perf-list-digest Monday, July 13 1998 Volume 01 : Number 026



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Ford Truck Enthusiasts - Performance
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In this issue:

FTE Perf - Explorer suspension
Re: FTE Perf - Explorer suspension
Re: FTE Perf - Explorer suspension
RE: FTE Perf - Cam Recommendation_very long.
FTE Perf - K&N supplier source
Re: FTE Perf - K&N supplier source
Re: FTE Perf - K&N supplier source

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Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 11:51:03 EDT
From: LexRex aol.com
Subject: FTE Perf - Explorer suspension

My Explorer's suspension is way too soft for me. I know this is a common
complaint, judging by comments in Truck magazines and my dealer, who
apathetically responded "So what? You bought a truck." But at low speed, it
throws us around inside to the point it is unbearably nausiating.

Does anyone have experience or recommendations in the Explorer suspension
upgrade department?

I've already switched to Bilstein shocks and I'm going to Kenny Brown
Performance to have it lowered 1 1/2 inch. and get Dunlop tires Will this
work? Any better ideas?

Thanks. It's a '97, two wheel drive, V-8, towing package.

Jack
LexRex aol.com
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Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 12:01:39 -0400
From: Ken Payne
Subject: Re: FTE Perf - Explorer suspension

At 11:51 AM 7/12/98 EDT, you wrote:
>My Explorer's suspension is way too soft for me. I know this is a common
>complaint, judging by comments in Truck magazines and my dealer, who
>apathetically responded "So what? You bought a truck." But at low speed, it
>throws us around inside to the point it is unbearably nausiating.
>
>Does anyone have experience or recommendations in the Explorer suspension
>upgrade department?
>
>I've already switched to Bilstein shocks and I'm going to Kenny Brown
>Performance to have it lowered 1 1/2 inch. and get Dunlop tires Will this
>work? Any better ideas?
>
>Thanks. It's a '97, two wheel drive, V-8, towing package.
>
>Jack
>LexRex aol.com

Get a good set of stiff sway-bars.

Ken Payne
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Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 10:14:35 -0700
From: "Keith Christensen"
Subject: Re: FTE Perf - Explorer suspension

As for lowering to improve ride, I'd make sure the lowering is done
properly. If possible, see if you can get a previous customer's name to
check it out. You could end up swapping a sway problem for something more
nauseating. Ken P's suggestion of swaybars is a good start.

I may be seeing the results of poor lowering jobs too often, but most of
the "slammed" rigs I see on the highway spend most of their time hiccuping
over every expansion joint with a choppy front/back shudder!
(Just my usual rant on RiceTrucks, and that's not as in Japanese- just the
subculture of mindless booming and bad suspension mods!)

I had to endure a 30 mile ride as a passenger in one of these and my
sacroiliac still smarts!

Even though it's a 2WD, there may be some stuff available from James Duff
(www.jamesduff.com ) that would help. These folks do Real Suspensions, not
the Boy Racer stuff!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keith Christensen
309093
I am a Washington State resident! Spamming me is subject
to a $500 (or more) penalty. Complaints WILL be sent to:
your provider and the Wa. Attorney General's Office. Be
warned that I reserve the right to post any unsolicited
messages to public newsgroups as well!


- -----Original Message-----
From: LexRex aol.com
To: perf-list ford-trucks.com
Date: Sunday, July 12, 1998 8:51 AM
Subject: FTE Perf - Explorer suspension


|My Explorer's suspension is way too soft for me. I know this is a common
|complaint, judging by comments in Truck magazines and my dealer, who
|apathetically responded "So what? You bought a truck." But at low speed,
it
|throws us around inside to the point it is unbearably nausiating.
|
|Does anyone have experience or recommendations in the Explorer suspension
|upgrade department?
|
|I've already switched to Bilstein shocks and I'm going to Kenny Brown
|Performance to have it lowered 1 1/2 inch. and get Dunlop tires Will this
|work? Any better ideas?
|
|Thanks. It's a '97, two wheel drive, V-8, towing package.
|
|Jack
|LexRex aol.com
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|

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Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 14:31:41 -0400
From: Sleddog
Subject: RE: FTE Perf - Cam Recommendation_very long.

the PI heads are usually the big valves or the 2.19/1.73 as far as i
remember with the standard ports. very good heads for what you want! wish
i had a set of these for my street truck.

you can justify the low gear set (wide ratio) in that for climbing those
roads in snow gear ration is good. the lower first gear is like having
3.73 rear gears when in first, and 3.50 when in 2, drive. it is a good
thing - maybe later down the road you will find the justification for the
expense.

for a cam, with that low a stall speed, and still wanting good higher
running with immense off idle torque you are asking for alot. first, did
you get a 30 degree valve seat on the intake? this helps low lift flow
immensly and can help you out in all ways, while loosing only a little at
the top end. ask the flathead boys about that one!

