2000 Excursion 7.3 Diesel 4wd.

Looking for some guidance as to what my options are. The main current issue is bottoming out the front suspension/lack of suspension travel. The only issue in the rear is that I get major sagging when towing my 24 foot enclosed trailer. I'd like to:

1. Get front travel back without significantly lifting the front end. I wouldn't want to be more than 4 inches higher than I am now on the lower of the front sides (Yes, it is really crooked from side to side).
2. Keep the rear end from drooping while towing with minimal if any lift. Would like the front rear/level, looking normal etc.
3. I do get some wandering, so it would be great is the fixes addressed the wandering also.

Here's what I see in the measurements:
Driver Front: ~21.75"
Driver Rear: ~24"
Pass. Front: ~22.25"
Pass. Rear: ~23.5"


Driver Front

Driver Rear

Passenger Front

Passenger Rear

Learn me please.

 

Welcome! You've come to the right place!

@pirate4x4_camo will likely be along and can answer all the tough suspension questions you may have.

There are several thread recently with the Procomp spring setup. It should net you around 27" front and rear. There are several folks here that have also removed leaves out of those springs and gotten a bit lower ride height, at a sacrifice of travel (which it sounds like you are interested in).

The front is 22210 and the rear is 22415. The shocks you can use are Bilstein are 33236964 and 33185545. Pirate will also recommend other parts such as 2 degree shims front and rear. If you search around, you'll find specific recipes provided by him.

I'll be making this swap soon as part of my build but I have not completed it, so I cannot provide real world experience. However, folks who make the swap seem to like it.

As far as the trailer sag, what's your tongue weight? @WE3ZS comes to mind for heavy tongue weight towing. Rear air bags may be in order, but you'll probably want to make the spring swap before you go down that road.

 

Thanks for the mention Swap.

Tirewarmer, what is the actual trailer and tongue weight of the 24' enclosed trailer? And what WD hitch are you using on it?
A good quality WD hitch (made better by built-in sway control) correctly sized and properly adjusted should help to limit the amount of rear squat while towing, most times it won't totally eliminate the squat but it should help to spread some of the tongue weight out over the trailer axles and tow rig front axle.
And just to pick nits......"normal" stance has the rear end sitting an inch or so higher than the front unloaded.

 

I like to call in the heavy hitters (haulers)!!

 

1. my preferred suspension on the Ex is a mid travel setup that puts front and rear measurements at 27" so if you can live with that ride height the setup increases wheel travel from a stock of about 5" to about 9" it removes the rear block which reduces axle wrap, changes springs rates to give a better balance of corner weight which helps handling, corrects driveline angle, adds more caster which not only cures wander but makes the Ex track straight and true even towing in a cross wind, works best with NO rear sway bar ohhh and it can leap tall buildings in a single bound

2. the rear suspension is supposed to sag or drop when you put weight on it that is how a fixed spring rate works. the setup I prescribe has a lower rear spring rate so your Ex can have a better daily ride quality and then We add a Air bag setup which has an adjustable spring rate, this allows you to increase the spring rate to match the payload and will keep the Ex level when loaded to max GVWR.

3. cures wander, wiggles, squats and loneliness

or, just replace with stock components with good shocks and keep the short travel setup, when everything is in tip top shape it works reasonably well.

 

Would these springs settle at all? I think that may be pushing the height that may freak out the significant other. Is there any setup to get slightly less lift with correct spring rates? I currently have a newish set of Bilsteins. Are the 33236964 and 33185545 for a lifted setup only? I can check which Bilsteins I have now if there are multiple lengths available.

I figured that air bags would be the way to go. Is there an easy button for the rear? I can do all the install, just don't want to reinvent the wheel if there is a proven reasonably priced setup that works.

Where would I source new stock front spring at a reasonable price? I may start with new front springs and rear airbags and see if that addresses the issues enough for me. I could always do the other springs later if I'm not happy with the results and I'd only be out a set of front springs that I could probably sell.

 

here is the front spring, https://parts.autonationfordwhitebea...wtdjgtZGllc2Vs but it has to be ordered with the specific code, top of my head i am blanking it out. rear is G?

i am happy enough with ride height i have now (even though it is sagged about 0.75") so i might go the route of just replacing with stock parts too. but there should be something aftermarket too. haven't looked too hard yet

 

1. all springs settle. no those shocks would not work on a stock height Ex. I would suggest the KYB monomax for a stock height Ex and at $200 a set you could sell those Bilsteins and have money in your pocket.

2. yes, there is a proven airbag setup. try https://www.airliftcompany.com. those will work on the procomp setup also with the addition of a new PMF top plate

3. new stock springs, from a ford dealer of course. I like Tascaparts.com but there are others including the one flyboy linked.

 

All depends on locations. Autonation is only 240mi from me so shipping is usually very reasonable.

