Suspension Upgrade
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: Patuxent River, MD
Suspension Upgrade
Good evening everyone,
I am new to this forum and new to blogging. I have spent months researching what many call the Unicorn a 2000 EX 7.3L limited 4x4 with 150K. even though this was a low milage EX, it has not been without its issues. Within one week the water pump went and the rear left brake seized on me. After fixing these small issues I am ready to tackle a bigger project. Making Ms. Fritter (crazy bus on Cars III) handle like a truck and less like a boat on heavy seas. I have found a company that has a 4" lift that states it will correct all the Ford EX suspension problems. Full-Traction suspension has a bolt on 4 link front coil spring and a rear torque link suspension. I would like to know if anyone on this forum has heard of this and or upgraded to this suspension system?
I have also looked at the Carli suspension upgrade but worry that leaf springs will still leave me with the same feeling of being unstable.
Thanks for any information you may have on this project.
I am new to this forum and new to blogging. I have spent months researching what many call the Unicorn a 2000 EX 7.3L limited 4x4 with 150K. even though this was a low milage EX, it has not been without its issues. Within one week the water pump went and the rear left brake seized on me. After fixing these small issues I am ready to tackle a bigger project. Making Ms. Fritter (crazy bus on Cars III) handle like a truck and less like a boat on heavy seas. I have found a company that has a 4" lift that states it will correct all the Ford EX suspension problems. Full-Traction suspension has a bolt on 4 link front coil spring and a rear torque link suspension. I would like to know if anyone on this forum has heard of this and or upgraded to this suspension system?
I have also looked at the Carli suspension upgrade but worry that leaf springs will still leave me with the same feeling of being unstable.
Thanks for any information you may have on this project.
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: Patuxent River, MD
Suspension Upgrades
Great and thank you for responding. Some of the questions that I have are about the quality and performance. Did it greatly improve handling and eliminate the side to side swaying? Are the Bilstien coil overs able to manage the weight better than leaf springs? Is this system better than going with 4” leaf spring suspension kit?
Ms.Fritter
Ms.Fritter
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8,259
Likes: 346
From: Northern California
Some of the questions that I have are about the quality and performance.
Quality is top notch.
Performance, it functions as it is supposed to, geometry is correct.
Did it greatly improve handling and eliminate the side to side swaying?
a 4 link prodives repeatable and predictable caster and camber change as it cycles and its arc is fixed since the links do not flex like a leaf spring, so from that aspect yes it handles better due to
the axle not being located by springs, that said however the vast majority of your handeling comes from shock tuning.
Side to Side Sway ? your leaf spring suspension should not have" side to side sway", I suggest you find the worn out or loose component that is causing this and correct it if your ex is side to side swaying.
you certainly dont need a 4 link setup to eliminate "side to side sway". but no, the Full Traction suspension does not have side to side sway
Are the Bilstien coil overs able to manage the weight better than leaf springs? Is this system better than going with 4” leaf spring suspension kit?
that isnt how it works.
shocks control the speed at which the unsprung weight moves. springs support the payload and set the ride height.
be it leafs or coil springs they can both manage the weight just fine if you use the correct spring rate.
regardless of which shock you choose the performance and handeling will all be dependant on who tunes your shocks. Bilstein, King, Fox all the same stuff inside just diffrent colors outside.
Ms.Fritter
see above answers
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: Patuxent River, MD
I appreciate your knowledge and expertise. I have researched the system and many others and do believe it will have advantages over regular leaf spring suspension. I have not seen a lot of info from the consumers. The two who did comment spoke of how horrible Full Traction was at customer service not the actual product so your reply confirms that it is a quality system which is important since this is my three little girls favorite vehicle ( Ms.Fritter).
the side to side is the roll rate in cornering not worn out parts. I have already inspected the bushings and for any issues. I may have used improper terminology to describe the driving response. Thanks again, Ms. Fritter is a permanent addition to the family and I want to make sure the upgrades are quality and safe.
the side to side is the roll rate in cornering not worn out parts. I have already inspected the bushings and for any issues. I may have used improper terminology to describe the driving response. Thanks again, Ms. Fritter is a permanent addition to the family and I want to make sure the upgrades are quality and safe.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
BanaBanuFerry
Brakes, Steering, Suspension, Tires, & Wheels
1
Sep 17, 2003 10:09 AM
