Grabbed an '06 Exploder last week, this one has the 4.6 3v, it's an eddie bauer. Pretty nice riding/driving buggy. I like it. Wheels aren't stock....sucks.
(https://i.imgur.com/1HuygCh.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/mAQuI2Q.jpg?1)
Nice!
These seemed to be a lot better built than the 02-05. My grandfather had one with the V6.
He and my grandmother gave it to me when he stopped driving just a few short years later...
They are shockingly quiet on the highway, and smooth too. Watch your speedometer..........
Oh yeah, for sure. I can cruise along at 65, look at something, and I'm doing 80 without trying...the 3V has some power up top, compared to the old 5.0 in my '98..lol
This thing is still going strong. Word to the wise, if anyone has one or is thinking about buying one...the coils are expensive for the OEM stuff, and the cheap shiznit is just that...cheap shiznit. About to put the third set in since I bought it. This time I'll go with the Motorcraft.
Otherwise, it's had 6 new tires, had about 4 heater hoses replaced, finally put a 14 or 15 pound cap on the radiator (replaced the 20#), and other than needing brakes in the near future, along with ball joints, hubs, tie rod ends, and bearings, it's still going strong. Has a Magnaflow with gutted cats. It runs alright. Had a shiznit talking buddy in a chevy truck...got stuck out in the mud a few weeks ago when it rained. He called me to see if I could drag him out. I did. Now he wants an Exploder too LOL.
The new "new" kid limo and wagon draggin' home repair hauler:
(https://i.imgur.com/WfJiexA.jpg)
I've had this since December, this is how she sits as of today. Wheels are from a '21 F150 Sport. 33x12.5 on there, 18" wheels. Has a 3"/2" strut spacer (the only "lift" for these, unless your name is Chuck or gumby, those guys could whip up something I'm sure..)
Anyway, this one holds 8 people and a dog, or 2, and will pull the shaging barn down, and keep on pulling it.
I will likely put a 3" strut spacer in the back, and a 3.5" in the front. The back still feels too low and that was after I replaced the non OEM rear springs with Moogs Ride quality went up, took out just over an inch of sag, but still needs to be higher. I could've out a 35" tire all around and not had an issue, but went with 33" for now. Limited slip in the back diff wants to be replaced, I'll just do that, this thing is more a rough road, snow, and some mud "gitter through 'er" than a hard core off roader, so I don't need nor want an air locker or the like. Also the reason I don't have those shagwit 50 thousand lumen LED lightbars like all the shagwits do on their old square body chevy trucks....believe me, the lights on this thing are plenty.
Mods: Magnaflow, 3"/2" Readylift spacers, LED tailights, LED headlight bulbs, tinted LED 3rd brake light, 5 star tune, Stehlen grille, Gotts mod, and a Pioneer display.
Working on mounting a small discreet bio metric pistol lockbox somewhere where it's out of the way of the rear seats folding mechanisms but still accessible quickly from the front seat or driver side backdoor. I'm also going to get the front door glass tinted, and the moonroof, and who knows what will be next.
Rumor is Ford has a 7.3 gasser.......I feel like a "big block" Expy would be pretty ed awesome.
It runs strong, I can get away with 87 octane on the lower tune, and stepping it up I have to run 91. Ought to drag a good sized boat like it's nothing. Has the HD tow package and brake controller already, too.
It's an '11.
Congrats! Looks great!
Curious, do the Expeditions have a 4 low?
Mine does, I think the first gens may not have had it though. It's pretty handy, had to use it to drag a tractor this morning.
My '06 Explorer (V8) also has a real 4 low option.
Watch your front drive alxe angles with the spacers for a lift. Anything more than a 2" spacer on the F150's is no bueno and the ride starts to suck. I know you can use the Bilstein 5100's on the Expeditions like the F150's and you can rise them around 2.5 inches that way and the ride doesn't suffer and the front drive axle angle is affected as much.
https://www.expeditionforum.com/threads/2011-expedition-lift-options.30301/
I had the 5100's on all four corners of my old '14 F150 Limited and it was fantastic. Will be doing the same thing on my '20 F150 as soon as the stockers start going to slush which is generally at the 40K to 50K mark.
The 5100s are out of stock, at least for Expys, I've got 4600s in mine, they're not adjustable, but otherwise good to go.
The axle angle will change regardless of how it's lifted. Strut spacer, or longer shock, either way, the LCA gets pushed down and brings the spindle and thus the axle with it...I daresay one could get more lift out of a 5100 alone, than with a 3" spacer and a 4600...
While I don't have a foot of true ground clearance, I DO have over 12" under the running boards. And let me just say, I've got a knee that starting to get dodgy...long drives, leg gets stiff, then I ed near fall out, hobble around for a minute till it gets loosened up.
Never thought I'd get old and decrepit...look at me...shagin' killin it..heh.
Nahh, all BS aside, after the bilsteins went in and the spacers, then a little later I put the Moog rear coils in, it ride so much better and doesn't feel like a plastic bag in a gale.
I do wish I had the 5100 in the rear, I could probably bring it up a tad by moving the circlip up a notch.
When the suspension is unloaded, the rear brake hoses are nearly taut...if I put a 2.5", let alone a 3" spacer back there, I'll definitely have to move the bracket down and drill a new hole and thread it to relieve some of that tension. There's enough hose to take up that slack, just the bracket hold it up higher. Mover 'er down, good to go.
Bad thing about spacers...they don't add susp travel, just total height. At least the ride itself doesn't get harsher or softer, though.
Hell of a rig, still want to find a '15+ to take for a spin to compare how different the EcoBeast feels after driving a 5.4 3v all this time LOL