Hey everyone.
I know there is a lot of springs information in the forums and I've read a lot of it but I have some specific information I need before I pull the trigger so what just happened to the other guy here with his x code swap, doesnt happen to me.
Now, I just went outside and took a closer look at my suspension and was a little upset at what I found. lol.
So here's the deal.
'02 X 7.3l PSD w/ 180k miles.
I do plow with it and I have an 8' fisher plow. I think its about 1000 lbs so weight on the front is something I need to keep in mind.
At first, I thought of going with X/C. However, I am worried about the ride being too stiff. I don't really want my daily driver to be a dump truck. Already did that in Iraq and don't want to ever have to do it again.

Looking at my front springs. I just noticed I dont have any bump stops.. ok.. I'm supposed to have them on the front right? How long are the bump stops? I guess I have 0 clearance if I had them??? Passenger side:


Driver side:


Aren't these springs bending backwards or is it just me?


Also, my rear actually looks to be lower than my front as it is. Which REALLY bothers me. no pix of the whole truck.. I cant take one tomorrow if needed.

But, here is the clearance from the rear springs to the bump stop


oh yeah.. this was pretty great.. NOT!


I dont know whats holding it up there but I was able to actually just pull it off and there was nothing holding it.. so I put it back up there just for the heck of it.. lol

so here are my clearances on the fenders

Rear Driver: 38"
Rear Passenger: 38"
Front Driver: 36"
Front Passenger: 35.5"

If you want to see all the other pics I took. Feel free to check them out
malware's Library | Photobucket

Some things that I'd like to keep in mind.
- Will be plowing in the winter
- Do want to gain some lift
- Would like to keep the gain to 5" at most so I can fit in my garage. If this is not doable, than oh well! I guess the wify gets the garage permanently or it might be an excuse to rebuild the garage . LOL

Really need some improvement on the ride. This thing is all over the road with bumps and stuff. Turns feel like I'm turning a big boat in wavy conditions..

What are your thoughts and/or suggestions?

Thanks everyone!!!

 

Wow. That is a heck of a lot of rust. Glad we don't have snow down here. Well I know a fair amount about the front now since just completing my x code install. I'd do x codes. The ride is amazing. Bilstein 5100's or 5125's. they put my rancho 9000's to shame. I wish I could give you advice on the rear but I haven't gotten that far yet. Ran out of money and time. And to get your proper measurements don't measure from the ground to the wheel well. Measure from the center of the hub to the bottom of the wheel well. Stock measurements are front 23 inches rear 24 inches.

 

yeah rust is really bad up here.. it sux..
but I plan on saving some dough for the future so I can get everything "de-rusted" underneath and then Line-X it all..

 

I'd also suggest a complete front end rebuild while your already in there cause those ball joints and etc dont look too healthy. I did all moog for $1200 parts only. If your truck is going all over the place while driving like your saying I'd also add a rear hellwig anti sway bar. Improved a lot on my truck. I drive like an *** hole without the trailer very fast take corners sharply. I drive my ex like its a little race car. WOT most everywhere I go. Usually 50 in a 35, 90 in a 70, etc. burnouts at the lights sometimes. You get the point. Since the hellwig it handles much better.

 

yeah I was already planning on the sway bar but I'm going to wait until after the springs are done..
and yes.... my undercarriage needs A LOT of TLC!
I got excited when I got it and spent money on things that could have waited like a double din pioneer and a bully dog...
young and s****** with extra money... never prioritize when excitement is involved.. LOL
Did the same mistake with my GMC Sierra. Spent a ton of money making it look good and never put a dime on improving performance... Not going to do that this time around...
springs are a must right now because of winter coming up and I dont want those springs to haul my plow again this winter.. it was rough enough last year

 

2002exPSD, where did you get your X codes?

 

Why don't you put shackles in it if you don't want a rough ride. Quick, cheap, and easy. My ex is 37" all around with 1 1/2" shackles in front.

 

Yup, those springs look a bit tired. My 05 with 148k on the clock measures 37-1/4"F and 39"R. The front springs have a reverse arch by design, a certain amount of that is normal. Front bump stops are about 3", but there is less than 2" of clearance here. I measure the same clearance as you on the rear bump stop, but the broken snubber suggests your spring rate is shot. If you've done your research here, you've probably read about the F250 spring swaps with the front V's or X's and rear B's or Modded B's. The X code is the factory "snow plow package spring". It will ride stiffer than V, but most seem to think its not too bad. An alternative would be V's and front air bags.

 

Or maybe shackles and add-a-leaf.

 

Won't the shackles just lift the suspension?
And would it be worth it to add-a-leaf on already "tired" leaves?

 

bought straight from ford dealer brand new. I never buy used parts for the ex. Also never buy crappy auto parts from autozone carquest etc. its oem or the best money can buy.

 

I checked my local springs store and they said they have x code and c code springs but the part numbers are the same as sdtrucksprings which we all know aren't actually x and c codes. Oh.. and they wanted $950 for it.. Ouch!!!!!!!
If were to go with the "fake" x and c codes, might as well get it from sdtrucksprings as they are just under $600 shipped.
I checked car-part.com and it does seem that a couple junkyards have them but how much can i trust junkyard springs??? How do I know if they are good or the right ones? Seems it would be around $500 from the "recyclers".

Not sure which way to go.. obviously I dont want to break the bank but I do want to make the best decision so I only have to do it once.

 

how much did it set you back?

 

Lots of people miss the boat with shackles, they are the best thing I ever did to the Ex. They de-arch the springs even more but so what? If you are going to plow you might want to add a leaf also but anything other than shackles is going to stiffen the ride.

 

> They lift the body

> Tired but still good and they aren't going to break.