What did you do to your 5th Gen?

[superdave02f552]

10k tow haul button??

So now that I’ve had time to actually compare GVWR of a handful of tow package explorers to mine that is not I’ve found that it’s the same at 6180lbs.

The spring codes are the same except for the sport I looked at.

The axle codes were also the same.

it’s a different transmission but of the 5 random people I’ve asked to look at their door tag all were eco boost but one which was a 3.5 na. that ex had the cute little Ford sticker that says 5k on the hitch and a 6f50 just like me. But what this nice guy that let me a random person look around his ex in a parking lot is a engine oil cooler.

All that being said can you explain to me why if I have the same GVWR as a “tow ready” vehicle why can’t I tow 5k as Ford intended with the proper hitch, tow haul button and oil cooler being added (as clearly stated in documentation) ?

I plan to load up and scale out to get fully loaded heading out of town weight also to see where that takes me with four people and all our crap. Because that will in turn affect what you can tow on paper in that situation. I will also do one lone driver weight to see if and when the 500lb tongue weight puts the ex over this limit

 

[superdave02f552]

I wouldn't buy into that hype. They put these engines in everything so its easy to find "problems" posted everywhere.

I have a 2002 so its the first gen LR4 Vortec 4.8 with Aluminum heads. When I bought the truck I heard same exact things.. "could throw a valve at any moment". Change the oil every 3k and its been fine. Ive owned this truck over 10 years and only issue I have is rust.

I would go on the LS forums and figure out how to disable the cylinder deactivation stuff (may need OBD2 module) and open up the intake/exhaust with CAI and cat-back. These engines cant breath from the factory. Plus it will sound good.

They also put the 6.2/6.5 in “everything “ in the early 90’s including hummers those engines were notorious for crank issues so just because they go in everything doesn’t mean they are perfect. ( I hope this doesn’t start a converted gas engine talk)

 

[Odrapnew]

GVWR is the maximum weight of vehicle and cargo, including passengers. It doesn't include trailer weight/cargo.

GCWR is GVWR + trailer.

How to Measure Towing Capacity, GVWR, GCWR - Towing 101

Towing capacity is the maximum amount of weight your vehicle can tow when pulling a trailer. It is determined by the vehicle manufacturer and takes into account the GVWR, GAWR, GTW and more. What does towing capacity mean? Very simply, it is how heavy your trailer can be.

www.curtmfg.com

 

[peterk9]

From the Ford 2016 RV & Trailer Towing Guide

In addition to having the heavier duty transmission, those Explorers with the factory tow package also have the air duct for added PTU cooling and a larger radiator.
As you can see, the 3.5L NA V6 is capable of towing 5000 lbs depending on its final drive ratio and GCWR rating.

 

[superdave02f552]

GVWR is the maximum weight of vehicle and cargo, including passengers. It doesn't include trailer weight/cargo.

GCWR is GVWR + trailer.

How to Measure Towing Capacity, GVWR, GCWR - Towing 101

Towing capacity is the maximum amount of weight your vehicle can tow when pulling a trailer. It is determined by the vehicle manufacturer and takes into account the GVWR, GAWR, GTW and more. What does towing capacity mean? Very simply, it is how heavy your trailer can be.

www.curtmfg.com

GVWR is the maximum weight of vehicle and cargo, including passengers. It doesn't include trailer weight/cargo.

GCWR is GVWR + trailer.

How to Measure Towing Capacity, GVWR, GCWR - Towing 101

Towing capacity is the maximum amount of weight your vehicle can tow when pulling a trailer. It is determined by the vehicle manufacturer and takes into account the GVWR, GAWR, GTW and more. What does towing capacity mean? Very simply, it is how heavy your trailer can be.

www.curtmfg.com

you absolutely need to account for the trailer tongue weight it’s weight added to the vehicle just as it would be for passenger or cargo . If you don’t you will likely be over rear axle weight.

 

[Odrapnew]

you absolutely need to account for the trailer tongue weight it’s weight added to the vehicle just as it would be for passenger or cargo . If you don’t you will likely be over rear axle weight.

You're right on that.

My comment about GVWR is that it's the maximum vehicle weight so comparing the GVWR of different Explorers won't tell you the different tow capacities, as Peter shows in the table.

 

[MarvinSanRemo]

Hmmmm, these curious looking pieces of hardware arrived today...

 

[MarvinSanRemo]

I found the other piece the hardware goes with Easy install. I can tell a difference driving around town, my kids could also. I lucked out and found a returned unit for only $229 shipped! On to my next project, ported manifolds Got a pair of stock manifolds sitting in the garage waiting to be sent out.

