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I was driving back from Tahoe on I-80 today and bouncing all over the road in places. It's particularly difficult to keep the truck between the lines when the suspension is unequally compressed. Terrifying when I'm in the middle of three lanes. Either when going around a bend at speed or coming over Donner Summit where the trucks using chains have worn two ruts in the interstate. In my head, I can see how the extra leaf binding the suspension plus a block lift to accentuate any spring warping would cause problems. It does feel like a hack.
So what do you think about the ProComp springs and the extra 4" they provide? I expect I'd get best results installing them and removing the block, but I'm worried that there's something in there that would have problems with an additional inch or two of lift. Or maybe it's just fine given that the other aftermarket parts expect to work with a 4" lift? Would you recommend also installing a Hellwig sway bar, or would the extra stiffness compromise off road traction?
Another question: If I install a new gear ratio in the rear diff, do I also need to change the gear ratio in the front diff?
First thing first, get that alignment done and fix the wander.
both axles need to be the same gear ratio or like like snackdaddy said you can not use 4wd, the binding will literally break your transfer case in half.
bouncing...the add a leaf rear spring has increased your spring rate and your shocks are not valved correctly to adequately control the addition.
A procomp 22415 rear spring with no lift block will set the rear ride height at about 27” or 1/2” higher then it is now.
that would give you a total of a 1” rake which is what they came with at the factory.
Changing to that spring isn’t going to change the lift much but it does change the amount of suspension travel which in the case of the Ex is a good thing. If you want it to sit level or at 26” you could pull out the very bottom leaf of the new springs pack but doing so will drop the spring rate enough that you would want to install air bags if you plan on towing. ( but it would ride great not towing )
we can try and meet up this week and you can drive mine, my ride height is 28” with 37” tires, no sway bars and no steering dampener ..... 80mph towing passing semis is a 2 finger on the wheel affair, tows my 9000 lb trailer with no weight distribution hitch or sway control just as fast and comfortable....
Ah. Then I'm glad I asked. They had chain control going this past weekend (with enforcement checkpoints.) So I had to have it on 4-hi on the highway or have chains on. A bad time to have the front and rear fighting.
So, if I'm going to change the ratio, I need to do it on both the front and back at the same time. I wasn't planning on putting a locker on the front, but if I'm in there changing the ring & pinion anyway.
I just got on the ProComp site and looked up what it recommended for my Excursion. It's a 4" lift with "BLOCK AND UBOLT W/ ADD A LEAFS" in the rear. Which is exactly what we're seeing. https://www.procompusa.com/suspensio...t=3533&pl=1808
So maybe the fault is on ProComp and not the installer?
just because a mfg “recommends” something doesn’t make it good. People buy this crap because it is cheap and easy.
more crappy “lift kits” as sold then good suspension systems simply because many/most people do not have the knowledge to or understanding to know what constitutes a good suspension vs a bad one and let’s face it, most people approach the change in ride height with the prioriety of:
1. Looks cool
2. Cheap
sadly many installers are just minimum wage parts changers and they put on what ever the customer ( who has less suspension knowledge then them ) buys.
Blame whom ever you want, I’ve given you the info to make it better then it was stock. The choice is yours.
I do not recommend a front locker, nothing you have mentioned indicates you need one, in fact for just driving snow covered highways it would be detrimental to the handeling.
I have front and rear ABB lockers and even in 3 feet of snow rarely use the front locker.
in case you are not familiar with ARB’s they are selectable lockers, meaning you can turn them on and off.
when off they are the same as an open diff.
With a front locker turning is very difficult and a poor choice for highway use. ( I use it for a few feet at most and turn it off )
Yeah, I just thought it was interesting that I'm having such bad performance off of the "recommended" lift kit from procomp. Before looking on their site I was personally ready to blame it on a questionable shop. I'm definitely looking forward to the new springs that you've recommended.
