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I am hoping to get some advice on upgrades for my X. (2005 V10 4wd) It is my daily driver and family road tripper. Don't plan to do a lot of towing with it but live in the country and drive 3 miles of gravel one way.
I want to do suspension first. I was thinking X and C code springs plus Bilsteins, a steering dampener, and a Hellwig rear swar bar.
I am thinking of doing front first phase, rear second phase. Anyone know if that will cause any issues?
Does anyone have links to the best places to get these? I have heard about ATS and wondering about others. Also does anyone know which Bilsteins are best (product code/link)
Also should I do the tie rods too? (Links on best ones)
I am also looking to replace the door seals. I have heard about the tubing solution but also heard that it is better to get an 08-2010 super duty seal as these were upgraded. Thoughts?
After that the next phase will be tires. Thoughts on size/type?
Thank you for the reply, as I stated above, I have already heard of ATS and am looking for others. Plus there are more questions than just the suspension. Thanks again.
Search around this forum for the “pirate procomp”lift recipe. It’s a similar style lift but it eliminates all blocks at the rear axle and there is no need to take any leaf springs apart like some of the various “code” spring swaps require.
Several people run Pirate’s procomp lift (including myself) with great results. Not saying the code spring lifts are bad, but there are others options out there.
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I am hoping to get some advice on upgrades for my X. (2005 V10 4wd) It is my daily driver and family road tripper. Don't plan to do a lot of towing with it but live in the country and drive 3 miles of gravel one way.
I want to do suspension first. I was thinking X and C code springs plus Bilsteins, a steering dampener, and a Hellwig rear swar bar.
I am thinking of doing front first phase, rear second phase. Anyone know if that will cause any issues?
Does anyone have links to the best places to get these? I have heard about ATS and wondering about others. Also does anyone know which Bilsteins are best (product code/link)
Also should I do the tie rods too? (Links on best ones)
I am also looking to replace the door seals. I have heard about the tubing solution but also heard that it is better to get an 08-2010 super duty seal as these were upgraded. Thoughts?
After that the next phase will be tires. Thoughts on size/type?
Thanks for the help!
Shane
Welcome to the EX forum!
How much lift are you hoping for from the new springs?
How tall of a tire do you think you will be running with the above lift?
The type of tire should be chosen based on the planned use, my on road only tow rig rides on Nitto Dura Grapplers, a highway tread designed for for quiet smooth running with improved MPG.
What gears does your EX currently have?
A taller than stock tire will effectively reduce the numeric gear ratio and negatively affect performance.
I run modded X codes and modded B codes with Rancho 9000XL shocks on our tow rig EX. If I were to start over again I would go with above mentioned Pirate recipe Pro Comp springs with airbags for the better ride, my setup handles our big TT pretty well but the unloaded ride is a bit rough.
Thank you for the welcome! Sorry I have been AWOL. Grad school is taking up most of my time right now. This is my second Ex and I still kick myself for getting rid of the first one. I have so far upgraded the mirrors (see pic) and radio w/ back-up cam. I learned from my first Ex that a back-up cam is a necessity
How much lift are you hoping for from the new springs?
I am not looking to lift the truck, I am more concerned with the ride as it is my daily driver and our road tripper. I understand that a spring replacement will lift it a couple inches and I am fine with that.
How tall of a tire do you think you will be running with the above lift?
Not sure I really like the firestone X/Ts that I put on my Expedition. As you can see I live in the frozen tundra of North Dakota and so grip is more important than size, but not opposed to bigger tires.
The type of tire should be chosen based on the planned use, my on road only tow rig rides on Nitto Dura Grapplers, a highway tread designed for for quiet smooth running with improved MPG.
What gears does your EX currently have?
Not sure what the gears are. It's an 05 XLT V10.
A taller than stock tire will effectively reduce the numeric gear ratio and negatively affect performance.
I run modded X codes and modded B codes with Rancho 9000XL shocks on our tow rig EX. If I were to start over again I would go with above mentioned Pirate recipe Pro Comp springs with airbags for the better ride, my setup handles our big TT pretty well but the unloaded ride is a bit rough.
I would consider the Air Bag, except that Air Bags require too much maintenance up here with the cold (not usually the bag, it's more the compressors, they really don't like the cold).
And we love pictures here!
Thanks, I posted a couple. I will add more as things progress. This Ex is a really good truck, I got it with 160K miles and has only one spot with any rust (drivers door at the bottom), even then it is about the size of a nickel. I am very happy with this truck and really want to do it right. So I am very appreciative of any and all advice!
One question to add, should tie rods be replaced as well when doing a spring job? Can the job be done in phases, front then back? Should I also add a sway bar to the front too?
Thanks for all the help!! you guys are Mirror upgrade! So glad I did this!
I revamped my entire steering except for the Pitman arm. Also, I swapped out the lower steering shaft with a Borgeson 000306.
Body mount bushings should be changed out. Some of mine were dried up and cracked and I live in North Georgia. You have a choice between Silicone and Polyurethane. I went with the Poly. I wanted to take as much wobble out of my truck as possible.Re-gearing will help you pull. I wanted to tow, but also have a gear that was not too busy at 65 mph. I really like the 4:56.
6.0 transmission cooler swap is a no-brainer. No more over-heating worries when towing through the mountains.
Rear air bags are good for the loaded height adjustment.
For rear-end unloaded height, I have a Roadmaster Active Suspension (RAS). It’s an adjustable helper spring for tension and also height.
Good luck.
Search around this forum for the “pirate procomp”lift recipe. It’s a similar style lift but it eliminates all blocks at the rear axle and there is no need to take any leaf springs apart like some of the various “code” spring swaps require.
Several people run Pirate’s procomp lift (including myself) with great results. Not saying the code spring lifts are bad, but there are others options out there.
…
For those who did the Pirate Procomp lift, did you need extended brake line?
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