 

[nsindel]

2016 NA 3.7 AWD. Purchased it September of this year, an ex DHS/ICE/ERO blanket purchase order car. Spent its service life in Missouri, and had 97,000 miles and 250 idle hours. Got on a plane here in Los Angeles and flew out to Shreveport, LA to pick it up and drive it home.

Car is super clean, with factory carpet, rear cloth seats, PI center console, and badging delete. When I got it home I baselined it like I did with my old CVPI:

• Shocks/springs
• Strut mounts
• Front lower control arms
• Front sway bar bushings and end links
• Differential and PTU fluid change to Amsoil
• Trans flush
• Belts & tensioner
• Brake fluid flush
• Oil change
• Brakes all around from BuyBrakes.com (been purchasing from these guys for nearly a decade. Good folks, great product and tech support)

Then removed the hubcaps and threw on a set of poverty caps (excuse the dirty wheels - I did this in the parking lot of my mailbox and later got the brake dust off).

• New tires all-around General GMax As 05s (Good tires so far, not a lot of road noise for the performance they offer).

As I keep cars for ~10 years, it was then it was time to make it mine:

• 12 Volt Systems remote start (ordering the cellular module when their black Friday sale starts this week). Installation was about 30 minutes and a scraped back of my hand, but otherwise very easy and performs as-advertised. Great customer support.
• Found a guy out here that does IDS work, and with the help of FLVP Mods I disabled the liftgate switch (all lock/unlock), did the Auto Headlamp upgrade, added key FOBs, and enabled the remote start auto-climate. For fun, added the AWD meter just because…
• Purchased and installed the 8” radio from Infotainment.com, with HD radio and Navigation, with the factory shark fin antenna, along with Memphis Audio speakers all-around. Very happy, but learned that the shifter will be in your line of sight for the bottom left of the screen. Minor issue, but figured I'd mention it for anyone else thinking about this upgrade.
• Added a BlackVue DR900 camera system front/rear. Another safety tip: at night when you hit the brakes, the back camera picks it up and its effectively a red haze, but overall very happy with this as well.
• Added a factory auto day/night mirror with the help from Bobs Mirrors for the wiring harness. Great guy, great pricing, amazingly quick turn-around.
• Found a glovebox light, and plumbed that in. Something about a dark glovebox at night annoyed me.
• Found the factory fabric for the seats in the ‘Detroit Book’, and following the info on the rear headrest mod, I’m waiting to get back the headrests with the correct cloth, then those will go in. (Thank you Explorerforum for the thread on this!)

Found some interesting stuff along the way, including a 100w PA speaker in the grille, and this little gem so that the feds could use the factory radio antenna… sneaky folks they be. Check out the company's link if you want to see how devious they are - they even have a hidden antenna in a bumper hitch!!

The car is ‘done’, with the exception of:

• rolling out some sound deadener in the next few months
• figuring out what, if anything, I want to do about the driver window stutter
• Replacing both A-Pillar plastics under the trim, as the rubber seals are destroyed (found a great company on Ebay for this, great service and pricing. Says 'not compatible', but called and cross referenced - they fit). Have parts, just need the time.

I’m VERY happy with the purchase. The car is a world of difference from my old ’07 CVPI, all in good ways. It handles far better than I thought it would, the NVH is almost nothing for a police vehicle, and it is overall just more modern.

Thank you to everyone on this forum for all of the posts; it helped me to figure out what I wanted to do, and how to do it. This is a great resource.

nathan

 

[peterk9]

Did you have to change the lugnuts in order to get the proper ones that the center cap secures to or were they already there?

Peter

 

[nsindel]

Good afternoon Peter:

Did NOT have to change lugnuts - the hubcaps had spring steel retainers that clip onto each lugnut.

The center caps have basically the same.

1 for 1 swap, less than a minute each corner.

nathan

 

[peterk9]

Good afternoon Peter:

Did NOT have to change lugnuts - the hubcaps had spring steel retainers that clip onto each lugnut.

The center caps have basically the same.

1 for 1 swap, less than a minute each corner.

nathan

Thanks Nathan. I bought similar full-wheel hub caps for my 2011 Limited for my winter wheels but bought the center caps for my 2017 Platinum and had to buy the proper lug nuts.

Peter

 

[nsindel]

Hello again Peter -

I have read that the lugnuts are different for the PIU from retail, so what you are saying makes sense to me. Mine was a PIU - PIU swap basically, so I didn't run into any issues.

