sport trac

**RS Sprint** · November 26th, 2002 11:29 PM

You can get a Cummins V8 TD engine for the F150 / Expedition. Though Ford never sold the cars with the Cummins V8, bolt-on siya sa engine bay. IF seryoso ka. ;)

IMHO we had an Explorer Sport-Trac for about a week. We felt it was terribly slow and wanted to get rid of it ASAP. Luckily, a friend saw it and got it from us. Kinda tight inside too.

But its handy since it has a useable but somewhat small bed. And definitely, madating siya.

**Alfalfameister** · November 27th, 2002 09:36 AM

namra:

Changing your Frontier's shocks will give you a significant improvement in the ride quality. Changing the leaf springs (or modifying them) will also net an improvement (but not as much as the shocks upgrade).

Note that upgrading the whole suspension will improve the ride of your Frontier, but it will still be a pick-up. It will ride better than other Frontiers out there (much better), but it will still not ride like a sedan (like a Cefiro).

In your case, I suggest changing the shocks immediately for your wife's sake. I know the feeling: I have a Strada, and my wife is 5 months pregnant (but my shocks have been upgraded a long time ago). She doesn't complain as much (although after using our Expedition, which I get to borrow from my dad once in a while, then she notices the BIG difference. heheh).

Contact auto_xer*yahoo.com for Bilsteins (my personal favorite). Or go to a RATS 4x4 store for the Old Man Emus. Or try Rancho, available from Ride. These cost about P20,000 for a set of four (there are also Rancho non-adjustables you can get for about P15,000). But trust me, P20,000 is one of the BEST investments you can make for your pick up.

You can also upgrade the leaf springs (P20,000 from Old Man Emu for a set of 2). Alternatively, you can remove a leaf if you NEVER (and I mean NEVER) really load up your pick up. Removing a leaf makes the rear less stiff, but also alters the carrying capacity (reducing it about 30%). If I were to remove a leaf from the leaf springs, I'd never load my car more than 50% of its rated capacity again, just to be safe).

IMm29

All the people I know who upgraded the shocks of their Expedition to Bilsteins have been VERY HAPPY. Not a single one is complaining about the investment (also about P20,000 or so for a set of 4). I'm still selling them, and my online-store will be open soon. In the meantime, you can get it from the guru: auto_xer*yahoo.com

RS Sprint

I sold Sport Tracs before, and I know what you mean by slow. Well, it's not really slow, but I have a client who greatly improved his Sport Trac. He changed the whole cat-back/muffler system, (cost him about P15,000, I think), got a K&N Filter (about P4,500, although he's saving up for the open-type Typhoon K&N which is about P23,000 or so), and upgraded the computer chip. I wouldn't call his Sport Trac slow! In fact, it even sounds quite "teen-ager vroomy".

And yes, one of my biggest complaints about the Sport Trac is that I myself find it tight inside. Great for small kids, but for long trips, even if you're only 4, I find it masikip inside. I find the CRV (even the old model) more roomy inside, believe it or not.

Ergonomics wise, the Sport Trac could use some improvements inside, too. However, it is a great car for everyday and for most of anywhere, which makes it great for weekend warriors, beach lovers, vacationers. And it's also good for chicks....

--Alf

**IMm29** · November 27th, 2002 10:18 AM

RS Sprint,
Wouldn't the V8 Cummins Diesel also be as thirsty as the gasoline V8? Kung sabagay, mas mura ang diesel sa petrol.

Alf,
Ok, m convinced now. No rush, though. Will wait for your online store to be up. Maybe by then I'll have the investment, and my shocks will show enough wear to warrant their replacement. :mrgreen:

As to the Sport Trac, it is tight. Well, relatively more spacious than the Japs, but tight by American standards. I think the reason why you find the CRV more spacious is because it's a wagon type, so there's head room behind the 2nd row seats which gives you an airy effect. The Sport Trac on the other hand doesn't have this space, which is what makes most feel claustrophobic.

**20vanda01** · November 27th, 2002 11:29 AM

Alfalfameister, changing your shocks into bilsteins, will that affect the loading capacity of you ride? my ride is crosswind, xuvi.

**namra** · November 27th, 2002 12:29 PM

Alf thanks for the advice. Hopefully by next year I may have the money for the upgrade. I am saving for the holidays. My only solution for now is just to drive slow

and avoid the moon craters at EDSA :x

**Alfalfameister** · November 27th, 2002 01:02 PM

20vanda01

First of all, I'm not sure if there's a Bilstein for Crosswind. I think there is, and I'm pretty sure there's an Old Man Emu for them.

To answer your question, changing dampers (shocks) will NOT affect the loading capacity of your vehicle. It will not affect it positively, nor negatively. The dampers are just there to dampen the oscillations of the springs, so it is the springs that affect the loading capacity.

Although changing to Bilsteins or other good aftermarket shocks for your crosswind will result in a much nicer ride.

--Alf

**kimpOy** · November 27th, 2002 01:12 PM

kung ako lang i'll go for the sport trac,
depende naman kasi sa lifestlye talaga eh
ako mahilig ako sa outdoors
kaya sport trac na ako

**vinj** · November 27th, 2002 01:52 PM

On the Sportrac... when i borrowed one before the main downside i found was the fuel consumption.. we averaged aroun 4km/l if i'm not mistaken.

Namra, if you want to improve the ride on your Frontier for time being, have one of the rear leaf spring "molye" inverted in a shop. It'll improve the ride... the casa WONT do this for you though so have it done in another shop. Take ntoe though that it'll decrease the max load limit of teh rear a bit but hey it'll give you a better ride.

**20vanda01** · November 27th, 2002 03:38 PM

First of all, I'm not sure if there's a Bilstein for Crosswind. I think there is, and I'm pretty sure there's an Old Man Emu for them.

To answer your question, changing dampers (shocks) will NOT affect the loading capacity of your vehicle. It will not affect it positively, nor negatively. The dampers are just there to dampen the oscillations of the springs, so it is the springs that affect the loading capacity.

Although changing to Bilsteins or other good aftermarket shocks for your crosswind will result in a much nicer ride.

--Alf

Alf, one more clarifying question, using the Bilstein or Old Man Emu shocks, will not change the loading capacity of the ride, but how about the over-all height of the vehicle when loaded? Will the rear end of the ride become lower than the front end? If I buy Old man Emu shocks, are there any models or part numbers that I need to be aware of?
Sorry for the many questions, I just wanted my crosswind to have a better ride.
Thanks.

**RS Sprint** · November 27th, 2002 05:21 PM

The reason why we found the Sport Trac slow was that we've had 2 Expeditions (a grey-market 5.4 which we still have with the Typhoon intake kit and the local 4.6 which we sold again after only a few months) and have an F150 Super Crew at home and hence, rather unfairly, we were expecting the Sport Trac's oomph to match the other 3, which admittedly, is quite unreasonbale.

However, IMHO the Sport Trac's fuel consumption was not directly proportional to its power.