FireFoxxy
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• Bakersfield, CA, USA |
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• Registered on 9/9/2005 |
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• 16 posts |
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 Posted:9/13/2005 14:20 |
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Ok so I bought a 2001 V10 Excursion with 43,000 miles recently which I had been wanting for awhile now.
I have decided I want to help out the ride and will be purchasing Landyot's rods and sway bars....
What I was wondering is, what are the pros and cons to adding sway bars to the front and rear? Does it affect turning radius? Should I only add a sway bar to the rear and if so, what are the advantages over adding it only to the rear? Will all this help the ride since I am pretty sure I have factory shocks installed? I just want the vehicle to stay where I put it and not feel like every little bump and sharp turn is going to send me through the window......
Now for the weird question about the brakes. I notice it takes very little movement of the pedal for the brakes to work. So I was stopped at a light today and had light pressure on the brake at first and decided to press the brake down even harder to make sure I was stopped good enough. Well the vehicle lunged slightly and then caught again with the brake... I thought it seemed strange so I came home and tried the same scenerio again in the driveway, it did the same thing. So I put it in park and press the brake pedal and it seemed and sounded like it revved the engine slightly and the rpm's went up to about 1.5..... So I pressed it a few more times in park, and it didn't repeat itself.
I also put it in drive and pressed the brake harder and it didn't lunge, it just held the normal braking.
Has this happened to anyone and what is the cause? I haven't had any ABS warning lights come on or anything and I don't recall it happening with any other vehicle I owned.
Thanks for the input  |
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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:9/13/2005 15:38 |
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| Quote: | | What I was wondering is, what are the pros and cons to adding sway bars to the front and rear? Does it affect turning radius? Should I only add a sway bar to the rear and if so, what are the advantages over adding it only to the rear? Will all this help the ride since I am pretty sure I have factory shocks installed? I just want the vehicle to stay where I put it and not feel like every little bump and sharp turn is going to send me through the window...... |
Have you checked out the 5 must do's at this link?
http://www.supermotors.org/clubs/fordexcursions/articles/article_2/index.php
You already have an anti-swaybar up front. Turning radius will not be affected by adding a rear swaybar. Adding a swaybar to the rear greatly reduces body-roll ... that rocking side-to-side motion when you pull out from a parking lot ... and keeps your vehicle more level while cornering. If you do have the OEM shocks, replace them. It seems almost any aftermarket shock absorber will be a notable improvement.
New shocks, rear Hellwig swaybar & radius-rods will have you falling in love with your X all over again ... the truck, that is ... not the x-wife.
The brake problem sounds strange. That's a new one to me. Anyone else got any ideas? |
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JohnBoy
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• DFW, TX, USA |
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• Registered on 9/3/2002 |
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• 972 posts |
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Posted:9/13/2005 16:34 |
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Hitting the brakes makes it Lunge ?!?
MY advice don't do that again
But that is definetly a safety concern...
wonder what would happen in a panic stop ?
Best get it in to check it out...
I would call the place you got it and see if they will assist in any way...
if that is a defect they hid during the sale, you might have some legal recourse...
2005 6.0L 4x4 Eddie Bauer Ex
2003 6.0L 4x4 Limited Ex - traded in (BooHoo )
"The Republicans should back off and let men marry men, women marry women, and legalize abortion. In three generations there would be no Democrats." |
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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:9/13/2005 20:44 |
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Sway bars ultimately limit suspension travel. But we are talking limiting it from full flex capabilities -- something which you will never experience on-road or while towing. Off-road guys often times have quick-disconnects on their sway bars so they can have better on-road handling and when they need to, they can disconnect and enjoy serious offroading and the full flex of their suspension.
It is normal for the engine RPM to go up when pressing down further on the brakes (while stopped). Mine does this.
If your vehicle is lunging when you press on the brakes further, then I'm wondering if there's an issue with the brake fluid level or if there is air in your brake lines. Might want to bleed your brakes or take it to a mechanic that can do it for you if you are not comfortable with that procedure.
Good luck and welcome to the club!
-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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FireFoxxy
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• Bakersfield, CA, USA |
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• Registered on 9/9/2005 |
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• 16 posts |
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 Posted:9/14/2005 09:55 |
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Thanks for the great responses and the warm welcome. Another question. In looking for the rear Hellwig sway bar, I noticed that they look a little different depending on the website.... I would like to get the best deal and from what I have seen, JC Whitney has it. It says it is for my specific application so I assume it will work fine but noticed it looks a little different than another website might show. But then again, all the websites look different from one another, at least the ones I've looked at. Is the Hellwig sway bar at JC Whitney the one I need?
Oh and also, can I get away with Monroe shocks? They are currently OEM and Monroe has always been good to me for the money.
Thanks in advance
Marcia aka FireFoxxy
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JohnBoy
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• DFW, TX, USA |
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• Registered on 9/3/2002 |
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• 972 posts |
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Posted:9/14/2005 10:18 |
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Helwig only makes one rear bar for the X... maybe the sites are showing pics of a "representative" bar?
and I got mine from JC Whitney... IIRC it was a 7143 or 3174 or something like that... (sorry been a while)
here's a hint - call them up and ask for discounts...
that u saw it cheaper on another site...
EVERY time - I've either gotten a discount or free fast shipping !!!
2005 6.0L 4x4 Eddie Bauer Ex
2003 6.0L 4x4 Limited Ex - traded in (BooHoo)
"The Republicans should back off and let men marry men, women marry women, and legalize abortion. In three generations there would be no Democrats." |
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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 |
• 1
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Posted:9/15/2005 08:38 |
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| Quote: | Thanks for the great responses and the warm welcome. Another question. In looking for the rear Hellwig sway bar, I noticed that they look a little different depending on the website.... I would like to get the best deal and from what I have seen, JC Whitney has it. It says it is for my specific application so I assume it will work fine but noticed it looks a little different than another website might show. But then again, all the websites look different from one another, at least the ones I've looked at. Is the Hellwig sway bar at JC Whitney the one I need?
Oh and also, can I get away with Monroe shocks? They are currently OEM and Monroe has always been good to me for the money. |
Marcia,
Like JohnBoy said, the different websites you're looking at are probably using a "one-size-fits-all" photo of the sway bar. The Hellwig rear sway bar for the Excursion will be the same no matter where you order from. Just order it from the place with the best price! I think I purchased mine from jegs.com and at the time it was $135 shipped to my door.
Monroe shocks will be fine -- anything over stock shocks is an improvement!
-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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