Hello everyone! Suspension modifications are often the most overlooked item when modding a vehicle, so today we will be going over suspension upgrades for the Explorer ST. All of these modifications are a must for those launching there cars often or those wanting to enhance the handling capability of their ExSTs. Enjoy!
Suspension Interchangeability
All suspension parts are interchangeable across all trims of the 2020+ Ford Explorer’s.
Rear Sway Bar
A rear sway bar is the number one way to transform the way the car handles. The car becomes much more planted at higher speeds and handling characteristics drastically improve. A front sway bar does not do anything for these vehicles, and is just a pain to install.
Rear Vertical Links
The rear vertical links are extremly fragile. As you can see in the photo below, they have a tendency to snap very easily. Steeda makes inserts to fill the void in the stock vertical links, helping strengthen them, but I feel that’s not a true fix for the problem. FenFabrication’s rear vertical links are very well built, and completely replace the weak stock units.
Rear Toe Links
The stock toe links are very flimsy, and under launches, deflect very easily. The FenFabrication toe links fix that.
Lowering Springs
Mostly known as a cosmetic mod, and a great one at that, lowering springs also help handling by lowering the vehicles center of gravity and increasing spring rates, all helping handling.
Coilovers
Coilovers are worth bringing up, as they are a well known way to lower vehicles. Coilovers for these vehicles are, put plainly, not worth the extra price compared to regular lowering springs. You can’t lower the car much more then lowering springs do without running into alignment problems. Also, there is only one good coilovers option, and that’s BC Forged. What I don’t care for about them, is that they say they don’t recommend driving aggressively with them, which is not very confidence inspiring.
Shock Upgrades
There are two different shock upgrades you can do. The first (pictured above) are the PIU shocks/struts, which are different then the ST units, and are noticeably firmer. They are a great budget OE upgrade.
The second option, and only aftermarket option, are the Kelltrac Viking shocks (only for the rear). They are a great option for those who visit their local drag strip often, and need true upgraded aftermarket shocks. They are pricey, but definitely worth it to those who launch often.
All of these modifications will improve handling and eliminate wheel hop, helping your car’s 60′ times and protecting other parts on your vehicle, such as axles (wheel hop kills axles). Hope you found this article informative! Thanks for reading and be sure to subscribe to keep up with all our latest content!
Cover Photo Credit: Kevin Krupski
Explorer ST Enthusiasts 