Been poking around here for a while and thought I should introduce myself finally. My name is Ben and I bought my Ex about 18 months ago. 2000 V10 limited 4x4. Haven't had any chance to do any real mods yet but have been educated on a lot of fixes thanks to you all!

So far I have fixed the loose shifter, back windshield resealed, rear wiper fluid line, door gasket mod for the barn doors/hatch, fixed 3/5 door actuators, replaced fuel filter, rear diff fluid.

Future fixes include broken weld on the exhaust heat shield, drive shaft gear greasing, replacing worn bump stops, replace tranny filter, new head lights, New boots and plugs. And a good bath.

Future mods include: new suspension - thinking X/B codes with Bilsteins.

Not sure what I currently have for springs... I do not have the door stickers anymore as they have been worn off?? I do have RMX monotubes that were already on the Ex. Haven't measured how high I am sitting yet, wondering if that would clue me in on the springs? I think have good bump stop clearance, definately more than an inch on all sides. Need to get the Helwig for the rear too. I have Toyo MT Open Counrty tires but I cannot remember the size at the moment....

I am really happy with this rig thus far. It is my first big rig and will be mainly used for towing the new E3 popup and for hunting. For some reason I always end up having a red truck. This is my third that is red, not by choice but happenstance.

Here are a few pics I have uploaded:

My 3rd party by | Ford-Trucks.com

 

Welcome! What area are you in?

I love the snow pic.

 

Hi Jermin, welcome to the forum!
Nice looking EX and cool expedition style Pop-up camper.
To see exactly where your EX is riding as far suspension goes take your measurements and add your data to this thread where you can compare your numbers to what others have.

 

Location is up in the Great NW just west of Portland, OR. Liquid sunshine for days. Got the inaugural trip with the new camper on Wednesday out at the coast and I am hoping the weather cooperates.

 

If you ad your location to your profile page it will show in the upper right of every one of your posts.

 

Welcome & nice truck!

That looks like the stock suspension to me. It's fine for towing something that small but if you decide to upgrade to a bigger RV, you're going to want something a lot stiffer under there. The bilsteins and a Hellwig sway bar are great additions. My Ex (same color as yours) tows my 9000# RV fine.

What do you mean by greasing the driveshaft gears? Are you talking about greasing the u-joints? I believe only after market u-joints are greasable but you may have those anything. To check for slop in them you have to take all the tension out of the driveline and check for play.

Don't bother replacing the filter. They rarely ever clog. I would definitely suggest doing a fluid flush if you aren't sure when the last time it was done.

 

I had some humming like vibrations on the highway at 60+ mph and figured the gear needed grease like others have needed/done.

My Ex has 162k miles on it and there hasnt been a major service done at a mechanic in a few years and since I am the third owner i figured i will change fluids and filters for peace of mind.

Tires are 285/75 r16. Measurements are 38 and 40 inches from ground.

 

My bad, I forgot to post the link to the suspension measurement thread in my earlier post. Here it is.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...easurents.html


As outlined in the above linked to thread you will want to take the measurement from the hub centers to the bottom of the wheel well arch. That method will remove any tire size variations due to different manufactures or wear, it will be a much more accurate assessment of your spring situation.

Are you referring to the driveshaft slip joint splines or the U joints when you mention the vibe at speed and wanting to grease something?

If the EX hasn't seen regular service for a long while it would be a wise idea to change out ALL the fluids front to back to establish a solid baseline on their condition and start a new timeline for interval changes in the future. I think nearly every fluid change/flush is covered up in the Tech Files here.

 

Congrats on the Ex! Welcome to the family, and it is great to have another Ex owner in the PAC NW. I graduated from Lake Oswego (a long time ago) and now live south of Seattle.

When you say just west of Portland, are you talking suburbia or further out?

 

The slip joint splines is what I was referring to.

I am in Forest Grove.