Suggested suspension mods for towing

[tackytony]

I've been perusing options to beef up my Explorer for hauling a trailer and additional cargo. Here is my situation:

1998 Forder Explorer Limited
4.0 V6 SOHC
4 dr, 4x4
3.73 gear ratio
About 90K miles.
Completely stock everything.

Ride height seems to be good when unloaded. The car is level and seems to ride at a reasonable height. What is the right height for a stock Explorer?
However, if I load it up with camping gear, coolers, people, etc... the rear end sags a bit. When I put a car trailer on the Draw-Tight frame hitch, it sags even more noticeably. Now, I am pretty sure that the shocks are pretty well shot, as the ride quality has deteriorated considerably over the past few years and it is very unstable feeling with a load in the back, as well as handling poorly in general even without a load.
I am considering purchasing a small runabout boat soon to trailer with the Explorer (probably no more than a 18', 2500lb boat plus trailer)

Here is my question:
What suspension improvements will give me the best bang for the buck to help keep the truck at normal ride height while trailoring or carrying heavy cargo, and make the normal drivebility improve as well?

I'm assuming new shocks, but not sure what kind, or if just replacing with OEM will suffice. But what about the springs? Isn't the spring more responsible for the sag than the shocks? I've read where some have replaced some of the leaves with F-150 springs to increase ride-height, but I assume this would also help with towing ability, as well? Correct?

Suggestions?

Thanks,
Tony

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I'd say the F150 leaf swap would be your best bet- I didn't notice much of a change in ride quality, but the weight capacity was greatly improved.

You also need to think about some cooler upgrades and a temp gauge for your trans. That is the weakest link in the 4.0 drivetrain, and heat is the #1 enemy.

 

[Diddy74]

Add-a-leaf or Spring helpers are a quick and cheap fix...JC Whitney and others have them, take a look and see what would satisfy your towing needs.

 

[tackytony]

What about a Timbren rubber helper kit?

I wrote to Mike Eaton at Eaton Springs for his input as well, and he replied with the following:

"if the Explorer sits fine and rides fine when empty but sags and drags with the trailer, let's just go with a helper kit. We have rubber helper kits, .pdf attached, that simply bolt on and then automacitly engages when the extra weight is added. You install them and forget about 'em.

The kit will support 2,500 lbs."

He referred me to the Timbren rear suspension rubber helper kit: FXR001
here is a link to a pic and description:
http://stengelbros.3dcartstores.com/FXR001_p_45-1945.html

Does anyone have any experience with this kit? Better/worse than the F-150 leave replacement strategy?

Thanks,
Tony

 

[gijoecam]

The problem with an add-on like the Timbren is that it gives you a false sense of security. While it will level the vehicle back out, and they claim to support 2500 lbs, that doesn't mean you can load 2500 lbs worth of stuff in your vehicle without overloading the rear axle. If you look at the door sticker, you'll see the GAWR for the rear axle. In general, any more than 500 lbs of tongue weight and you'll be over that to start with.

My suggestion: Take your vehicle to a truck scals and get the actual axle weights. Then, the next time you load it up, take it back and get a second set of numbers loaded. You'll be amazed at how much weight there is on the rear axle.

Stiffening up the rear suspension is a band-aid for a much larger loading issue unless, of course, you simply have weak rear springs. Stiffening up the springs does not address the rear axle load issue, does not change the amount of weight transfer from the front to the rear, and does not negate the need for proper loading of the tow vehicle and trailer to stabilize the rig.

I've made that mistake once... Loaded a popup I borrowed from a friend, and loaded the back of my Explorer. At any speed over 60, it swayed like a crab boat in 60 knot winds. It was downright scary!

 

[tackytony]

Thanks for the reply, Gijoecam. So, you have given your opinion on why the Timbren's are just a "band-aid" to my issue, but I still don't know what the real solution is. Is this just an issue of the Explorer can't handle being loaded very much or towing anything of significance? Or is there some other solution that will allow me to keep my truck AND tow a trailer and/or load up some gear in the back?

