front bar is? They've got a 1 1/8" replacement bar for the front also. Call my bro Mark at Off Road Warehouse, #'s on their website http://www.offroadwarehouse.com

 

[flyguy]

Check out the replacement leaf at Carparts.com its yellow I think... but tell me what you think. Its in my price range and the description sounds intresting...

Nick

 

[MW4HD]

Overload...

Hey Nick, looks kinda' cool, but, still an overload. When your suspension compresses far enough to contact the overload, it acts as a bumper basically. Pushes leafs back with a little more force than they'd have under normal compression without an overload. In rock/trail crawling, you can get into a situation where you'll stuff one side of suspension and hang the other side. With the overload in, it almost acts like a swaybar, pushing the leafs down, tries to pick up side being stuffed, causing loss of traction. This is what causes a lot of the bounce in Explorers' rear suspension. I yanked mine and installed the add-a-leaf kit and what a difference! No more rebound under compression and I can actually carry a little weight without sitting on the stops. Those are great for the guy on the road 90% of the time, are you? But if you're offroad even 25% of the time, I guarantee you'd pull 'em after the first trip...

 

[flyguy]

On the road about 99%! Heh. Work and an easily scared girlfriend dont give me much time for outdoor fun. Where and what specific product am I looking for?

Nick

 

[MW4HD]

Suspension mods...

Yeah, I hear ya'. Last time I saw the dirt was, UH, UH, I don't remember when. LOL, my wife loves it. Not much of a problem to convince her to go. Sorry, sore spot, huh? Well, anyway, you need an add-a-leaf kit that almost matches the length of your second spring, this is a major load bearing spring and needs quite a bit of help on the older Explorers. Mine was a POS. Couldn't put any kind of a load on it, sat it on the stops. They don't show it on the site but http://www.offroadwarehouse.com has a couple of options for it. I think they have a stiff leaf kit and a softride kit. Check out the site, they're only open 'til 5pm, might be gone already...

 

[Ray Lobato]

Nick,
Do it right the first time and you won't have to do it over again and waste money. REPLACE THE SPRINGS!!! National Springs can make you anything you want, any way you want it. Old Man Emu also has springs for the Explorer, although it will lift the back end by 2", but I have a set and really like them. Definatly alot better than the stock springs. OME-36 is the part number.