X-SPEC suspension

[ric232]

For safety reasons, I have decided to have my wife and daughter start riding in our 1999 Merc Moutaineer instead of our Lexus ES300. I'm sure the Merc would be better in a collision, especially with another SUV. My only concern is its susceptibility to rollover. Would the X-SPEC suspension kit from Expl Express be a good idea? Anyone tried it? How does it affect comfort?

Thanks.

 

[410Fortune]

OH MY GOODNESs....

The bad press has you thinking the Mounty will flip over if she looks at it wrong or what?

hahahaha just kidding. Yes the package will help reduce body roll, which is a big reason any SUV rolls over.
HOWEVER what makes you think it will roll over?

 

[boominXplorer]

Originally posted by 410Fortune

HOWEVER what makes you think it will roll over?

Did you not notice that there will be women driving??

 

[X~FACTOR]

Any SUV is susceptible to roll over compared to cars because of high center gravity. That is obvious. X-PEC will do just that to your SUV- lower the center of gravity thus the chances of you rolling over is much less. But still, you cannot drive it and corner it like you are in a car. The ride quality is not as good as on stock of course but the trade off on the handling and cornering is well worth it.

 

[410Fortune]

Right buy my point is the Explorer has just gotten so much bad press its a joke! I mean a Isuzu amigo, Wrangler, Xterra, whatever will roll WAY easier then an Explorer, yet you dont hear about them being so dangerous......but thats another thread.

Things to do to reduce the possibility of a rollover:

Keep the suspension in good shape, replace worn bushings and shocks.

A wider stance (increased track width) either wider tires, wheels with more offset, or even wheel spacers

Stiffer suspension, shocks and springs, larger sway bars

Lowering kit

and most important: TRAIN YOURSELF behind the wheel.
Take it to an empty parking lot with her and practice some hard braking, hard turns, on dry and wet surfaces, learn how to control the slide, braking, and steering. I think this is REALLY overlooked, especially with new teenage drivers........if shes gonna handle a 4 door V8 SUV she should be prepared and know the vehicles abilities.......

 

[Stic-o]

Did you not notice that there will be women driving??

My wife drives her Ex (or mine) with no problems

 

[emon]

check over some alternative ways of lowering your explorer. x-pec tend to be on the expensive side.

 

[ric232]

I was not suggesting that the Explorer / Mounty will roll over any easier than any other SUV. I was merely stating the dilemma that SUV's tend to be safer in collisions, but they are more likely to roll over. I would be asking the same question with virtually any SUV except perhaps some of the wider stance models like an Acura MDX, Volvo XC90 or BMW X5.

Fact is, I have a Mounty and I just want to make it as safe as possible for my wife and 2 1/2 year-old daughter. If the press had scared me, I wouldn't own it any longer.

Frankly, I'm not so worried that the truck will roll over as long as she stays on the pavement. But if that thing (or any SUV) gets sliding sideways into a grassy median, the tire edges will catch and the thing will go tumbling. That's a great way to crash in NASCAR because there is a gradual dissapation of energy. But when the roof crushes on one of these suckers, or you smack your head sideways into a window or A or B pillar during a rollover, you can pretty much hang it up.

 

[X24]

I recommend upgrading the rear sway bar, installing poly bushings on the front swaybar and end links, lowering the rear with 1" blocks and lowering the front to make it level and upgrading to the edelbrock IAS shocks for lowered explorers. This is basically what I have done and it feels like it's on rails around corners. Overall, it rides much more like a car, but still has the height for going thru snow.

If you have any questions or need to know where to purchase any of this stuff, myself and many of the other streeters on this site know the ins and outs and where the cheapest places are.

 

[ric232]

Does anyone have any pictures that will show me how the lowering kit goes on? I'm wondering because I installed an Air-Lift system on the rear of my Mounty since I tow a fairly heavy boat. I'm wondering if I will be able to keep that system. The Air-Lift airbags are mounted between the top of the rear leaf springs and the frame rail, right behind the rear axle.

 

[X24]

Shouldnt be a problem ric. The lowering blocks go inbetween the leaf and the axle, so the only thing that moves is the axle itself. It moves closer to the frame which is what lowers the truck. I dont have any good pics of mine, but in this on you can just see the corner of the block and the longer u-bolt.

 

[JOHN V.]

The X-Spec Suspension package offers the best combination of improved handling and good ride quality. We set out improve the handling and stability without killing the ride quality. It is the balance of all of the special pieces that get the results you want.
We tried all of the other compents that were available and were not satisfied. Many of these our pieces are custom made and the overall cost is high than the alternative. But the results are very good. The combination of our X-Spec components will give your Mountaineer or Explorer ride and handling that you would not think possible with this kind of vehicle.

These package has recieved great reviews from owners and the media.

Check out the video clips from new stories that are posted on our web site.

http://www.explorerexpress.com/press/

 

[JOHN V.]

We have installed the Air Lift System on lowered Explorers with no problems. The lower air bag bracket bolts to the lowering block.

This allows you to enjoys the benefits of the X-Spec Suspension and still have the ability to carry a heavy load, passengers or do some towing.

 

[TAS98xlt]

John, what's the price on that air lift system? I'm interested in getting one.

 

[ric232]

I see . . . so the lowering kit does not move the leaf springs any closer to the frame. It only moves the axles closer to the frame. If that's the case, the Air-Lift system should not be affected at all.

 

[X24]

You got it.

 

[JOHN V.]

The basic Air Lift kit for the rear is $194.95 + shipping. This will give you an air hose mounted at the rear bumper. The optional contoller that includes a compressor & guage is $121.95. This allows to control the rear ride height from your drivers seat. In stock at Explorer Express.