Better mouse trap
Question:
oh yeah, I forgot…no more of that 26/28 psi stuff either…leads to massive underinflation especially at hi speed under load, been running these yokos at 32 normally, 35 when I go over the road at times with a load. Also, may i suggest that BEFORE you start fooling around with suspension parts, take a hard look at your shocks…they wear out so insidiously you dont even realize it…tickled over those Monroe Reflex shocks…
Response:
Hey, thanks for the good input. I’m pleased to be in the company of someone else who "bucked the system". I bought my Explorer only about half a year ago, so I’m the second owner. From what I can see it seems to already have aftermarket shocks, by Gabriel, and the ride has been rather smooth. The bushings I’m wanting to buy wouldn’t cost me more than $45, for both front and rear, and I’ve had prior experience with suspension mods with my other vehicle, a Mustang. Stiffening these bushings will allow the bars to perform at peak efficiency, rather than flex due to soft rubber. Anyway, I look forward to the same good experiences from my choices you’ve had. Thanks again for the input! Randy We’re living in a world that’s been pulled over our eyes to blind us from the truth. Where are you, white rabbit?
Response:
I’ll try to keep this short Randy, but you discovered what I found out last year. I bought new tires for my 96 xlt from Tirerack. Yokohama Avid S/T’s; somewhat different size than the OE Goodyear Wranglers All Terrain tires that came with it. (not affected by recall). At first they wouldnt sell them to me, (by email no less) because they werent recommended by Ford, and mainly not A/T tires. The fact that i had done enough homework to get a degree in tires didnt matter. So I told them I owned a Chevy S10, which for some reason was ok to put these tires on. They are a Performance All Weather tire, somewhat wider than oe, with exactly the same load range, but better braking, heat dissipation, and wet handling than orig. The truck is about 1/2 inch LOWER than stock specs, and each tire is about 1/2 wider. They shipped them to me, I had them mounted and balanced locally. It was like driving a completely different vehicle. I was so impressed I added Monroe Reflex shocks all around, probably the best I could find for my driving style. I now call it my Explorer luxocruiser. No more side to side body roll, and the ride is much smoooother. Not to mention vastly improved handling characteristics. What fractures me is that I (emphasis on "I") did it, despite "expert" opinions not to. It has now been about a year, about 15,000 miles later, and I’d do it again in a minute. Way to go, Randy. LOL
Response:
Hello to all. Well, at long last I have my custom wheels and tires for my 96 XLT. Discount Tire mounted the tires on wheels, balanced, and otherwise prepped them for mounting. They just wouldn’t mount them. I was told this was due to the fallout over roll-over concerns. After taking them to the shop my friend told me about, who mounted them with no questions, I drove back to Discount tire. The manager had been my salesman, and since I thought he’d been great during the whole situation, I wanted him to at least see the results of his work. He was impressed, and agreed that it’s foolish to deprive Explorer owners of the option to upgrade tires/rims. Now my Explorer has the same ride height, same tight turning radius, no rubbing, but about one inch extra contact on each tire. I swear it rides smoother too. Eventually I’m going to have some Suspension Techniques polyurethane swaybar bushings for front/rear installed, which will dramatically reduce body lean in turns. I’d like to know if its allowed to post a pic on this board. I want to share a pic of my Explorer with the new rims, but won’t if it’s not allowed because of memory or something. I use webtv, so any scanned image I’d use won’t use more than maybe 3 to 4%. Anyway, I can highly recommend Discount Tire for a great selection of wheels for the Explorer. Price is outstanding too. Mine cost $140 each. Just don’t be surprised if they don’t mount them for you. Randy We’re living in a world that’s been pulled over our eyes to blind us from the truth. Where are you, white rabbit?
Response:
Related Posts