Great Forum! The board has been an awesome source of info.

Im new to Ex s but not to Ford. After turning in our 2011 Ford Explorer off lease we decided to go the no payment route and tracked down this 2002 Limited with 174k. We drove 4 hours to get it and paid $3000 and drove it home. Truck is from Georgia and is completely rust free and other than worn seat bottoms on the driver and passenger sides the truck in in great shape.

Repairs/Mods already completed
-New windshield ($200
-Swaybar endlinks ($140)
-4 door lock actuators( tried the tin foil trick it worked but didnt last long, ebay $40)
-new fluids and filters($100+-)
-Extended lift gate struts (Amazon $25) Im 6'8" and can stand under it
-20% tint on front doors and 5% sun band($80)
-knock off mickey thompson wheels 17x9 4.5in backspacing plasti dipped(FREE)
-285/70/17 Firestone Destination MT ($350 used)
-Rubber bet mat in cargo area and 3rd row(FREE)
-King Ranch steering wheel

Future Mods
-08 Diff cover and fluid change
-V or X codes front springs and modded Bs
-LED Light bar to replace factory fogs
-Phillips Xtreme headlight bulbs
-08+ trailer tow mirrors( have pass side need driver)
-black lug nuts( ebay $35 on order)
-Bilsteins

Overall love the truck and the wife actually enjoys driving it. Just got the wheels and tires mounted up last night. V or X codes seem to be more popular than lift kits and as I work for a Ford dealer I can get a deal on the springs. I like the fact that X codes give almost 3in of lift which is the look I want, but I'm concerned about the ride having the lighter v-10 versus a diesel. Do Vs ride that much better? It seems guys are only getting 1.5in of lift out of these looking for some input. Are x codes going to ride like a brick? Or am I better of modding the Vs to get the height I want?

 

Welcome to the forum!

If you are worried about too firm of a ride with the X codes then go with the Vs and some lift shackles. New v codes should net you 1.77" of lift with the V-10, add a set of 1.5" shackles to them and you will gain just over 3" total and still have a pretty smooth riding rig. I run a set of X codes with an extra leaf added to them, not exactly a Cadillac ride! Pretty firm ride here, just like I wanted but definitely not for everyone.

 

Thanks Tom,

Your truck is actually the one I was modeling mine after. I've always had lifted trucks so I was just trying to get an idea on the X codes up front. So firm but not bone jarring? You like the X codes correct?

 

Thanks for the compliment!

Yep, I like my modded X codes, they ride very firm, some may say too firm but I wouldn't say they are bone jarring. You had mentioned not want too firm of a ride, that's why I suggested the Vs with shackle lift. Best of both worlds, nice lift and smooth ride!

 

V codes are great there is ZERO difference in ride "harshness" compared to stock. The biggest difference is the stability in corners. I will say I had in The back of my mind I hope I like these (due to comments from here) and I love them. (I was relieved HE was not right)

 

I have to disagree with the zero difference. My ride stock was so soft and spongy it was comparable to Ray Charles drunk trying to walk across Moby Dick's back while it's swimming through a hurricane-induced tsunami during a nuclear apocalypse. With the V's now, it rides firmer, bobs less, and you can feel road irregularities like I could in my old 250. It wasn't the new shocks with the lift as the shocks on the truck were new when I lifted it, dealer replaced them because I found one leaking before purchase.

 

I recently swapped V and SRW C codes on my V10. If I did it again, I think I'd go with W codes. What I like about my SRW C codes are they use the Excursion block. Go here if you want more info. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ring-swap.html

 

Thanks for the info guys!

RobRoss- You m ention maybe W codes if you had to do it again. Not enough lift out of the Vs? Not heavy enough?

From the spring chart it looks like Ws are about 400lbs less capacity than X codes but still give 2.5in of lift. This is about the same capacity difference in the stock Ex spring in a v-10 versus a diesel. I too was thinking about Ws but it seems not many people are running them. I am trying to avoid lift shackles for what reason other than my Jeep days and scary shackles.

 

I hear you on the scary Jeep shackles, I played with YJ's and XJ's for 12 years before going classic muscle and diesel. I can assure you, these rigs are a completely different shackle experience. They're straight beef compared to the Jeep jokes we had to deal with. I'm positive you could beat the Jeep shackles flat using the Excursion drop hangar kit quite easily.

 

Just wanted a little more lift. The rate isn't much more than the V but as you see in the chart the ride height is greater. There is a 20 mm variance on the Ford springs so perhaps mine are on the low end. I wouldn't worry about capacity unless you decide to plow. I weighed my truck to help me understand what my changes would provide and to understand the spring capacities vs the my loading (people, towing etc). What I realized is that I'll never come close to the limit of the stock springs let alone the SD springs. I also created a spreadsheet with the rates/capacities so I could pick what I thought the best springs were for my truck. Part of that decision was to maintain the factory rake, now that I have it, I wish it was closer to level (higher in the front). HTH

 

I don't feel that it "jolts bobs and weaves" any different from my stock ride BUT my oe springs rode on the bumpers all the time

So I'm guessing lack of suspension movement makes me say that

 

Well thank you for all the replies!

I think I'm leaning towards the W code springs. Here is my rationale, diesel guys jump from D codes (4700lbs) to X-codes (6000lbs) a difference of 1300lbs and seem very happy with the results. Based on the chart V-10 C codes are rated at 4300lbs so if I jump up 1300 pounds like the diesel guys that would put me at 5600lbs which is a W code. Does this idea make sense? I want more lift than the V codes offer and it looks as though the Ws would give a V-10 about 2.75in of lift and Im concerned that the X codes would be to stiff. I can pick up W codes for $148 a piece a little cheaper than X codes and a few bucks more than the V codes.

Hoping to throw another leaf on the bottom to get about 3in of lift total. Any trackbar or swaybar links issues with 3in lift? Or can I run the stock stuff?

 

My EX went up 3 7/8" with my modded X codes up front (I added the top overload leaf from my rear B codes to the X codes) and the only thing I changed was the shocks, track bar and sway bar links are still stock with no issues.

 

Adding the 3rd leaf (rear B Overload) to (used) V codes netted exactly 3". Everything Tom said is correct, as well as his tape measure. No trackbar or links required attention.
The (empty) ride with this set-up is firm, however, not in any way, intolerable.
That said-its not empty that the ride concerns me. Its while the rear is loaded w/ luggage and the boat is in tow that the spring mods & RSB become apparent.

 

ok great! so I just have to worry about springs, shocks, and u bolts.