Suspension
Rear Sway Bar
The rear sway bar will completely transform the way that this 4,000 LB SUV handles. Steeda and aFe are the two manufacturers of aftermarket rear sway bars for the Explorer ST’s, and I would recommend aFe. As far as performance goes, Steeda is slightly better but Steeda’s sway bar rusts out really bad in just a year or two while the aFe does not.
Front Sway Bar
The front sway bar is extremely hard to install and there is no worthwhile difference.
Upgraded Shocks
Kelltrac offers their adjustable Viking shocks for the rear on these vehicles. They do not offer struts for the front. These are the only aftermarket shocks available for the 6th-gen Explorer. They retail for $699, which is pricey but these will definetly be worth it for those launching the car often.
A cheaper option if you just want some better performance, the Police Interceptor Utility (PIU) shocks are a great upgrade. Noticeably firmer, but not effecting ride quality too much, these PIU shocks are a great upgrade for rather cheaply.
Lowering Springs
Lowering springs are probably my favorite cosmetic mod, but it also helps handling also. Steeda, H&R, Lethal Performance, and Eibach are offerings for lowering springs.
Steeda Lowering Springs
Steeda’s lowering springs retain the factory “rake” of the suspension (rear is higher than front). If you tow any type of medium-large trailer or if you just plain like the look of the “rake” this is your best option. Steeda’s setup will give you more control over a trailer then other offering.
H&R
H&R was the first company to provide lowering springs for the ExST community and they are the most popular offering. They are a great springs and nothing but positive reviews for them. The advertised drop is 1.6In. front/1.75In. rear.
Lethal Performance
Lethal Performance’s springs were plagued with problems, but now seem to have been fixed. The advertised drop is 1.8In. front/2.0In. rear.
Eibach
Eibach is another choice. They have the most drop when they settled. In my opinion, these would be the ones I would purchase.
Coil overs
Coilovers look amazing, as they drop the car a lot. I do not recommend them though. The reason is, is when you lower the vehicle past what all the lowering springs do, it is very difficult to get it aligned correctly. Graveyard and FV Coilovers are cheaply built, crappy system. BC Forged is new to the game, and they seem to be better quality. My biggest critique is that BC Forged themselves said that their coilovers are not meant for aggressive driving. Big turn off for me.
Rear Toe Links
Rear toe links prevent instability and wheel hop during hard launches. It is one of the top noticeable mods and paired with a subframe lockout, eliminates any wheel hop. Wheel hop on these cars can lead to the destruction of the axles and half-shafts. Steeda and Fen Fabrication both produce them, with no difference between them.
Subframe Lockout Kit (also known as Subframe Bushings)
Subframe lockout kit helps prevent the subframe from moving during hard cornering or launches, giving the car a solid feel, no wheel hop, and a connected feel when cornering.
*Steeda has forced FenFab to not produce their subframe lockouts*
Rear Vertical Links
The rear vertical links are extremely weak, being extremely easy to bend. Because of the noodle-like rear vertical links, it contributes to horrible wheel hop and bad handling. Thankfully, there’s two different ways to fix this, one by Steeda, the other one is the FenFab. The FenFab unit is solid, with no cavities, making it a lot stronger.
Steeda’s option is a solid block to insert into the stock links, filling in that space. It works, just probably not as well as the FenFab unit. Problem is, some people have found that the stock link was bent, making it impossible to insert the Steeda unit.
Alignment Tip
The front and rear track width is exactly the same on our vehicles, but due to a weird rear camber setting, the rear wheels look like they are sucked in more then the front wheels. Updating the rear camber to -.5 degrees will set the wheel where it should be.
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Explorer ST Enthusiasts 