FordExcursions.com Forums
Pawnbroker
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• Elkridge, MD, USA |
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• Registered on 8/1/2003 |
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• 2 posts |
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 Posted:8/1/2003 01:05 |
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Hello everyone. I am considering selling my two vehicles and buying an SUV. I currently have a Dodge Ram with the Cummins diesel and an Acura. I really want a diesel SUV if possible. I have a few observations after my first test drive and wanted some feedback.
1) I was immediatly impressed with the interior layout and space. I have always thought they are great looking on the outside but had never been in one. Second row seats fold flat and back seat comes out for some great hauling room.
2) The most important problem was a severe oversteer. I didn't notice it as much until I got on the highway when it became immediately noticable. It would start to drift a little and when I went to make a correction, it would feel like I was going to steer into the opposite lane. Back and forth. I had to keep my guard up and didn't feel like I could relax. In typical (un-informed) salesman fashion, the salesman told me that "they all do that because they are top heavy". Please let me know your experiences so that I know if this is typical. This was an Eddie Bauer 6.0L.
3) I thought the armrest was way too small making the seating a little uncomfortable. Are there any bigger armrests available or even something bigger that rests on the console? My truck now has one of those huge center fold-down console/armrests and is much more comfortable. As a matter of fact, except for having a much, much stiffer ride, my Ram has better seating and handles much better than the Excursion. Can I order one with a bench seat?
4) When I first went to pull out of the lot, I thought it had stalled. I had to push the pedal down about halfway to get going. Seems like a lack of low-end torque. Plenty of power and acceleration once I got going. I'm used to barely touching the pedal in my truck and taking off. It is very rare for me to push my pedal even to halfway (even towing) so it may just be a different feeling than I'm used to. All my power is way down low. After I had driven it for a while I didn't notice it as much (I got used to pushing the pedal down farther). I'm just concerned about towing power. This truck was built in March. Any changes that may have helped since then?
5) I noticed a droning sound when accelerating (like on a ramp merging into traffic). Is this normal or typical? I think I would get used to it but it is pretty loud.
6) On the positive side, this thing flies once you get used to pushing down on the pedal. The mirrors were fantastic. I love the rear door set up. It puts out serious dual A/C. Cold and a HUGE volume. Trans shifted good and the trans guage is a great idea.
7) I read somewhere that they come with dual alternators, is that true? Can it be ordered with a locking or LS rear diff? Can it be ordered with a HD suspension? What other HD options are available?
Thanks in advance,
Dave |
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 Posted:8/1/2003 15:38 |
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Well, i will take a stab at answering a few of your questions. but overall you may be happier with the gas version if you wish to retain a touchy throttle and your typical steering feel.
Pedal Feel.
Yes, with the diesel you have to give it a moment to jump to life, unlike a gas motor. To generate massive power the turbo must spool up. Such is life behind a diesel. Once your moving the pedal becomes much more responsive.
In regards to steering, and brakes.
The diesel versions are true industrial machines, without the support of engine vaccum, than you must rely on hydro/ brake-steering combo. There is no vaccum booster because the engine is making positive boost, thus you require a different setup. The steering may seem vague because the motor alone weighs in around 1000 lbs. Twice the weight of a typical V8, and with a larger leaf pack and heavy duty suspension, the steering is not like that of a Lexus or Explorer and more like an RV or Semi truck. To be honest, i dont even notice it anymore i was used to it after the first day.
Does the 6.0l have the guts to tow?
I have heard it does, I have the 7.3l diesel so I cant tell you from experience.
Armrests.
Yes, my armrest is too small. About 5 inches shorter than the one in my bronco. I have thought about poaching an armrest from a bronco and bolting it on. Your huge massive arm rest/ kitchen table combo in your Ram is just too big for me. You could have a picnic on that thing.
Yeah, I am pretty darn sure you can order on with a bench seat and cloth interior, or no interior. The X is widely used in government facilites, like police, fire, military, etc. I am sure the dealer will let you know whats available.
Locker/LS
Mine is a 4x4 and came with a ford LS in the rear and an open diff in the front.
As for the comment from the sales guy about being top heavy, I dont feel that with mine. And its lifted 6 inches. I have never test drove the new 6.0L X's, maybe the factory suspension is real smooshy or something. I can jump on my front bumper and the truck does not move, It is stiff, heavy and safe as a tank. Just some more info,
My wife took the X to her parents house to help move a couch on monday. The entire couch fit in the X with 8 or 9 inches to spare. It is ridiculously huge. I love it.
Rememeber, these are limited production vehicles, get em while you can. |
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greateastern
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• Southern, MD, USA |
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• Registered on 9/21/2002 |
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• 93 posts |
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Posted:8/1/2003 19:59 |
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Dave, I'll try to also add to the dialog.
