help with lowering please pics if ya got em

[Teddy GreeneII]

ok guys, I think Im gonna lower the baby but I would like some insight, I'm looking to do it for safety, not looks. I really only want to lower it 1-2"s and take out the rake while Im at it, but I would like to preserve the ride as much as possible. Ive heard of x-spect and all but Im wondering if there's any other ideas out there. if you lowered guys (and gals) have any pics, I sure would be thankful, so thank ya.

 

[EddieS'04]

Iam with you Ted..Ilike the lowered look also, but the trac has such a short suspension travel. Especially on the front. I have heard others coment on the rouh ride and one person posted recently, he left his down for only one day. So I was thinking 1" front and rear for me.

 

[Tim Turner]

They do make 1" blocks I believe. Nevertheless, the process is still the same. Lowering blocks above the leaf springs and torsion twist. Here's a project that explains the process step by step. I plan on doing this project either this weekend or next weekend.

 

[Jerry Pollen]

I can't vouch for other peoples trac's, but when I lowered mine 2" all around, the handling greatly improved, with exception of bottoming out. I bought replacement bump stops for the front, but never installed them. The front hardly bottomed out though, only on oversized speed bumps. It wouldn't do it during daily driving though. I trimmed about an inch and a half to two inches off the rear bump stops, and the bottoming out went away.



With the EE swaybar and edelbrock shocks, lowering my trac made the ride noticably better, safer and it looked great.



When I went with 3" blocks in the rear, then the bottoming out came back with full force. Going 3" down in the rear necessitates getting replacement bump stops.

 

[EddieS'04]

Jerry...I like your trac. IMO you have set it up perfect!!

 

[Tim Turner]

Jerry, how did you like the Edelbrock shocks? I've heard that over time they can wear down and become rather harsh. Just wondering how yours held up over the period that you had the Trac. I'm looking to replace the shocks and it's a limited selection once you lower the ST.

 

[Teddy GreeneII]

Yeah guys, thank you. I read Tims prodject and that what got me thinking, but im with fast eddie felson, I only want about 1 in the front and 1 1/2 in the back as long as I can have it done correctly and the ride isnt sacraficed too much. I saw and explorer that has a 1 and 1 1/2 on it with springs, forget who makes them but it looks great.

 

[TRACket Paul]

Ted, Your '05 sits 1" higher at the rear than '02 and earlier. Starting in '03 Ford increased the height. I suggest you go with 2" lift at the rear and set the front at whatever looks good for you. I essentially have the EE X-Spec system (3"rear/lowered front for no rake) on my '03. And I'm still evaluating the overall ride. Changing the bump stops made a difference. I had been hitting a lot without realizing it, I found contact spots on all four positions. I may need to upgrade the one-year old Monroe Reflexes to KYB.