a hydraulic cam is really your only choice unless you got pistons cut for
big enough releifs that a roller will fit in with about .600 lift.

but as far as a cam choice goes i would guess like this (and it really is a
guess, call places like ultradyne and see how i compare.)

lift about .490-.510 and duration under 280 advertised. for those heads, i
hope you removed the thermactor lump. either way a small amount more
exhaust lift and/or duration than intake might be good. this is arguable
but i feel the restrictive port needs help, and the cam is one way to help.

with the higher CR and still wanting good top end go with close lobe
centers around 108-110. more than that and you may have a low rpm knock
and loose some rpm ability. 112-114 LC angles are good for torque at low
rpms, but you got cubes, and big cubes don't need those big LC angles.

stay away from rhoads or other variable duration lifters IMNSHO. as for
companies, ultradyne makes the best in my opinion. i also like crower,
comp cams. cams from all these companies i know are good. do not get a
cam from an unknown companies, they can't do the resaerch to make a good
cam and many of their cams or copies of copies of copies of cams with
really bad dynamics. also make sure your springs are matched to the cam as
hydraulic lifters are sensitive to this. i know, big mistakes made here!

for what you want i think max low lift flow is important. the cam needs to
optimize low lift flow, while not being too large, and this is where
rollers shine. if you have the money, and the pistons to fit, a roller is
the way to go. a "small" roller gives this low lift flow by opening and
closing the valve faster/quicker than a flat tappet and still not getting
too big lift and duration wise. in fact a roller that is bigger than a
flat tappet will idle much better and keep more low end than a flat tappet
cam and give more manifold vacuum. 30 deg valve seat not needed with a
roller.

look for cams giving max torque around 2500 and max HP around 5000-5500.
this is a tough requirement. my first call would be to ultradyne. see
what they say. most cam companies give smaller cams as a recommendation
than they should though. keep this in mind. ultradyne does not seem to
fall into this catagory, but i have only talked to them about competition
only cams so bear this in mind.

sound like a great combo you have there! let me know what you are looking
at when you get close to a cam grind. later days.

sleddog

- ----------
From: George[SMTP:maga55 ix.netcom.com]
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 1998 10:57 PM
To: Ford-performance
Subject: FTE Perf - Cam Recommendation

I've finally completed cleaning up the combustion chambers of a set of '72
385 series PI heads. They have the CJ sized valves and DOVE ports. Ford did
make some strange combos; all the references say they should cc at 91.5
with
regular CJ ports but these are 75.3 with the small runners. Ford Motorsport
said that combo was common for the casting number. It saved me coin as I
had
intended to have DOVE heads machined out for the big valves.

My objectives are off idle torque from 700-1200rpm for getting up snow
covered logging roads carrying while pulling a load without wheelspin and
continue being able to frustrate the highway plastic car high rpm'ers on
the
street who like to crowd me after we're rolling. I'll stay with a 7-800rpm
stall speed t/c. C6 (wish I could justify the wide ratio) and 3.50
differential gears.

The c/r will be 10.1:0. My own experience and lurking on the Fordinatics
and
other lists have defined the advantage/disadvantages of small runner/big
valve velocity for purposes of torque/rpm in small blocks. That's always a
single objective and not related to the 385 series. I want the off-idle
torque, will sacrifice blue smoke launches but still want it to be mean
from
2500-6000rpm. I know I should buy a F250 4x4 diesel and a CJ Torino but
that
means going out of budget and more maintenance than I can handle.

Which cam?

Thanks,

George Miller

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Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 14:54:40 +0000
From: "Maher"
Subject: FTE Perf - K&N supplier source

Anyone have a good site (the web would be nice) for ordering one for
my 94 F-250?
*********************
mmaso ncc.com
http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.masos.com
http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.ncc.com
Network Cybernetics Corp, custom programming and
internet services
**********************
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Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 13:00:58 -0700
From: "Bill Beyer"
Subject: Re: FTE Perf - K&N supplier source

http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.4wheelparts.com/

- ----------
> From: Maher
> To: perf-list ford-trucks.com
> Subject: FTE Perf - K&N supplier source
> Date: Sunday, July 12, 1998 7:54 AM
>
> Anyone have a good site (the web would be nice) for ordering one for
> my 94 F-250?

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Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 13:15:21 -0700
From: "Bill Beyer"
Subject: Re: FTE Perf - K&N supplier source

This may be a better one:

http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://cyber1.virtualrep.com/perfintl/Results.tpl?command=search&db=knfilter
s.txt&woint5data=1&text2datarq=1994&eqtext1datarq=Pickup%20Full%20Size&eqtit
ledatarq=Ford%20Filter&cart=9002745258731&int5name=%20

- ----------
> From: Maher
> To: perf-list ford-trucks.com
> Subject: FTE Perf - K&N supplier source
> Date: Sunday, July 12, 1998 7:54 AM
>
> Anyone have a good site (the web would be nice) for ordering one for....

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