The main use case that I'm aiming for isn't snow covered highways, but unplowed & snow covered forest roads. With my old-and-busted Explorer I would put chains on all four tires, drive it until it got stuck (likely high-centered on an uphill incline), put it in reverse and pull back out, and then park nearby and walk/ski the rest of the way. The further I can go with the Ex, the longer the season I can drive all the way to my cabin, the fewer miles I need to walk to get there, and the more (less-outdoorsy) friends willing to visit. The first deep snow can happen as early as October, but in a typical year it's passable with the right vehicle until December. Similar situation in the spring during April or May when I'm waiting for the drifts to melt out. So I'm weighing the advantages of being able to drive in and out of my cabin an extra three months of the year.
I understand that I wouldn't want the front diff locked under any normal highway conditions. Or under any conditions where I'm turning. It might be useful, however, when I'm trying to coax the Ex through snow on the way to my cabin (or getting back out after a larger than expected snowfall). Of course, I'm planning on using the Ex and lockers for things other than deep snow, like following my buddy's Jeep around, but I'm trying to design it around deep snow and everything else I can do becomes a fun bonus.
Same applies to your alignment, technically it is within ford’s “spec” but the combination obviously sucks.
there is a huge diffrence between “in spec” and “tuned”
tuning, wether it is engines, gear ratios, alignment, shocks ect requires trial and error to get something perfected,
I am on my 3rd Ex and have done countless diffrent combinations of springs, shocks, alignments, tires ect... on this Ex alone I think I am on at least the 4th or 6th diffrent shock/spring setup and while it is likely one of the best riding/handeling Excursion you are going to find I am getting ready for another round of changes... constantly trying to improve it from what I have learned from each evolution.
I've ordered the 22415 springs. Should I get new u-bolts also? From looking at the ones on it currently, there might be enough threading to simply remove the block lift and tighten down the nuts.
If you don't recommend a front air locker for my Ex, what what do you think about a front limited slip? I had been leaning against it because I was worried about it doing something unexpected when making a sharp turn, losing traction, and suddenly the sharp turn isn't. But maybe I should reconsider. I'm reading good things about the Yukon Grizzly (and it fits the Dana 50). Unfortunately they don't make a TrueTrac for the Dana 50.
U-Bolts are torque to yield meaning they are absolutely not reusable. I’d call Junior at ATS and he will set you up with the correct length u-bolts and kits you will need. It’s not worth the risk of losing an axle at highway speeds if you value yours and others safety.
I’m about to put the new springs on, remove the lift blocks, and keep the factory blocks, but I realized that I might need some axel shims to keep the pinion at the correct angle. Is this something I should be worrying about with a 4” lift on something as big as an Excursion? 2* shims? Anything I should watch out for? I’m getting conflicting info from other threads.
Pirate can probably answer this better, but my recommendation would be to get an adjustable protractor and measure your current angle and go from there. I think the lack of consensus on whether or not you need shims is because there are different driveshaft configurations. There’s a thread floating around that has a bunch listed. For example, I have a double cardan at the rear with a single ujoint at the front (of the rear shaft).
I just installed the Pro Comp 23186mm Ford F250 super duty rear springs on the EX. I have had the unfortunate experience of having the "high" wheel hanging up in the air spinning while the only wheel with traction just sits there doing nothing.
( I had not read this post on the PRO COMP 224.. )They are stiff but i do tow a trailer for work and a 7k lb.TT for camping. Could i realize a much better ride with a spring swap?
Also, I've already installed the new REDHEAD steering box and replaced any worn out bushings and joints. I like the new steering box.
My FOUR WHEEL ON DEMAND is not working either. I've already replaced the actuator on the fender well and both wheel hub assemblies. It may be a vacuum leak behind the assy. There's a vacuum bearing.....? Don't recall the name exactly. that's the thing. Right there. My buddy just did both sides. There are 2 bearings on each side. You need to pull the axles and get THE TOOL to reset them properly.
03-10-2019, 11:09 PM