I've ordered some new shocks (Rancho RS5000 series) to help get the handling back to normal (and hopefully better than normal). But still feel that I need a solution to allow me to put some additional weight in the back or on the hitch without the rear end sagging to the ground.

Thanks,
Tony

 

[MountaineerGreen]

The key to towing, IMO is the right equipment. The 8.8 axle is plenty strong as axles go. With a heavy trailer, a good quality hitch (I prefer rectangular or square vs. round because the round seems to twist easier), a weight distribution hitch and some upgraded leaf springs is needed. A good braking system on the trailer is important for heavier loads too.

The weight distribution setup spreads the togune weight out, spreads it evenly between all axles when set up properly. I connected my travel trailer to the truck, attached my spring bars, then weighed each axle (4 total) Each tire on each axle was within 200 lbs of each other. My camper pulls well and sways very little with that setup.

I'd say F150 leaf springs or an AAL would be your best bet. Then, invest in a weight distribution hitch, especially when towing heavy trailers, such as pulling a car.

http://www.etrailer.com/faq_weightdistribution.aspx

 

[gijoecam]

Thanks for the reply, Gijoecam. So, you have given your opinion on why the Timbren's are just a "band-aid" to my issue, but I still don't know what the real solution is. Is this just an issue of the Explorer can't handle being loaded very much or towing anything of significance? Or is there some other solution that will allow me to keep my truck AND tow a trailer and/or load up some gear in the back?

I've ordered some new shocks (Rancho RS5000 series) to help get the handling back to normal (and hopefully better than normal). But still feel that I need a solution to allow me to put some additional weight in the back or on the hitch without the rear end sagging to the ground.

Thanks,
Tony

Sorry... I guess I got off on a bit of a tangent there, didn't I?

As I mentioned, I would weigh the rig to see where it's at first, and from there, look at the load you pack it with. Then, when you combine the load with the extra 200 lbs of trailer tongue weight, I think you'll be surprised at how much it actually weighs. I know for a fact that with my 98 Sport, 300 lbs of tongue weight transfers nearly 500 lbs of weight to the rear axle, putting me within 50 lbs of the GAWR. With the same setup behind a 4-door Explorer (which weighs roughly 200 lbs more to start with) it would likely be over the rated axle weight for the rig, and in that case, you would need a weight distributing hitch setup on your vehicle and trailer.

If it's the sag alone you're trying to rectify, then either timbren overloads or heavier duty springs will solve that problem. My point was that the excessive sag may be a symptom of a greater issue, namely, overloading the rear axle. Nothing you can add to the springs or shocks is going to change the axle weight rating, hence the reason properly loading the vehicle is so important. Our SUVs, although built on a solid frame, are capable of carrying much less weight than it would seem at a glance. Some people subscribe to the 'if you can hook it, you can tow it' or 'if you can load it you can haul it' mentalities. I'm not one of them.

-Joe

 

[Jason94sport]

2" lift springs & shackles work well. I have a 2" lift & use these in the back. I have a little rake when not loaded up, but when I attach my 5X8 enclosed trailer it sits very even with no sag, & rides great.

 

[Kabin]

Buy a weight distribution hitch with built in sway control. We have an Equalizer Hitch and it works great. The local truck accessory/hitch dealer sold one for about $650 and we found them online for $399.

 

[manaen]

I know you ordered new shocks already, but I put a set of air shocks in the back of my Mounty, when it is loaded I pump them up to level the truck. These also help somewhat with the sway since they are mounted at a slight angle toward the outside which helps to stiffen the side load on the axle. Then when the truck is unloaded I let the air down to 5 pounds and it rides smooth again, the air shocks made the biggest difference to the ride.

I also added an AAL since my springs were saggy when I bought the truck. I would not do a set of shackles for a pure towing vehicle unless you want the extra height. They will only raise the center of gravity and make the sway problem even worse.

Make sure your shocks in the front are in good shape that will only help.

OK since no body mentioned this yet, and you have a 4.0 did you look into an extra tranny cooler, filter, temp gauge,band adjustment, Synth fluid, and shift kit. the 5r55e will work much better for towing with those mods. My truck fried oil big time until I did all that work, now the temps of the tranny stay below 190.