As an aside, this forum has been a wealth of information for me both before I purchased, and now. I appreciate all you folks have been doing.

nathan

 

[Eltee]

2016 NA 3.7 AWD. Purchased it September of this year, an ex DHS/ICE/ERO blanket purchase order car. Spent its service life in Missouri, and had 97,000 miles and 250 idle hours. Got on a plane here in Los Angeles and flew out to Shreveport, LA to pick it up and drive it home.


Car is super clean, with factory carpet, rear cloth seats, PI center console, and badging delete. When I got it home I baselined it like I did with my old CVPI:

• Shocks/springs
• Strut mounts
• Front lower control arms
• Front sway bar bushings and end links
• Differential and PTU fluid change to Amsoil
• Trans flush
• Belts & tensioner
• Brake fluid flush
• Oil change
• Brakes all around from BuyBrakes.com (been purchasing from these guys for nearly a decade. Good folks, great product and tech support)

Then removed the hubcaps and threw on a set of poverty caps (excuse the dirty wheels - I did this in the parking lot of my mailbox and later got the brake dust off).

Did you have any extra holes on the pillars (spotlight/s), roof (antenna), or interior (lights, siren control, microphone), etc. to deal with? It looks super clean, a real beauty.

 

[nsindel]

Good morning Eltee:

Thank you, I was searching for this for a long time, and I appreciate the comments.

Thankfully not a one. I have the amber/red dome light up top, and a mic 'holder' (don't know if there is a correct term for this) on the side of the center console about knee level (really low and inconspicuous), but that's about the only signs inside the cabin that this was in service. There is also some sort of plastic 'holder' in the glove box. I have NO idea what that was for, or if it was even LEO related., but I think it was for the lights/sirens as there are no other places I can find for that.

I have the little explorer icon in my instrument cluster, so no AUX switches, and judging from how they decommissioned the vehicle, even leaving the front seat loose, I don't think they would have taken the time to change the AUX switches to the icon.

I have a 50 amp circuit plumbed under the drivers' seat, with a radio antenna lead. I disconnected the fuse for that for the moment, but leaving it in case I want to do something with it.

The rubber seals on both sides of the windshield are cut/no longer affixed, so I'm wondering if it did have spotlights and the place I purchased from just changed the inner and outer A pillar trim - I will be finding this out in the next few weeks as I will be changing the rubber seals, but I get no wind noise so I don't think this is the case, and the A pillar trim does not look new.

Front of car, lower grille I have the 100w PA speaker, and just above that I see two holes drilled about 1.5 feet apart which I believe was a mount for lights (behind the grille). It also looks like there were lights in the rear side windows by the wires I pulled, but no drilled mounts. It was definitely, compared to my CVPI at least, a very low-profile car they were after.

nathan

 

[Eltee]

Any "special" goodies in the trunk / spare tire compartment lid? Locking lid?

Did DHS use the ballistic door panels?

Here's what our unmarked PIUs looked like, same color as yours.

Hats off to you for finding such a pristine looking PIU.

 

[nsindel]

Hello again Eltee -

That is seriously clean man - I wouldn't mind the ticket if it came from that rig.

Nothing of note so far, and I did a fair amount of looking around. I did find some... interesting stuff on my old CVPI (allegedly of course), but that story will never make print.

I will be doing some sound deadening in the next few months, and at that point will be able to get a look under the center console. Negative on the ballistic doors. I do not have a locking lid or locking cargo side compartment.

Looks like you have your vehicles in the Titanium Grey (I know they changed the name of the color, but can't remember it now)- that was the color of my old CVPI, and I really tried to find that on the PIU. Ended up with Sterling Grey Metallic, which is a little lighter, but still diggin' it.

I REALLY like the cargo floor you have there - looked it up at Havis, and it seems to be ~$650.00. Could you get me the model number on that please? The factory plastic one just won't support much weight, and the lift struts would have been very helpful last flat tire I had; not to mention the security of being able to lock things inside. May start trolling the used market for one of these.

Do you have any rust on the X-brace in the cargo area? Mine is starting to show some, but thankfully I have a friend that owns a powder coating company, and going to pull it and send it over to him after the first of the year. Not so much aesthetics, more-so rust is bad.

nathan

 

[mguy13sport]

IMG-20211124-122910-2 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG-20211124-122910-2 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

 

[DewDad104]

Well...I added THIS yesterday to my XLT....



Gibson Axle Back

 

[PlatinumOwner]

Wired in a switch in the liftgate and some LED nights, next I’m retrofitting Sync Connect in to the rear wiring harness. I've already installed the LTE antenna.