I have a 2000 Excursion 2WD Limited and I absolutely LOVE this vehicle but one thing is driving me crazy. The truck always looks like it is sagging in the rear. I have seen the same thing on other 2WD Excursions and I know that most of it is an illusion created by the body style but I still want to try to fix it. Is there a way to put around a 2" lift on the truck or would different helper springs/shocks make any difference. I talked to a dealer and he said that Ford puts a "block" on 4WD Excursions but he did not know if it would work on a 2WD.

Anyone have any ideas?? Thanks!

 

Take a picture of you rear axle spring. Post it here. I'd like to see what a 2x4 rear spring block looks like. If different, I cannot imagine that you CAN'T put the larger block on if it exists. Realize lifting the rear could create some handling differences and may require a new front end alignment. Plus, new U-bolts...

 

Based on my experience with a '94 Astrovan that we used for towing prior to our 2000 Exc V10 2wd, I would recommend Firestone Riderite airsprings(JCWhitney), combined with an onboard air compressor that has a minimum pressure switch(camping world). The min pressure switch assures that you always have air in the springs, so you don't have anything to remember, except to discreetly push the button when the inlaws climb in back. This combo worked great on the soft sprung Astro, and I will surely add it to the Exc, as soon as I get a round tuit. As for durability, the Astro springs are 6 years old/100k miles and still troublefree.

Off topic: While the V6 Astro gets 16mpg solo, vs 11mpg for the Exc, while towing, they both get around 9mpg, and the Astro needs hitest while towing to keep the engine quiet. Of course, there is the added hassle with the Excursion of having to look in the rear view to make sure the trailer is still there. (g)

 

Excellent suggestion johnz!! Airsprings are a great idea!

 

Thanks for all the great info!! I will take a picture of the springs as soon as i stops raining around here
:7

How much lift will the air springs provide to the back? are they hard to install??

Thanks!

 

Keep in mind that I have NOT tried them on my Excursion!! They don't replace the existing springs. I suppose you could get as much as 2 inches of lift out of them, but they would probably provide a bouncy ride in that condition. A 1/2" to 1" of raising would surely be easy. On the Astro, I can "tune" them for road conditions, and they really do provide a better, more controlled ride, even with the van empty. I expect that they would solve the patchy road problem that the 2wd Ex seems to have. They are intended to maintain a level ride with a heavy load, without getting you into the really stiff zone of the leaf springs. Airsprings don't have the rebound bounce that a mechanical spring has. Installation was a pleasant saturday afternoon project, mounting brackets and airline hose, etc. You don't need to get involved with the existing springs. Cost was about $220 for the air springs. You do NOT need the expensive Firestone compressor, and as it turned out, Camping world had a small little compressor that had the min pressure switch in the price, around $80. I keep mentioning the min pressure switch because maintaining air in the springs is the key to longevity, and the switch automates the process.

Air springs are the key component to the automatic adjustment systems offered on lots of expensive vehicles. I had a Pontiac Bonneville that had such a system, and the only other "computerized" function was a sensor that was connected to the axle. If it bounced around a lot, air was added. On this early system, it got confused a lot. I actually prefer the ability to adjust it myself.

I don't care for air adjustable shocks because they are opposed, one shock faces forward, the other rear. It just seems that they could push the axle, AND the shock mounts are not intended to be weight bearing. I don't think you save much either.

Well, that is everything I know about air springs!!

 

jdugger, Here's something I know a little bit about.

When I took delivery of my 2000 Ex 2wd V10, I didn't like the 'sagging rear end' look. When our travel trailer was hitched up, it looked even worse, even with the weight distributing hitch.

I did some research into air springs, and contacted Brad Matznick at Air Lift. He is great to work with, and will give you more info about their products than you would likely care to know! Bottom line is that air springs are designed to bring a loaded vehicle back to level, not to provide unloaded lift. They will lift an unloaded vehicle up to an inch or two, but at the cost of a firmer ride. This may not be all bad, but these vehicles don't really need a much firmer ride!

I decided to install 1" lift blocks in the rear. I went to a local suspension shop, and they fabricated custom lift blocks out of 1" steel and installed them for $160.00. What a difference! 1" brought my 2wd up to slightly above level in the back end. This 1" is not enough to cause a problem with shock absorber length, either. The ride quality is unchanged, and I think it even tracks straighter down the road.

I'm still going to install Air Lift air springs this Spring (no pun intended). The 10K GVW trailer still loads the back end down pretty good. Brad said that the space between the installed air spring brackets needs to measure 5". He said if it's wider with the lift, they will swap out the bags in the kit.

I contacted Firestone also, but responses were slow in coming, and were pretty general and impersonal. I know they make a comparable product, but I'm going with the Air Lifts.