Well today we had the first snow of the winter, and it was the first time I got to get some miles on my new to me Excursion - I've driven it short distances in 2wd with the hubs in freewheel (auto) but the snow we had today needed more than 2wd so I set the hubs to locked and drove with it on 2wd, then when the snow was deeper/more ice, I used the 4x4 - Now I know I probably need to service the axles/diffs etc, but it was horrible to drive The steering seemed worse and more vague, and the traction wasn't good at all - it's on stock size wheels/tires with nearly new Bridgestone Duelers (came on the truck)

I've driven my Expedition in far worse conditions and have every confidence in it, and happily let me Wife drive it in auto AWD - but how my Excursion drove today didn't let me think she would feel comfortable in it.

So, now I don't know if it's worth spending the $$ I had planned for it, and just sell it - I love the size of it, I love the engine - but don't like the primative 4x4 (well 2 wheel drive unless I buy axle lockers) and don't really like the gearbox...............It might just need a complete strip down and time/money spending on it, but considering it's only done 60,000 miles, things shouldn't be too bad??? So you get an idea of how much better my Expy drives, I don't have to pay for diesel as I get it through my company, but have to pay for gas - hence the reason I have been looking for a diesel

I don't want to offend all you Ex owners - I'm just feeling quite low after such a long wait to finally drive it! (and I love diesels as we run a trucking company)

 

The excursion is a real 4x4. Are you sure the hubs are properly working as well as the 4x4 components? By gearbox do you mean the steering box? There is ways to go about fixing all of it but it takes time and money. Based on your location are parts easy to come across? That would be the deciding factor for me.

 

I brought it back to the workshop, checked the transfer box was working, and it was (made sure the front shaft moved when I moved the rear) and I locked the front hubs and tried truning the driveshafts and could tell they were locked.

I like the 'truck' feel, and as soon as I drove it for the first time I knew it was a whole different truck to my Expy, but didn't realise how good the auto 4x4 is in the Expy

I suppose I could fit limited slip diffs in the axles - and re check all the running gear

 

As you have found out the 4x4 systems on the Expy and the Ex are totally different. Driving each one requires different techniques. The Expy has a seemless transition between 2 wheel and 4 wheel drive and the Ex and all SD's have a 2 speed transfer case that has to be shifted into 4wd or turn a dial. Don't be too hard on your truck. If you have a limited slip diff, it might just need servicing and the proper amount of fiction modifier. It could be a open diff and maybe you just had one wheel on each axle doing the work, usually if the rear left is driving the front right is driving. When you have a limited slip that is working properly, it is easy to tell especially when you get used to the feel of how it works. Hope this rambling makes sense.

 

Yep made sense to me I don't have limited slipp diffs, and I think that's probably what felt so bad (one rear wheel having all the power) then when I used the 4x4, I know it's then only power to one front wheel and one rear wheel, but it then didn't want to turn very well - so I kind have the worse of each - not good 4x4 traction, yet couldn't turn well.

Do you think fitting limited slip diffs would get it to have similar traction to my Expy? I know I could fit axle diff locks, but would really like a simple system my Wife can just get in and drive (like today for example I was late getting home due to the weather and the cars stuck etc, so she had to pick the kids up and use the Expy and she just drove past all the cars that were stuck and was saying how good the Expy was...........then there was me sulking because my Ex felt like crap )

 

I believe the smaller suv's use a CV shaft where the X uses u-joints which cause weird sharp turning issues. Going strait down the road it should drive fairly well though. Tires are all aired up good?

make sure everything is lubed up good and the u-joints are moving freely in the front end.

 

All I can say is mine runs like a champ in the snow. It's not even that bad in 2wd

 

mine handles great as well, but that being said, I have not ever driven an expy.

DOE

 

With properly working 4 wheel drive, these trucks work great

 

sell it to someone that will appreciate it and go back to your econobox deathtrap.

 

I don't mean to sound condescending Matt's Dad, but you really should do some reading as you have several facts incorrect.

First of all "Auto" is not synonymous with freewheeling. It means that the hubs automatically locks and unlocks with the switch on the dashboard. The only time that you should ever switch the hubs to lock is in the event that they malfunction. Rotating the switch from 2WD to 4-HI completes a number of tasks in less than a second, and these include a clutch spinning up the front driveline, the transfer case locking in the front driveshaft, and both hubs lock up automatically. Hence the "Auto" setting on the hubs. Trucks with a manual transfer case lack this ability, and therefore their hubs say "Free" as opposed to the "Auto" that yours do.

