whys the explorer ride like a skateboard?

[EliteConcept]

i was working on my buddys 92 chevy pickup today, *i know, i know* anyways its lowered and what not...anyways i noticed that it does not have any shocks, on the front or rear of the truck.
I don't recall if it had springs on the front but i don't think so, and i don't think it had leaf springs in the rear. and you know the ride isn't that bad, its bumpy but not anything near my explorer

now in constrast my 92 explorer, with brand new shocks, at stock level front coils and leaf springs, rides like a freaking skateboard, i mean its not exessively ruff but i mean come on whats up with this, a truck with no shocks rides better? whats up!?

why oh why

 

[Mike]

he has air bags..

 

[Mbrooks420]

What kind of shocks did you buy? Stock S-10's have crappy suspension. I drive one at work. Can you say extreme wheelhop?

 

[EliteConcept]

nope no air bags
and its a full size chevy pick up that he drives.....
i didn't see any kinda of suspension and it still rides better than my explorer

the shocks i got were monroe and are only about a year old

 

[Hartman]

Simple fact is that some suspensions are better designed, and thus are going to ride better regardless. IMO, the 1st gens never really impressed me with ride quality.

Also, have you thought about this: The ride quality will feel a lot different when you're in the driver seat than if you are in the passenger seat. I take it you judge your observations on you driving your Explorer and riding in your friends pickup?

 

[Mbrooks420]

i didn't see any kinda of suspension

It has suspension. It has leaf's in the back and a-arms in the front. My work truck is a full size 1991 2500

 

[james t]

there is no possible way....... ever....... that he could ever drive it if it didnt have shocks. he either has bags, or something that you just didnt see. if it didnt have leaves in the back, then it is bagged, or has coilovers. a chevy truck with no shocks (or any truck/car, for that matter) will be almost uncontrolable above 35 mph.

 

[SaleenEXP]

If you didn't see shocks or leafs in the back then he has to have bags, how you'd not notice them I have no idea, they look like black air-cushions.

Does he have a full-size or s-10, has to be a full size cause s-10's ride like crap and have a sh!tty suspension with very bad wheel hop, I've been in one thats bagged and it still rode like crap.

Did you put on crappy or cheap shocks on your truck? Also you might want to check your bushings.

I have Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks and they are amazing, reduced my body roll big time on my 94' and it rides awsome, those shocks are worth the money. Either way, 1st gens have twin beams in the front, right? No matter what you do it's not going to ride like a car. You have a true truck, with a true truck suspension.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Maybe you should actually read the thread

 

[SaleenEXP]

Originally posted by Mbrooks420
Maybe you should actually read the thread

na I read it, just forgot he said it was a full size in the other post for some reason . I've been in a 93' Chevy full-size and it didn't ride as nice as my 94', but it was a single cab so..... He has to have air-bags on it.

 

[EliteConcept]

air bags= being able to raise and lower the truck right using compressed air out of a air pump?

well i know for a fact it doesn't have shocks..on the front or rear
leaf springs i am not 100% sure but

i have driven his chevy, and it still does drive better than the explorer
i've also riden in both as well...still the chevy rides smoother...

 

[Jason_25]

A full size is always going to ride better than a midsize.

The longer wheelbase and track width help absorb the impact better.

 

[SaleenEXP]

Originally posted by EliteConcept
air bags= being able to raise and lower the truck right using compressed air out of a air pump?

Yes, is that what he has? Or did you hear any compressor noise? They are very easy to spot, they look like black air-bladders (which they are), are you sure you didn't notice the bladders there in place of shocks?

Also, you said you had new shocks installed right? What kind did you have installed on your truck, because after I had the Edelbrock IAS shocks istalled the difference was incredible, like day and night.

I don't think Explorers ride that bad for their class. If you take its competitors vs. it for any given generation, I think the Explorer rides better than any of them, obviously excluding the lexus ect. ect. Blazers and the like are choppy and stiff compared to the Explorer.

 

[Robb]

Wait, Wait, Wait........................

No front springs?...........no human would be able to handle the rough ride

No shocks?.........................it has to have shocks.......even with this truck having only springs on the rear, over every bump, the truck would never stop bouncing.

You may need to take another look under this truck. What you are describing sounds impossible to me.

Robb

 

[EliteConcept]

Then no he doesn't have air bags he wants to get them, i just wanted to make sure we were talking about the same kind of air bags....he doesn't not have air bags.. i know this for a fact.

I have Monroe shocks on my truck...

I didn't see see any shocks or springs....

I am going to take pictures of it , You guys can maybe explain from them, or maybe i over looked something..

i'll get a few pictures tomorrow, he owes me some money so i gotta collect and i'll show you guys what i'm speaking of

 

[Alec]

If he didn't have springs then the truck wouldn't survive above 5 mph in the front. And the rear wouldn't be there at all, the leafs hold the rear axle in place.

 

[SaleenEXP]

yeh I'm with Alec, if he didn't have air-bags or coils or leafs that truck would have an unbearable ride and would be nearly impossible to control.

Your buddy has one weird truck I've rode in a few Chevy Full-Size pickups and new someone with a 93' and they didn't ride any better than my Explorer. If your Explorer is riding that harsh compared to his, you got some faulty shocks and he definitley had to bag it being lowered to make it ride nice. Kinda Confused

 

[Mbrooks420]

It has leaf springs in the rear for sure. In the front it has single a arm suspension. I believe the shocks are behind splash gaurds. Maybe you need better shocks. What kind of tires do you have? That can make a big difference.

 

[SaleenEXP]

What tires are you running?

I know that the stock shocks and Firestones made my 94' ride crappy. But when they replaced them from the re-call w/ goodyears (still crappy IMO) it rode a better. Then when I replaced the shocks with the Edelbrock IAS shocks it rode excellant, the difference was like night and day, you could call it almost car-like but it's still a truck, it's not gonna ride like a Lexus.

 

[EliteConcept]

i got goodyear wrangler tires
inflated at about 34psi

hmm i'll take another look at his truck

my shocks are good becuase i did notice a big change after they were installed...still rides like a truck hehehee