2) The most important problem was a severe oversteer. I didn't notice it as much until I got on the highway when it became immediately noticable. It would start to drift a little and when I went to make a correction, it would feel like I was going to steer into the opposite lane. Back and forth. I had to keep my guard up and didn't feel like I could relax. In typical (un-informed) salesman fashion, the salesman told me that "they all do that because they are top heavy". Please let me know your experiences so that I know if this is typical. This was an Eddie Bauer 6.0L.
All SUVs are 'top heavy.' Jared's post above is correct. The diesel engine is HEAVY and to keep the soccer mom's happy, they put softer leaf springs than they should have. You will find MANY posts on these websites about how to improve the X's handling. The most common inexpensive fixes seem to be adding a rear stablizer bar and changing out the factory shocks to ones that actually do something. Some folks have swapped out their front springs for heavier duty springs from the F-250/350's and swear that a huge improvement in handling is gained.
4) When I first went to pull out of the lot, I thought it had stalled. I had to push the pedal down about halfway to get going. Seems like a lack of low-end torque. Plenty of power and acceleration once I got going. I'm used to barely touching the pedal in my truck and taking off. It is very rare for me to push my pedal even to halfway (even towing) so it may just be a different feeling than I'm used to. All my power is way down low. After I had driven it for a while I didn't notice it as much (I got used to pushing the pedal down farther). I'm just concerned about towing power. This truck was built in March. Any changes that may have helped since then?
The 6.0 liter diesel has the guts to tow. They have been having problems with the 'drive by wire' throttle/pedal assembly, so it is possible that the one you tested had a bad pedal assembly. I have not noticed that problem on mine, but I will also say that the throttle is not 'touchy.'
5) I noticed a droning sound when accelerating (like on a ramp merging into traffic). Is this normal or typical? I think I would get used to it but it is pretty loud.
Droning? Must be the quiet 6.0 liter. The noise from my 7.3 liter is not too noticible except when accelerating. Then it is pretty loud. I've grown to love the sound...
7) I read somewhere that they come with dual alternators, is that true? Can it be ordered with a locking or LS rear diff? Can it be ordered with a HD suspension? What other HD options are available?
Not sure about dual alternators on the X. Could be an 'ambulance package' only option. The dealer can tell you what can be ordered. Why two?
Hope this helps. I've had mine for about one year now and love it. It tows my trailer VERY nicely.
Good luck!
Gary
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'02 X LTD, 4X4, PSD, 3.73LS. True Blue & Gold. 15K miles. Pretty much stock. (Sigh!) Upgraded load range Steeltex tires. Roof rack bars removed. Ford spare tire organizer. Way overdue on getting guages... Sunnybrook 30FKS travel trailer, 31ft, 8000lb. |
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Pawnbroker
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• Elkridge, MD, USA |
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• Registered on 8/1/2003 |
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• 2 posts |
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Posted:8/2/2003 00:02 |
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Thanks for the info so far. I'm very familiar with how a diesel drives and feels. My current truck has the Cummins diesel and I have been driving it daily for the last five years. It may be that Ford has put some kind of softer springs in to satisfy the "soccer moms". If that is the case, a simple spring swap may work wonders. The problem I had didn't seem to be related to the weight of the motor necessarily. It was a definate oversteer. Some may describe it as "wandering". I wasn't able to just relax and cruise. I needed to be paying constant attention and making regular steering adjustments. I'm going to test drive a different one. As for the throttle deal, I had to push it down 1/3 to 1/2 before it did anything. It wasn't any kind of a turbo lag issue or anything so maybe the "fly by wire" needs adjusting. This truck was "new" and had about 800 miles on it. It may be that other people have test driven it and passed on it because of these problems.
Gary,
What part of Southern MD are you in? I work in Annapolis most days and spent my summers as a kid at Piney Point in St. Mary's county.
Thanks again for the info,
Dave. |
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birdman127
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• baltimore, MD, USA |
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• Registered on 10/13/2002 |
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• 581 posts |
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Posted:8/3/2003 06:43 |
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WoW, Watch us Maryland members grow! One day we will have enough for a MD chapter. Hey guys try this link, http://www.fordtruckworld.com/forums/forum.ten/508. Join up and maybe we can meet up once in awhile
Gary, I fixed my steering problem when i placed a Rancho steering stabilizer shock on!
Scott
Moderator
Scott
2000 ltd 6.8 V10*4.30LS*
Lots of mods
check my gallery
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E. Long
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• Subscriber since 1/1/2001 |
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• Atlanta, GA, USA |
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• Registered on 1/23/2001 |
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• 2,229 posts |
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Posted:8/3/2003 09:37 |
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Dave,
With regards to your steering question...it seems to be one of the most common complaints about these vehicles other than the ride quality. Like it was mentioned above, you will get used to it pretty much right away. I find that driving my wife's car seems weird now because I'm constantly correcting when I don't need to. It has become so automatic in my X that I never notice it anymore...I find it a breeze to drive and relax. In the rare occasion when I let someone else drive it, they seem to initially struggle with keeping the X between the lines on the road...after an hour or so they get used to it. 
