New Shocks or an EE Sway Bar

[Anthony Dao]

Hey Guys,



I have a 03 Sport Trac that I want to either add new shocks to or an EE sway bar. I just wanted to know what you guys feel would be the better upgrade to do first. I'm a college student right now and don't have the money to do both mods, although in the future I surely hope to. Any advice would be greatly appreciate.



Keep Truckin'.

 

[Frank Marano]

most will say sway bar. some will say shocks........i havent done either and I think mt trac rides fine. :huh:

 

[Cajun]

My 2 cents ........do the shocks first, you will notice a big difference right away .

 

[EddieS'04]

Shocks first will give you the most total vehicle stability, and ride control.

 

[Larry Phillips]

I did the swaybar first, and I could tell a big differance when I installed it. I would say go with shocks just to get the oscillations at every bump to stop, but it's personal preference.

Which do you want to correct first: Swaybar to increase and stabilize the handling and cut down on lateral body movement (leaning)? Or shocks to stiffen the ride, and keep control when hitting bumps? As I said, personal preference.

 

[FlipTrac_511]

When I got the EE swaybar I immediately noticed cornering ability improve. Then I upgraded to Monroe Reflexes and the oscillations after bumps, driveways, etc... were greatly suppressed. It's a toss up which you should get. I bet you'll end up getting both anyway. LOL. Maybe get the shocks first, then.

 

[TRACket Paul]

Shock absorbers first, you can do them sooner at less cost. Then the anti-sway bar.

 

[The Ape]

Do them both, there is a difference, but you still need to drive it like a truck, not a sports car.



Ape Out.

 

[Tom Schindler]

For safety, I think you really need the shocks first.





Tom

 

[James Willford]

bite the bullet, do both, best upgrade for the trac.

 

[Adam Shirley]

Whatcha think a/b the EE X-Spec kit? Awsome upgrade or a waste of money? I'm considering it but I want to get some pro's and con's before I spend that much $$$. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

This may sound like a little from left field, but last Thurs. got the Roadmaster Active Suspension installed, and all I can say is that now even the diagonal sway going over curb & gutters is gone. I've tamed the rear end of our ST. Do the RAS first.



Edit: I did our shocks first with Monroe reflex, and when one of the rear went out in less than a yr. I replaced the rears with KYB Monomax which surprisingly made the EE anti-sway bar function better which is why I will keep recommending them, and the KYB's do not make the ST ride more harsh because they are on the rear. We do not do any towing, so my comment about the RAS is for those that want to keep their ST riding less stiff. The RAS actually works on both sprung & unsprung weight. So, with all that said, for those that want a comfortable & controlled ride go with a less expensive shock like the Monroe SensaTracks with the Roadmaster Active Suspension, and then add the anti-sway bar it you still feel it is necessary. BTW, as soon as I get a chance I am going to check this out by swaping out the EE anti-sway bar with the OEM one to check this theory just to confirm, but I recommend not waiting for me to do that since I am not sure when it will happen.

 

[Anthony Dao]

Larry's post made me think about it and I realized that I primarily drive my ST on highways and paved roads. So with that said, do you guys still recommend the shock upgrade first.



Also, Tracket Paul, you mentioned I could to shocks for less money than the sway bar, but for the most part the shocks I've seen people recommend on here (Rancho, Edelbroc, etc.) are pretty pricey. Is there a after-market brand that has a good price/quality ratio?



and again, I cannot stress how awesome you guys are. Today I just cleaned my IAC b/c of a funky idle problem and now my truck runs a lot better. I just love the projects page...I'll be removing the Air Silencer tomorrow .

 

[Tim Reynolds]

Anthony, take a look at the Sensa Tracs if you don't do much off road driving. I did mine last month and it made a huge difference. No nose diving while breaking hard and less cabin lean while turning. The Sensa Tracs are much cheaper and they give a good firm ride, frankly I wouldn't want it any stiffer. After the shocks, then decide if you want the sway bar.



If you are removing your silencer (good move), I would highly recommend getting a K&N drop in filter. Remember to disconnect the battery so the computer will relearn. Good luck.



Tim

 

[TRACket Paul]

Anthony, Tim R is correct about the handling with the shocks, while the sway bar will only affect the body roll or lean on turns.



I don't know what your local sales tax is so I used 8%.

EE sway bar - (MYST member discounted, shipped to you, with tax, is approximately $190.00



Four Monroe shocks

Reflex - in store, with tax, approximately $207.00

Sensa-Trac - in store, with tax, approximately $164.00

Gas-matic LT - in store, with tax, approximately $112.00



Kragen prices used, should be the same or less at place of your choice.

 

[Richard L]

Shocks will give you the most bank for the buck. They will improve the overall ride quality under all driving conditions. The swaybar will only reduce the leaning while cornering and does nothing for the bouncing and jarring you get going over bumps with the stock shocks.



...Rich

 

[Ernie Longino]

We did the shocks (Monroe Reflex) about two months ago, and the improvement is unbelievable. I hope to add the sway bar by the end of the year.

 

[Nelson Atwell]

Shocks. I don't need the swaybar at all.

 

[Rafael Mahecha]

check out this link http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=139841



I got an 01 x sprt, i got the EE rear sway bar, the difference is great... Eventhough it is true that you still have a truck and not a sports car, the bar will allow your truck to drive more like a car; to corner at faster speeds, and performe more controlled emergency manubres (or how ever you write that)... shocks would be a great complement but they can get pricy depending on what you get...



I'm short of $$$ 2, so i got the brand new bar for about $200 (includnig s&h)... shocks will be next inline when next month's check kicks in.



the guy from the link i think he is asking about $100???, i whish i had seen this before i got mine brand new...



I guess that for better stability, you'd need to buy both, plus lower your truck a bit (for lower center of gravity), and maybe change your wheel/tire combo to aboid less tire-wall flex... (does that make sense?), but if youare like me (counting on every penny), you have to make choices and wait for more $$$



I had $200 and had to made a choice between shocks and EE sway bar.... i got the bar ;-)

 

[Anthony Dao]

Hey Rama1200



thanks for the link. Will that sway bar fit on my ST, it seems like it is for pre-2001 explorers. But man, if it's compatible I might do the bar and the less expensive shocks Tracket Paul suggested.



-Thanks again.