Sport Trac Handling better or worse than...

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J

John D 3

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Ok, I just typed that title to get people to look!

I just joined, so Hi. :D



I do have a question, being that I just bought an '02 ST.

I've had an Xterra, Chevy Blazer, and a '95 Explorer 4D/4WD. So, I'm used to SUV's.

But, I've been reading on this forum, and it has me a bit concerned. Is this vehicle more prone to rollover? If I get the apparently requisite new shocks, rear SB, front SB, and all that, will it be on par with other trucks/SUV's or better than those, or what?

It "feels" a bit tippier, but honestly it could be that in between this truck and my last truck, I was driving a Honda Civic! :lol:

I know its got to do with driving (I drive sane and slow) and I'm sure its subjective and all, but just wondering your opinions (although I guess you guys are a bit biased!)



Thanks for any opinions!



JD
 
it seems that way. im 16 years old and a boy and i like to drive a little fast. i also have an 02 sport trac and when i take corners it doesnt feel tippy
 
Get rid of the OEM shocks and put a different rear stabilizer bar on. Both are a very affordable mod and worth EVERY penny as the improvement is dramatic...
 
Shocks are all that is really neccessary to get the ST feeling good.



However the rear swaybar does help a lot too... but I drive fast.
 
About U-Haul...



They wouldnt rent me a trailer because of all the lawsuits with the Explorer roll-overs years ago. I know what your saying.
 
Welcome - do the shocks and the rear sway bar. The trac handles fine. If you do unrealistic manuvers yes you can tip it over. I have a 3" body lift with the EE rear sway bar and updated shocks. I feel VERY comfortable driving this truck. At first it seems or feels like it is tippy but drive it a while and it is just different from what you were used too.



Enjoy your new ride!
 
Welcome and enjoy the Trac.I also recommend doing the Front End Links from AutoZone (Moog). They are extremely cheap Mod.
 
With new shocks and EE Swaybar I would put the Trac up against any truck. Makes a big difference in ride and handling.
 
The first generation Sport Trac was more prone to Rollovers simply because it was based off the old generation of Explorer. All SUV's designed in that era were prone to rollover accidents.



You can do things to help prevent rollover accidents. Lowering your vehicle will lessen the risk of rollovers. Also will an upgraded rear sway bar and possibly shocks.



The best single thing you can do to help you is wear a fricking seat belt. Yep, it is not rocket science here. Seatbelts save lives. Rollover acciddents are a very small percentage of accidents. They do kill a high percentage of those involved in rollover accidents.



90% of those that were killed WOULD have survived if they would have buckled up.



Yup, wearing a seatbelt could have saved those lives that were killed in those rollover accidents.





Tom
 
90% of those that were killed WOULD have survived if they would have buckled up.
Click to expand...



Tom, That seems high. Where did you get that statistic?



The NTSB gives the ST one of the worst rollover ratings: two stars. Anything that will widen the stance or lower the center of gravity will make your truck safer. Also, new shocks and stiffer sway bar will help you control your vehicle better. My truck also rode better with large, wider tires than come stock on our STs.
 
Wow. 2 stars, eh?

Yikes.



Crap.



Didn't do any research before buying...stupid me. Figured it couldn't be worse than the '95 Explorer I had.



:blink:
 
Welcome to the site, John. You are absolutely correct when you say that the ST is not any worse than a '95 Explorer; it is not any better either.



With that said, I definately agree with all of the above (upgrading the shocks, rear anti-sway bar, etc.). In addition I strongly recommend that you upgrade the front end links to the MOOG Problem Solver end links for about $30. In '03 Ford made the frame stiffer, so upgrading some of the OEM stuff like the rear leaf spring bushings / pads, the rear anti-sway bar end links, and inspect the body mount bushings to see if they need to be replaced as well. What I have learned about the shocks is that the Monroe Sensa-Trac & Rancho RS5000 are pretty much the same and will give you the most comfortable (car like) ride; if you want a little better handling, but still keeping the ride on the more comfortable side you might go with the Monroe Reflex / Rancho RSX; if you want optimal performance you want to consider the monotube shocks like KYB Momomax, Bilstein, or Edelbrock IAS Performer shocks (people here either like or dislike the Edelbrocks). Hope that helps. :)
 
Thanks for the welcome to the site!