-Eric
'67 Galaxie 500 - 390 FE, .030" over, FE to AOD adapter, disc brake conversion. The Daily Driver.
'00 Excursion - 7.3L PSD, LANDYOT Gen-II Radius Rods, Factory Tech Valve Body, 200K+ miles and going |
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LANDYOT
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• Subscriber since 11/23/2003 |
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• Newport News, VA, USA |
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• Registered on 7/15/2003 |
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• 1,110 posts |
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Posted:8/4/2003 15:57 |
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The "wandering" is caused by two things. First, the Excursion is built on the same chassis as the F250, F350, F450 & F550. On the X, F250 & F350, Ford inserted some spacer blocks between the leaf springs and the axle housing. This is because the leaf spring mounting points are located high on this chassis to accomodate the tall stack of springs used on the F450 & F550. Second, the X gets a lighter set of leaf springs because it's not expected to carry the same payloads as the F250 & F350. The X is basically an overgrown station wagon ... a "soccer-mom-mobile" if you like.
As soon as the X leans, or swerves toward one side, the rear axle gets "out of joint" ... or is no longer exactly perpendicular to the vehicle's centerline. This is caused by a common ailment of leaf spring type suspensions known as spring wrap ... only the X gets it extra bad due to the combination of spacer blocks and weaker springs. I solved this problem by fabricating a set of radius-rods, which keep the rear axle in a controlled arc, and practically eliminates the spring wrap. Theses rods also smooth out the ride tremendously whenever you're travelling over bumpy, or washboard-like surfaces. Mine now rides straight as an arrow, and smoother, too.
I am currently fabricating a set for a buddy's F350 dually to smooth out his ride.
I've run across this problem on another vehicle many years ago. But then, I could buy the rods commercially. I can no longer find anyone making these rods for any vehicle anymore. Hence, I built my own.
FYI ... I had already installed a Hellwig rear sway bar, and Rancho RSX9000 shock absorbers. They do what they're supposed to do. But nothing improved the driveability more than the radius-rods.
Build yourself a set ... you won't be sorry. I'm currently in the process of getting a patent for mine.
Good luck,
Ken E. |
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R. U. Kidding
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• South, MS, USA |
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• Registered on 8/9/2003 |
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• 2 posts |
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Posted:8/9/2003 22:34 |
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My O1 X 7.3 (4x4)with the X rated front springs began to wander badly about 30000 miles. Had the front end lined up and even though it was not out much, it corrected it. Don't have enough experience with my new 04 to make any remarks yet. It did come from the factory with a rear sway bar that was not on the 01. Sure like the new 5 speed auto and free reving 6.0 engine. Makes the truck feel lighter and more agile though I am sure its mostly in my mind.  |
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FamilyRideII
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• Flower Mound, TX, USA |
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• Registered on 8/7/2003 |
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• 51 posts |
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Posted:8/10/2003 12:52 |
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| Quote: | | My O1 X 7.3 (4x4)with the X rated front springs began to wander badly about 30000 miles. Had the front end lined up and even though it was not out much, it corrected it. Don't have enough experience with my new 04 to make any remarks yet. It did come from the factory with a rear sway bar that was not on the 01. Sure like the new 5 speed auto and free reving 6.0 engine. Makes the truck feel lighter and more agile though I am sure its mostly in my mind. |
You actually have an '04 Ex? Cool!! I didn't think they were on the street yet (although they already have incentives out).
I found a dealer with an '03 equiped exactly how we want it, except the tow mirrors that dealers seem to be scared of, but I'm sure the $2000 rebates are not far behind for the '04's adn the '03's deminish.
Anything different about the '04?
2004 Eddie Bauer Excursion
4x4 6.0 PSD, all the goodies, Superchips 1704, Magnaflow, Isspro Gauges, 285 REVO's |
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FamilyRideII
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• Flower Mound, TX, USA |
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• Registered on 8/7/2003 |
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• 51 posts |
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Posted:8/15/2003 15:53 |
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Just drove an '03 with 6.0 and all the goodies. To respond to question #2, I've driven an early '03 with 7.3 and felt the same "wandering" if you will. The truck rode like a dream, but keeping it centered was tough and it felt almost loose.
This one today was solid as a rock!!!! Absolutly rode and handled great! I'd say the wandering must be something that can be corrected.
This on did have the bell housing "drip" though.
On another note, I buy on A Plan which is nice, but the way the Excursion tanks value so quick, it doesn't help my comfort level. What are you guys paying right now for '03's not including the rebates? An example is this one, MSRP for $51670.
2004 Eddie Bauer Excursion
4x4 6.0 PSD, all the goodies, Superchips 1704, Magnaflow, Isspro Gauges, 285 REVO's |
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