I know you really like the Procomps, but what about a U code front sprint compared to our factory D codes(i think)? On paper they look pretty similar

im in a similar boat as a few others who have been posting and right now I only clear the garage door by 3” so going to a 4” lift wont work, plus it is hard enough for my little kids to climb up as is. But my factory setup when measured at the factory locations has only sagged 0.75”

 

If you have D codes then by my info you have a diesel ? The D codes are 380 lbs inch and U codes are 410 lbs inch, close enough. Not from my experience but data I have collected the U code would give your diesel Ex about a 1.25” increase in ride height from stock but the same wheel travel.

 

No, mine is the 6.8. I can’t remember what the factory springs are

 

6.8 = CC/GG

 

There we go, so C to U ??

 

Interesting. I've found the U codes for much cheaper than the stock springs, $115 vs. $210+. And with the spring rate basically the same,it sounds like the U codes would give me a spouse acceptable 1.25" increase in ride height in the front. And even though I won't gain wheel travel in the front, the U codes would keep me from getting 1.25" further into the bump stop and/or bottoming out into the frame. And I'm guessing that the minimal rise in ride height would be acceptable with the existing shocks seeing that I'm never off road and don't think that the front suspension has ever seen full droop?

Please correct me if I missed anything here. Would the caster shims that I've read about in other threads be useful with these springs? And could someone please point me in the direction of the correct/best front bump stops for the front? Mine are completely destroyed.

pirate4x4_camo, the Airlift setup looks like a pretty inexpensive easy button for the rear sag during towing. I'm planning on going with a onboard compressor also. Is there a better setup at the same price point than the:
2000-2005 Ford Excursion 4WD - "Load Lifter 5000 ULTIMATE" Air Springs w/jounce $364.95 Model: 88340 combined with the
Air Lift Analog Control System - Heavy Duty Compressor (Single Path Gauge) $208.95 Model: 25854

This will be my first airbag install, but I'm an SCCA autocrosser/road racer and have done tons suspensions installs. With the air bags, I'm assuming that their rate rises as their height rises with the addition of air pressure? Is there a way to adjust the height of the bags during install to have the desired ride height with minimal pressure in the bags, in this case 1.25" above stock in the rear to match the front U codes without adding much additional "spring" rate? Then additional air could be added with addition of towing or payload load, or to just lift the rear additionally? I'm seeing the airbag as if it were analogous to a linear rate racing spring where you can adjust the coil over spring perches for ride height, but I'm assuming that the height of the bag increases along with the rate of the bag as you add air.

 

some great questions but first off.

please note, my reply about the U codes is theoretical, I don't know if I have ever even seen a U code spring much less used one as a replacement on an excursion.

that said, if you are willing to be the Guinea pig it sounds like a pretty ideal way to level a stock height Excursion if you want to do so by raising the front. . BY my calculations it is going to raise the FRONT of the v-10 Ex by 1.5" which would put the nose .1/2" high.

stock shocks, been so long since I have see an actual OEM stock shock I can not verify, you would need to measure. some aftermarket companies use a little bit different lengths so again you would to measure to verify. but my guess is that a stock replacement like the KYB monomax would work with that setup. but until you measure it is a guess.

caster shims will always work on any leaf springs but what I do not know without putting it on an alignment rack would be your total caster with a 2* using those springs.
again since I have not done it I am making my best guess and I think you would be in the 5*-5.5*. ballpark but I like to measure stuff before I tell people yes do it.


yes you can get spacers for airbags but keep in mind the setup you spec' ed has a bump stop internal in the bag, so the higher you raise the bottom of the bag the more you are reducing your suspension travel. and Yes air bags indeed have a raising rate, that is what makes them so great. the more you compress the bag the less internal air space and the higher the PSI which is perfect for your use. I would not use a spacer.

in your analogy of the coilover, when you dial down the spring collar you are adding preload but not changing the springs rate. in a bag when you add air you are increasing the initial spring rate which as you noted is progressive as the bag is compressed.

Bump stops.
Ford designed the front suspension to actively use the bump stop which is disconcerting to people who think the bump should never be touched. I prefer stock ford bump stops on stock height Excursions because they are the best quality rubber ones available. Dorman makes a replacement but as with many dorman products it is hit or miss.
Keeping good shocks on the front of your Ex is the Key to keeping the bumps from blowing off the frame. or think of it this way… the bump stop gone is your clue to buy new shocks. lmao

so…. U code Guinea Pig.

If it were my personal Ex and all I wanted to do was run a stock size tire but have a level stance and still be able to tow to max GVWR.

the U code sounds like a worthy experiment but I think I would go with a new FORD sourced stock code spring, Motorcraft bump stops and monomax shocks. then to level it I would remove the bottom 2 leafs of the rear spring and add air bags.

why ? because ultimately a lower center of gravity is always going to handle better so why raise it ?
the rear of the Ex is already over sprung so adding air bags to the full spring pack adds to the spring rate as your concern alluded to.
by removing 2 leafs you lower the rear spring rate and then add air and spring rate back as needed rather then add to an already to high amount.

while I am a fan of increasing the wheel travel on the Ex by using the procomp springs I am an even bigger fan of making the stock setup work even better and this is how I would do it.