2000 E250, 5.4l, 4R70W, Michelin LTX 245/70-R16 @70psi, new ball joints, tie rods/ends and center link, fresh shocks, urethane bushings in radius arms, axle pivots, Hellwig HD front and rear sway bars. Brakes stock but fresh...Mobility Works raised roof with extended height rear doors. Front end wise the only not yet changed is the steering box and U joints for the steering column. Loaded weight with me and 1/4 tank of fuel is 7400 pounds. Typically that is the highest weight this truck ever sees, never pulling a trailer----no hitch, no need/desire.
I'm looking for better handling, especially during evasive manuevers avoiding careless drivers on my local roads and highways. Better shocks ("premium" NAPA gas charged) might add a bit but I'm fully convinced the stock coil spings need to be changed (240K miles) to a higher rate. I'm told the E350 and E250 share the same front spring. Rear springs are okay according to my spring shop which to them means no cracks in the individual leaves and the main leaf is arched properly still.
Anyone here have any experience with increasing the handling characteristics of these beasts? A friend's '99 E250 (138K miles) seems to be much "tighter" which I'm not sure can be attributed to its lower mileage (no apparent front end work done so far). I've been looking for different springs but seems the E Series aren't as well supported in the after market.
Would appreciate any ideas or suggetions on this possible upgrade I'd like to do.
Thanks---great site by the way!!
J W
You have a raised roof van, which is the last vehicle in the world that would "handle" well. I don't think harder springs will help--it will just judder around more on rough roads and the tires will spend less time in contact with the road. With the separate body/frame construction, the frame will just move around more if you go to harder springs, and the body may be flopping around on the frame. Also, the roof has been cut out, so your body is not as stiff as a factory van--it's like a cardboard box with a couple sides missing. The sports car handling guys use strut braces and stuff like that to stiffen the structure, whereas you have a tough, but flexible and limp structure.
A wider rim might help your tires feel stiffer and flop around less from side to side, but the Michelins are probably pretty decent for handling. I have LTX M/S's on my E150 and they are excellent tires.
To make the van handle significantly better, think about lowering it (which is not easy with the twin I beams) to lower the center of gravity, going to a wider tire tread and/or running additional pressure, but again, it's a raised roof full size van, and it is never going to be good at evasive maneuvers. Getting ridiculous about it, lower it and have a full roll cage welded in to stiffen the structure. Then you can start worrying about suspension mods. Otherwise, drive slower, mostly.
I have had full sized vans since 1986, have never hit anything or lost control, but I drive them accordingly. I also have a BMW for driving on twisty roads and "handling" well.
George