Rear suspension

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Apr 21, 2003 | 09:31 PM

Landyot

Thread Starter

Tuned

Joined: Apr 2003

Posts: 394

Likes: 6

From: SEVA

Rear suspension

I purchased a 2001 Ltd. 4x4 V10 in January. The rear end is frightening over anything like a washboard surface. I installed the Hellwig anti-sway bar, and that cured a lot of the wobble. I am in the midst of designing, and later building, a set of traction bars, or more correctly, radius control bars, to keep the rear axle in a controlled arc. This worked wonders for the ride in a 1978 Landcruiser I had many moons ago.

My question: Does anyone know of a commercially available set of traction bars, or ladder bars, for the Excursion?

Thanks in advance!
Ken

Apr 22, 2003 | 03:09 AM

Monsta

Sit. Stay.

Joined: Oct 2001

Posts: 18,308

Likes: 20

From: Washington State

Rear suspension

The Excursion is equipped with a so called traction bar but it is more designed as an anti-wrap spring. I do not know of anything commercially available for a non lifted Excursion.

If the rear end is bucking on washboard surfaces wouldn't it be easier to get new shocks to help control the springs better?

Apr 22, 2003 | 06:34 PM

Landyot

Thread Starter

Tuned

Joined: Apr 2003

Posts: 394

Likes: 6

From: SEVA

Rear suspension

Yes Ken, I have studied those factory bars a bit. But they only come into play when the vehicle is under acceleration. With leaf springs weaker than my old F350 crew-cab, and 4 inches or so of blocks between the axle housing and the springs, I tend to believe this set-up allows for a lot of reverberation when the road surface gets bumpy ... allows for a lot of spring-wrap. Those factory traction bars will be torched off whenever I start installing my design. BTW, I'll be making mine in a bolt-on configuration anticipating a future need to reproduce my arrangement for those who want them. Otherwise, I'd just weld some extensions to the forward hangers of the rear leaf springs for mounting the bars.

After reading several posts here, I will most likely try a set of aftermarket shock absorbers to see if that provides any improvement before I go any further with my design.

Ken E.
Yorktown, VA

May 18, 2003 | 03:09 PM

Landyot

Thread Starter

Tuned

Joined: Apr 2003

Posts: 394

Likes: 6

From: SEVA

Rear suspension

A few weeks back, I installed a Hellwig rear anti-sway bar, and that made a heck of an improvement in handling. I have since installed a set of Rancho RSX9000 shock absorbers (man, they are pricey ... $100 each!), and that has helped a lot in regards to feeling rear axle reverberation. However, I am still inclined to make a set of radius rods to keep the rear axle in a controlled-arc. Doing that really helped the ride of a '78 Landcruiser I had years ago.

I will most likely make a design that clamps to the forward end of the leaf springs, and attaches to the shock absorber mounts at the rear. I will use leaf spring style bushings at the front mounts, and some F350 front-radius-rod bushings at the rear mounts.

Once done, I will post how well they perform.

Apr 18, 2008 | 09:13 PM

AltaEx

Mountain Pass

Joined: Jan 2008

Posts: 168

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From: Alberta, Canada

Found this old post and started to wonder - would it make sense to install both the Road Master Active Suspension (RAS) and the radius rods? Is it even possible without modification? Would/could one install one forward of the axle and one back? Or does one or the other completely solve the axle wrap problem?

Apr 18, 2008 | 09:21 PM

X_Hemi_Guy

Hotshot

Joined: Oct 2005

Posts: 12,237

Likes: 22

From: Florida

REALLY old post at that!

The RAS solves TWO of the Ex's issues in my experiences. Axle wrapping AND added rear spring capacity. I tug around a 9000# TT with 1100-1200#'s of tongue weight. I have a rear Hellwig and RAS...I tow 12-14 hour days and I'm the ONLY driver...the Ex is ROCK SOLID with these mods.

IMO the Landyots will certainly fix the axle wrapping...BUT drop any significant tongue on the rear PLUS add a family and gear and the back of the Ex will sink very quickly...so you will also need to add some sort of rear spring enhancement like air bags or add a leaf...

I feel the RAS accomplishes BOTH in ONE fix...and there is an Ebay seller selling the RAS for like $100 delivered to your door! Even for the $250 I paid for my RAS...I'm well ahead of what I would have had to lay out for radius rods AND air bags...

Install the RAS and you will be very happy...

This of course is simply my opinion.

Good luck,
joe.

Apr 19, 2008 | 01:29 PM

bigdog55

Senior User

Joined: Oct 2006

Posts: 405

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From: Bremerton, Wa.

Hemi guy... You have basically the same set-up that I do,but a foot shorter overall unless I put the bikes on the rear pull-out bike rack which makes me 36'O/L.. It really changes the set-up when you pull that out what with moving the spare,30#, back 2 feet and adding from 60-70# of bikes to the rear bumper.I have the Hellwig,new Rancho shocks,airbags and an Equal-i-zer setup and the darn thing still wants to wander down the road on it's own at times..I was told that the wider the tire,in front, the more they'll pick up the ruts in the road..I have found that I don't seem to wander quite as much when traveling on a decent concrete roadway as when I'm on asphalt..I have also found that the higher the speed the more the wander.On this next trip to Oregon,400 r/t mostly on mixed pavement freeway,I'm gonna see about putting a bit more weight on the front axle of the "X" going and less coming back..In other words,dropping the tongue an inch or so in height going and lifting it an inch coming back..We'll see what happens..