New ST Owner

Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Ford SportTrac Forum

Help Support Ford SportTrac Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
F

Funk Apotamus

Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2009
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Location
OKC, OK
Hey all,

I'm a new ST owner and I admit I didn't do much research. I just liked the look and saw good reviews from other owners. I will use it for hauling my 7 year old and our two large dogs around. Also for towing the boat and hauling dirt bikes and 4 wheelers. I have three questions:

A. What cool stuff about my 05 XLT do I not know (hidden access panels, features, etc.)

B. What are some commonly recommended things I need to know for performance, fuel economy. (The only thing I have read so far is that a K&N filter shows significant improvement and is a must.)

C. What are some lower cost accessories I can get that will make me even happier with my ST?

Thanks to all for helping a new owner out!
 
Aloha and Welcome to the best Sport Trac site, by light years.

Keep reading, these people are amazing! :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Funk,



Behind the back seat, driver's side is an access panel for the jack, and a good place to store small stuff (flares, rags, garbage bags, small tool bag, etc.).



Best thing for fuel economy is to avoid jackrabbit starts, and unnecessary braking (like I tell my 16 year old driver, don't "stomp on the gas" just to have to "stomp on the brake" a 1/4 mile up the road).



#1 accessory that is low cost and WILL make you very, very happy with the ST and that you can do yourself is to perform the cheap automatic tailgate lock project. That was my favorite mod, and cost less than $15 in parts. Chop's project is listed below (click link).



Also, get NEW shocks. Rancho RSX are often buy 3 get 1 free, with free shipping, and Pep Boys will install them for you. Well worth the $200 to $300 total investment. The ST will be MUCH safer.



TJR
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Funk,



Welcome to the site and congratulations on picking up an ST. You will not regret your decision!

The three questions you've asked are basically the same ones that have attracted us all to this site.



The answers to those three questions are located here, it just takes some digging and research to find. I COULD answer those questions for you, but it would be based solely on my opinion.



My recommendation to you (and what I did when I first signed up for this site) is to check out the list of "Sport Trac of the week" recipients to start. There is a good mix of trucks and styles for you to choose what look you think will best suit YOUR ride. I also spent a lot of time on www.cardomain.com, as there are tons of Sport Tracs on there too.



Next you might check out individual members' photo libraries (by clicking on the folder next to our names) and get in touch with people by emailing them to ask them questions about their trucks. I've had a few members email me to ask about tires/wheel spacers and stuff like that.



Anyway best of luck, take care, and get some pictures up.
 
GET NEW SHOCKS NOW if you have the stock ones!!!



Seriously-- the stock shocks were crap from the assembly line!



Best improvement I ever made to my '03 Adrenalin and I learned it from reading this site!
 
Hi Funk, Welcome to the Site! Be sure to send in pictures of your Sport Trac so you will be eligible for ST of the week!



As for mods, I have a 2001 Sport Trac. I dont know if it changed from mine, but the stock shock absorbers were terrible from the get-go. I replaced mine with Monroe Reflex and am very happy with them. (Others have used Rancho RSX and Sensatracs too) Also, the rear anti sway bar on the 2001 was skinny and weak. I replaced mine with the Addco bar and it increased the stability a WHOLE LOT. Like driving a different truck! I also replaced the front anti sway bar with an upgraded one, but the factory one is pretty good.



Like I said, I dont know for sure that this would apply to the 2005 you bought, but someone will chime in and let you know. Again, Welcome to the site!



Dave
 
Like everyone else said, change the shocks! If you have Goodyear Wranglers, get rid of them, too! Another fairly cheap mod is the "poor man's cold air intake." I have it on my 2005 and don't regret it. It looks good, sounds good, and may give you a little boost in economy and performance.
 
hey man, Welcome to the site. Happy to have another member, wehnever you have any questions or need help just post it on here and there's always someone to help you out. :cool::banana::D
 
whatsup man!



i got an 05 xlt as well



definately get a SCT programmer from our site sponsor torrie!!! and throttle body from zabteck!
 
Welcome to the site, and ST'aholics (not so annonamous :D). Edit your profile to show Gen1 V6.



Yes, a good intake helps, along with removing the silencer in front of the air box. I personally recommend getting the ZabTeck throttle body; a single-in / duel-out cat back exhaust; replace your frong end links from AutoZone or Energy Suspension end links; upgrade the rear sway bar with the one from Explorer Express or ADDCO sway bar from ZabTeck, both are site sponsors; an SCT XCalibrator II or III tuner from Torrie at Unleashed Tuning; replace your front headlights with Sylvania SilverStar Ultra's; shocks here have been a matter of personal preferrence depending on what type of ride you like and driving you do, I do recommend Roadmaster Active Suspension for towing stability. See my profile, as well as Todd Z's and Fast Eddie's for other ideas; and check out all of the projects too.

 
Welcome!





A programmer would be a really fun mod. It would take awhile for the fuel savings to offset the cost of the unit but its worth it in terms or pure fun.



One of the things I've come to love about the first gen ST is their look when lifted. Lifting these things is pretty cheap and they look awesome, almost military! Of course...that kills your fuel economy.



In general, Ford's 4.0L V6 is horrible on fuel. They get the same fuel economy as their 4.6L V8. Fuel economy would not be my priority mod with an ST.



 
Welcome to the site. Good folks and info here.

Sometimes we argue, sometimes we get corny. But we always help each other. That includes help with more than our Tracs..:D
 
WOW! All the old timers have kicked in. They are giving great advice!



swshawaii is correct, "these people are amazing!"



btw: I meant "old timers" buy the number of posts, not age (at least for some of you).



 
Welcome to the Site ! You definitely have found the best site for Tracs that there is. You will not regret your choice ! If you can't find out here how to fix something or get a deal on something, you ain't gonna find it. :cool:
 
btw: I meant "old timers" buy the number of posts, not age (at least for some of you
Click to expand...



That made me check my post count. How the hell did I get 1701 posts! I can't believe I'm on this site so much. It must be awesome!



I don't feel so bad though. Some of these guys have over 10,000 posts! That is pretty awesome if post counts equal coolness :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
welcome to the best site out there.



if not mentioned above, contact todd or george from zabtek and get a modified TB from them. well woth the cost and you will notice abetter off the line response as well as better gas mileage. also a magnaflow cat back exhaust would be nice.



good luck and let the fun begin :banana:
 
If it means anything I'm not sure , but some or maybe all of the gen 1 tracs have a "black box" hidden somewhere that records data that could be used against you in the event of an accident. Thought you might want to know.
 
Welcome to the site. You will find an abundence of information and real life experiences here that will be extremely usefull. Go through the "projects" section and you will find repairs as well as upgrades and cosmetic work. Don't be afraid to ask that question you think might sound dumb, because somebody else has probably asked it before and was give an explanation by many of the members. BC :rolleyes:
 
If your interested in lowering your trac, go to the explorer express sight. They also have some performance stuff too. But their lowering kits include different shocks, springs, sway bars and mounts, lowering blocks and u-bolts, everything to do it right and easy to install.The best deal is everyone of the sponsors on here are top notch, first class equipment. Sometimes just googling a part comes up with good deals. I found a K&N cold ait intake kit at Crutchfields?,never heard of them before, anyway I got a polished kit for $50 off because of a scratch. Great buy. Installed it today. See my library sight.
 

Latest posts

Top