Finally have a chance to get back in here. Its been a crazy couple of days. Looks like the reese dual cam sway contol will be the easiest and affordable option. It looks pretty easy to install. Reviews are all possitive that I've seen.

Looking at springs, I've seens them new $575 and up for all 4 corners. Have many people had luck with junk yards? Is it worth the chance of winding up with worn out springs?

 

That's what I have for my 31' TT and it works great.

Stewart

 

That Reese WD hitch is good unit and should serve you well, much better than the add-on friction do-hicky.
If buying new replacement aftermarket springs pay close attention as some suppliers specs vary a good bit from factory ratings. We EX folks have lots of spring upgrade experience as Ford short changed the big wagons compared to their cousin pickups. ATS, as site sponsor and their rep Junior have help several members here to get exactly what they wanted under their EXs with reasonable prices.
Junkyard parts are as always, a gamble. I got very lucky as I had a coworker gift me a set of X/B codes off his pickup that only had 20K miles on them when he removed them for a full lift kit.

 

While replacing the brakes yesterday, and a wheel hub, I found that the larger inner seal for the hub/ axle shaft is not doing its job any more. Looks like some water has been getting getting in there for a bit. I have the install tool for an '08 and newer, but I'll have to buy one for the older generation. I've looked through the tech page and didn't see the info I was looking for. Does anyone have the part # for that seal? I typically don't have much trouble finding parts online, but this one has been a struggle.

Along with the new brakes, I also put in the Hellwig rear sway bar, and I'm thoroughly impressed with the control of the body roll around corners. It was a good investment.

 

While not as huge an improvement the front Helwig anti-roll bar is a nice upgrade.
The extra anti-roll in the front helps most when making an avoidance maneuver.

 

CALL these guys, they are very helpful and will have the goods.
https://www.venturestruckparts.com/p...le-parts-kits/

 

To be more accurate,
airbag are not a replacement for more suspension travel.

They are in fact used to increase/adjust springs rate.


.

 

I purchased and started using a blue tooth obd II unit with the "Torque" app on my phone. I'm not getting a reading for the trans temp for either method choice. Is that sensor internal or external? And, if it is internal, can I change it when I do a trans service?

 

Welcome to the forum! You will find this is the nicest most informative forum on the internet. Congrats on your purchase. As a recently new Excursion owner let me tell you even without all the extra stuff, airbags, antisway bars, special tires, hitch bolts, etc you will be just fine. As I am also new, I recently towed my 8,500 airstream with NONE of that and it did just fine!!! I simply wanted to go camping and not wait to do all the mods first. Some people get caught up in "the build" rather than just go for it and have fun! Ford built this sucker to tow and it will do that easy. That being said I will tell you the only problem I noticed is the rear end moving around a lot. My first upgrade will be the rear sway bar and getting my Hensley hitch dialed in. But plenty of power stock and no trans temp problems. Good luck out there!

 

I think Ford built "this sucker" for soccer moms with soft suspension for a better ride.
The rear anti-roll is a must for towing and all around better handling to keep the rear end from moving around a lot.
Stock F250 rear leaf springs will help a lot with handling the tongue weight of a trailer.

 

Well, after the addition of some new parts (brakes, rear sway bar, trailer brake controller and a few other things) and the dual cam sway control on the camper, we took it for a spin!

After we got the WD hitch dialed in, we pulled it about 50 miles, mostly state roads, and some country roads. And I have to say I'm impressed!

We won't be setting any land speed records on this trip, but I believe we'll get there and back no problem. I can see now why many have gone to a 4.30 diff on these. I didn't know what to expect out of the V-10, but it pulled pretty well. It needed completely flat road to stay in OD. Otherwise it didn't even attempt to lock up when the roads were up and down. Im betting the 4.30's put it just in the sweet spot for OD to stay locked in longer.

The Ex was almost completely level once hooked up (a pinch low in the rear), and it maintained a very comfortable ride. So much so that I'm not sure about putting air bags on it. It tracked dead strait even over a few poorly transitioned bridges.

The dual cam sway control is a game changer for me. Pulling with my F250, i have had a few times that the trailer seemed to be in control. Usually when a semi was passing very fast. I never once felt the camper do anything this trip. I even intentionally got off the edge of the road at about 40 mph, just to see what would happen. Nothing. It just followed like the whipped camper it was!

I still have a few maintenance issues to handle, but so far, I couldn't be more pleased with the Ex! Im sure I'll have more questions as I go, but I still want to thank everyone thats taken the time to reply.

Jack

 

Very glad to hear that it is working well for you!
Yes, the 4.30 (or even better 4.56s) bring the V-10 up in revs to where it is making better power and running more efficiently. When I changed from the stock 3.73s to my 4.88s while rolling on 32" tires we went from 6 to 7 MPG pulling a 9,500lb TH from Philly to SC to 9 MPG over the exact same route at the same speeds and weight. With the deeper gears it didn't downshift a single time on the Interstate the entire trip.