Perhaps before condemning the truck you should

And secondly, there is no such thing as a 1-wheel drive car or truck, and the same principle means that when you are in 4WD you have all four wheels powering the truck. The idea of only one wheel getting the power is a myth that's propagated by people who have no idea how a hypoid differential works. Here's a primer:

A hypoid differential is a gear set that permits a differential in the rotational velocity of each wheel on an axle. It provides power in such a fashion that requires that equal torque be applied to each wheel end; limited slip differentials modify this a very small percentage of the time. When one wheel breaks free the amount of torque applied to the wheel is reduced because the coefficient of friction of a sliding tire is always lower than that of a gripping tire. Because of the way the gear set works exactly however much torque the spinning tire is getting is applied to the other wheel. If you slide in a ditch and one wheel is in the air, there is almost no torque that can be applied to it, and that's why the other wheel will get no torque to push your truck forward. When both wheels are gripping something they are both getting equal torque and power; when one slips the tractive force the other sees is also identical. This is why you don't have the truck pulling left or right when you apply power. This is a safety feature.

And lastly you talk about installing limited slip differentials in order to improve the way it handles for your wife to drive. This is a bad idea, you may make it less likely to get stuck but you will certainly decrease the stability in bad weather. This is because one of the advantages of a hypoid differential is that whenever too much power is applied to an axle typically only one wheel will break traction. Remember that when a wheel breaks traction it can provide no lateral stability whatsoever; the wheel will go whichever sideways direction it pleases because it's ability to grip has been exceeded by attempting to push the truck forward. Spinning up one wheel will allow you to keep the truck in a straight line in most situations; but spinning up both or all four will most likely result in quickly losing control of the truck. That's not to say that limited slip differentials are unsafe, but the advantage they provide in low speed traction is matched with a disadvantage in high speed handling when traction is lost. If you go to Ford's US site you can see one of the features of the 2011+ F-series trucks is a locking rear differential. Pulling the 4x4 **** locks the rear differential...but it will automatically unlock whenever you exceed 25 MPH in every situation. This is a safety feature because of reasons mentioned earlier in this paragraph.

 

Not helpful or appropriate.

 

I try and keep my X in 2wd and only switch it into 4wd when I get stuck, I like to feel how bad the roads are instead of giving me a false sense of security.

 

I have a limited slip rear 10.5 and a with warn premium lockers on the front of mine and it eats snow 2 feet deep like it's going for a sunday drive. Even in 2WD it does good, it gets over 8 inches or so I lock them in and I have yet to find anything that will stop it. I also have a new redhead gear box. Now I know none of these things may help you out because you probably have the open rear and the oem front hubs, but I know several people who have that setup and seem to do fine in the snow. It almost sounds like a steering gearbox, suspension issue.

 

To the OP:

It's also possible your Expy has an early version of traction control,
where the computer monitors all 4 wheels and detects individual wheel
spin and applies the brake(s) and/or adjusts the throttle to
maintain control (perhaps even auto-engaging 4x4?).

My wife's '04 4x4 Explorer makes it "brainless" driving in most conditions
since the vehicle "compensates/adjusts" for road conditions.
It will "automatically" go from 2wd to 4wd when necessary....
I can floor it on a right-turn @ a stop sign and the front inside
wheel barely chirps before the "computer" kicks in.

Our Jeep on the other hand requires much more talent in the snow/mud
since it has front & rear lockers. Before we had our Jeep in CO, we
rented 4x4 Expy and suburbans. They were terrible in the mud/snow with their open diffs and "M/S" tires.
I would rooster tail going up the slightest slope and slow to
a stop, usually had to make multiple attempts. On the other hand, going
down-hill was much less stressful than in our Jeep.

On the Excursion, for the rear, the Ford traction-lok or limited slip-type
diff would help a lot. An air-locker on the front would be better (IMO) since you could then control
the fronts while in 4x4 and not have the front's locked unless going up-hill when you need it.
Based on a "Extreme 4x4" show this weekend, it didn't sound like the
Dana-50 front axle on the SD/Excursion is all that tough for hard-core
off-road use - but for normal driving it should be more than enough in the snow/sand.
Then again, they do like to build stuff just for the sake of building stuff... sounds like FTE a bit?...

There are LOTs of "4x4s" with open front and rear diffs.