Part of me is tempted to go for the whole nut, and make it the best handling ST I can. I read on the "other" explorer forum, that most people found the EE rear swaybar to be the "crowning jewel" in the EE package, but I'm wondering if anyone here has used the big package from EE, which lowers the ride height, uses the Edelbrock shocks, and all.

They claim it yields a .82g on the skidpad, or something like that.

Which, and please forgive me b/c I don't know much about car performance and all that, looks like it would be close to a Honda Accord or something, handling-wise.



I guess, basically, I'm wondering if anyone has used the entire EE handling package, and if they liked it. Wondering if I could truly get the handling (performance wise, not ride-comfort) on par with a "normal sedan" or even better. BMW M3 level would be awesome, but I don't expect that much! :rolleyes:



So, obviously, I have a 2WD, do 100% street driving, and would be willing to sacrifice a bit of comfort for performance (handling, not concerned, yet, about speed.)



Whew, sorry for being so verbose.



JD
 
At about 35mph I hit some black ice while going up a small hill on otherwise dry pavement, the back end came out around and I lost control. I did a 180, sliding off-road onto a raised bank of grass and dirt.



The ST never felt like it was going to tip...not in the least. That was with stock everything on an '04 XLT.



TJR
 
If I get the apparently requisite new shocks, rear SB, front SB, and all that, will it be on par with other trucks/SUV's or better than those, or what?
Click to expand...

No doubt better compared to other solid-axle trucks. IRS is better for handling however.
 
If you want a sport car-like ride, get stiff shocks and a stiffer rear anti-sway bar. Consider a larger diameter rim with a tire profile that retains the outside diameter of the current tire. This will reduce the amount of sidewall and associated flex, without raising the center of gravity. It will also make the ride a bit more "positive" feeling (more road feel). It doesn't take much of a change to feel a difference (I went from a 15 to a 17" rim).



I have the KYB MonoMax shocks with the EE rear anti-sway bar. The shocks in the rear are good for me, but I find the front a bit soft for my driving style. You should consider both for different reasons - the shocks for overall ride quality and the anti-sway bar for handling. They both make a noticeable improvement.



My impression is that the EE rear anti-sway bar works well with the (4x4) stock front anti-sway bar, as the steering is near neutral with just a hint of under steer. Much better than with the stock rear anti-sway bar. I did replace the end links and bushings of the front anti-sway bar and, while the replacement parts are superior to the stock, I could not feel a difference.



I have 265/65-17 tires on 17x8" rims with 3.5" of backspace. The tires are about a inch wider than stock (1.18") and with the decreased backspace, the track (not Trac) is about 3" (3.18”) wider with a bit over 1/2" (0.6") raise in ride height. While center of gravity went up a bit, the track increased more than five times as much as that raise.



Overall, very nice handling. It's not a slalom racer (or Accord or M3), but it does very well on freeways and mountain roads.

 
Yardsale, As you may know I have my stock 4x2 front anti-sway bar and upgraded to the MOOG front end links. Where I noticed the difference with the front end links is when going over curbs & speed bumps at an angle I do not get that mushy side-to-side motion. I also noticed the difference when going down Hwy 50 from Lake Tahoe doing 70 mph on a curve I was in total control even with twin tube shocks.
 
Ok...Thanks to all so far. I'm trying to soak all the info in...again, I'm slow with car parts/repair, etc.

So, Yardsale, I was following until you said "backspace"...

Is this the same as a spacer? Is that something that moves your wheel out?

Is it safe? Sorry if that's a stupid question.

So you basically got the anti sway, the shocks, new tires/wheels with backspace.

But you don't think its quite as "agile" as a regular sedan? Close, but not quite?



I love the details I'm gettin, just trying to make sure I understand.

I kind of get that the skid pad is a pretty good indicator of this kind of thing. The BMW X5 gets about an .82 or so. And I keep hearing that its agile for an SUV.

So that's kind of what I'd be shooting for.

:D

 

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