When to replace front springs??

[Ross-N-Chicago]

I've got a little over 200K on the original front coils and rear leaf springs. My question is that since I am replacing the shocks with either Bilstein or Edelbrock IAS would it be a good time to replace the coils as well? I've been told to leave the leafs alone. The front end seems to be a little harsh but that's also b/c the Gabriels that are in there are shot to h***.

Any suggestions or tips?

 

[Rhett]

This is all my opinion, but I think your front end will be almost as harsh with the Edelbrock IAS's. I think they're valved overly stiff for a 1st gen Explorer. They'll be an improvement over your worn out Gabriels though.

One good thing about the Edelbrocks is the better cornering you get over other shocks I've tried. They are stiff, but this gives a good feel in turns, with less body roll. They also don't wear out as fast as Gabriels.

2nd/3rd Gen owners really seem to like their Ed's. They have a different front end suspension that rides nicer so the stiff Edelbrocks won't affect them as much. I can't say the IAS are anything special on our trucks, especially for the price. I don't know about Bilsteins or Rancho RS9000's though.

As far as replacing the front springs, I don't know what the life span is supposed to be. If you're not getting any sagging in the front end, then I would guess they're still good.

 

[mrboyle]

I'm pushing 200K on my X and since I added the coil spacers (and wheeled it several times) I have noticed the front coils are starting to sag. I plan to replace mine sometime soon, I just need to decide if I'm going to keep the 4.0L or do a 5.0L swap first. The easiest way to tell if your springs need replaced is to look at the distance between the coils of the front spring (ignore the first coil or two on the top and bottom). If the springs have very little space between each wrap of the coil they are sagging. The gap should be around 1/2" to 5/8" any less and they are on the way out the door.