The factory suspension on the Excursion was a mess the day it rolled off the factory floor.
Now that the factory sized wheels and tires are installed, the four inch “lift” on Fessick looks as bad as it drives.
And it’s not just because of the simple lift kit. The lift consists of just blocks on the rear axle and drop shackles on the front. Nothing was done to correct the defects in the factory suspension.
The Excursion shares most of its components with a crew cab, short bed F-250. The designers decided that women wouldn’t want to climb into the SUV, so they lowered the Excursion about two inches. They also thought that the truck springs were too stiff for “soccer moms” so they used lower & softer springs. Brand new, the Excusrion had one inch of travel before hitting the bump stops.
Now consider the differences between the Excursion and the pickup. The Excursion carries a steel roof, side panels, rear heater & A/C, and third row bench seat that the truck doesn’t. Additionally, the Excursion carries 44 gallons of fuel hard against the rear bumper. The truck carries its 28 gallon fuel tank amidships. Both spare tires are carried the same distance behind the rear axle; the pickup below the bed, the Excursion against the left wall.
In addition to having a less capable suspension, the SUV is carrying more weight.
One of the previous owners of my truck decided to make it taller so he could install 35 inch tires. Clearly, he didn’t realize he could buy a set of take off F-250 (or F-350) springs for pretty small dollars. He went even cheaper and added 4″ tall blocks between axle and spring in the rear and drop shackles in the front.
The truck is lifted, but I hit bump stops over highway expansion joints. After a quarter of a million miles, my rear springs are flat and my fronts are concave.
One of the project goals for Fessick is to tow a travel trailer to Disney World before my daughter turns 10 (and has to pay adult admission). Clearly the suspension needs to be revised before we buy the trailer.
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