Suspension upgrades on stock XLT

[imasloot]

Ok, I have a stock 2x4 explorer. I figure I won't be doing much off-roading due to lack of 4x4, so I just want my truck to have a better, smoother ride with a slightly higher lift. You guys have any suggestions on making these wishes come true for a reasonable amount of money? Shocks, lift kits, suspension mods (swaybars, bushings, etc)?

Thanks

 

[Jason_25]

You may want to better define "better" and "smoother". Everyone's opinions are a little different.

If you are looking for a more controlled ride, invest in nice shocks such as Bilstein and get new swaybars and poly bushings.


If you're looking for a softer ride that is less bumpy and more "smooth" then you should look for some cheaper shocks that are less stiff and keep your bushings rubber (although you still may want to replace them) and keep the stock swaybars. It also tends to make the ride a little softer by removing the rear swaybar altogether.

 

[jssong]

bilstein wil make your ride a bit harsher. it will handle better, but because the shocks give it a tighter feel, it wont be as soft feeling as stock. i hear the edelbrok are really good. try them out

 

[imasloot]

Ok. By "better" and "smoother" I'm leaning more towards a sportier feel.

Case in point: there's a traintrack near my house that runs diagonally across the lanes. When I cross the tracks, the truck sways like crazy as each wheel crosses the tracks. I don't off-road much, so I'd much rather make this more of a sport truck with a few extra inches of clearance

I was looking into the Bilstein and the Edelbrocks as well. I'll prob end up getting the Edelbrock shocks.

Any tips or suggestions as far as swaybars or lift kits are concerned? Any brands or sizes or whatever that I need to know about?

BTW, thanks for the quick response and the suggestions already made

 

[Rhett]

The Edelbrocks will make your 91-94 Explorer ride rough as hell. 95+ Explorers are different. I run Edelbrock shocks and have had them for almost 3 years and 20,000 miles. However, the Edelbrocks are good on cornering. The truck definitely has a tighter, sportier feel to it. It's just a stiffer shock. For $70 each though I think they're not worth it. Why spend $70 per shock to have your bones rattled constantly? Before that I had Gabriel VSTs and they rode better, but they also did not give the tight sporty feel in cornering. That's the pro's and con's in my opinion.

You were talking about going over railroad tracks. Well, I run 35 psi on some stiff sidewall tires, but those Edelbrocks don't handle the RR tracks well at all. They're so stiff and unforgiving that the truck feels very uncontrolled while going over them.

If you want a rougher but tighter ride, then the Edelbrock IAS is appropriate. If you want a smoother but less handled ride, a cheaper shock like the Gabriel VST is an appropriate shock. Personally I am going to buy some Rancho 9000 series shocks next.

 

[mattcoverdale]

Same Boat

I'm in the same boat you are. What did you end up doing and how did that work out for you? Do you know of any group purchases available for shocks?