I am in the market for some new shocks on my Expedition. Its got 86K on it and I would like to firm it up a bit, but dont get me wrong it rides nice I am just used to sports cars and this being my first suv I have gotten used to the different ride. I was wandering what the best shock she city/highway driving I can buy that will firm it up but not give it a harsh ride. Plus I will be towing a nearly 4000lbs Thunderbird SC with it too so the shocks have to be able to handle that task as well. Lots of people on here seem to talk about the Rancho shocks alot so I wanderd what the general oppinion on those shocks are and what model is is best for what I am doing. Also being into road course racing I naturally looked to see if Koni made shocks for the Expedition and I think I found some. Has anyone ever used these before? How are they? I hope I have not written too long of a post for just my second post. There will be more questions from me to come soon.

Shane

 

Do you have LLS? If so, Rancho does not make a rear shock for you. I would suggest Bilstein shocks.

 

I'm sorry but I am new to the whole Expedition thing but what does LLS mean? If it has something to do with air suspenssion then no I dont have air suspenssion.

Shane

 

Yes, LLS is the air suspension (Load Level Suspension), on a 2wd you have bags in the rear, on a 4wd then bags rear and air shocks front. Since you do not have it, then your selection of shocks is MUCH larger than those of us that have it. I would still suggest Bilstein shocks, they are really great shocks. I have also heard good things about Rancho RS and 9000 shocks.

 

I put Bilstein shocks on the rear of my 1997 LLS 4x4 Expy and at all four wheels on my 2001 coil spring 4x4 Expy. They improved the ride noticeably in both, more so in the '01. On the '01, I replaced the steel Eddie Bauer wheels with alloy Navigator wheels for an unsprung weight reduction of about 14 pounds at each wheel. This also noticeably improved the ride. The shocks did not do much to reduce body roll, so I replaced the factory rear stabilizer (anti-roll) bars with stiffer ones made by Helwig. I could feel a reduction in the wallowing and rolling motions, more so in the '97 with LLS, without any apparent increased harshness. The highway performance of both Expys is quite acceptable, but cornering on curvy roads could be better.


Although I am not completely satisfied with either set up, I sense that the '01 is as good as it will ever be -- it simply has a high center of gravity (high leverage on the springs), and it will never handle like a sports sedan. On the other hand, the '97 with LLS rides at least two inches lower, and it handles much better. I sense that it would benefit from different shock valving in the front. I would like to add a set of Bilsteins to augment the factory air-leveling shocks, and although there isn't much room to accomplish this, I think it could be done for $$$$$$$$$.

 

@90k mi,I also put Bilstein on rear of my 99 XP-XLT 4x4 w/ LLS and oem 'air' shocks in front (for lack of available aftermarket at the time), response is much improved. I have 22" wheels and lowered the vehicle by about 2" all around - this and the low profile tires helped improved cornering, so much so that I cancelled my planned rear Hellwig upgrade. Now that I know it can be improved even more w/ not much harsh ride result, I might keep that upgrade in the line of things to do again

On my previous regular-suspension 2000 4x4 EB (since totaled - RIP), I replaced the 4 shocks w/ Rancho RSX and I would say it was not that bad for the price.

 

[QUOTE=Scot008]I put Bilstein shocks on all four wheels on my 2001 coil spring 4x4 Expy. They improved the ride noticeably in both, more so in the '01. On the '01, I replaced the steel Eddie Bauer wheels with alloy Navigator wheels for an unsprung weight reduction of about 14 pounds at each wheel. This also noticeably improved the ride. The shocks did not do much to reduce body roll, so I replaced the factory rear stabilizer (anti-roll) bars with stiffer ones made by Helwig. I could feel a reduction in the wallowing and rolling motions, more so in the '97 with LLS, without any apparent increased harshness. The highway performance of both Expys is quite acceptable, but cornering on curvy roads could be better.
QUOTE]

I did basically the same thing on my 99 4x4 except for changing out the wheels. Vast improvement over the stock setup that had 50K of wear. Check and make sure the front stabilizer links are intact or just replace them with Energy Suspension bushings and links. The last upgrade was to Bridgestone Dueler Revo tires - much better than the Goodrich replacement tires for the Firestone recall.

 

I inquired about front shocks for my 2000 EB Expedition. It has LLS. Rear shocks are brand new (dealer had to put them on in order to diagnose some other noise, so no cost to me--nice!). Front shocks are noticeably different, and their test also confirmed what I feel in them. Normally, $250 CAD for 2 front shocks (& installation), but because of the Load Leveling Suspension, dealer said $500 CAD. Should I accept that as close to accurate/fair or should I shop around? When they put this vehicle up on the hoise, they turn the electric switch off and the vehicle lowers noticeably...some safety procedure required before the hoist. If I bring it to some other shop, would they know to do that, or are there are specialised considerations due to LLS ... so should I just go to dealer and accept the price? Suggestions? What is a good shock?
Thanks, Vincent
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Monroe 40004 or NAPA equivalent should be available now - check NAPA or partsamerica.com (or your local Advance Auto). I bought mine at fordpartscheap.com (oem) because aftermarket was not available at the time, but aftermarkets are cheaper (only about $70 - don't know the conversion to CAN) and could be even better.

Install does not require any special tool, I did it myself and so did other good folks in this forum (and I'm not a mechanic), so don't take any crap from techs, take it to somebody who have done it before and thus is familiar with LLS, specifically Expedition (for all we know, other LLS applications for other vehicle could indeed require special tool - but not this one). The install should not be anymore expensive than regular shocks replacement.

You may want to have the vehicle aligned afterwards, a gentleman here complained of uneven wear after doing his LLS front shocks (this application is unique, it not only acts as damper but have the vehicle as load and thus is an active component of the suspension system).

Is DIY out of the question?

Orlee

 

Bilsteins and a Hellwig rear sway bar, you'll love the "like new" feel of the ride.

 

Where do I purchase the Hellwig rear sway bar at and what size bar should I get?

Shane

 

I am looking to change out my shocks. I take my Expedidtion off road maybe 1nce a year, most of my time is road trips and city driving. I want a more controlled ride, and hopefully not feel every little bump in the road. My first thought was Bilsteins, but I have read that they are a more off-road shock, and not >as< suitable for 90%+ road driving as say a Monroe Reflex or Sensa-Track.

Opinions?

 

Shane, I bought my sway bar at a local 4x4 shop. They will have right size for you based on the year of your truck. It's a simple install, maybe 30 min. of your time.

 

I have Monroe Sensa-Tracks in my 1999. Not a great shock. Didn't notice any improvement in ride, and they seem a bit underdamped. I'm definitely going to look at Bilsteins soon.