Just wondering what has happened to the clearance of the ford explorers... i was looking at purchasing one, and contemplated removing the running boards it had installed to give some more clearance, but noticed the bottom of the boards is right at hte bottom of the frame?? Why so low with the frame on the new explorers???
The one I was looking at was a 2008. I didn't measure the frame, but it appeared to be 6-8" off the ground. The last explorer had much more clearance that this?
People wanted it more car-like. When's the last time you saw a Ford SUV being used off the road (except maybe to park on the grass because there isn't enough street parking for the party)?
Jeff
Dropping the frame must have made the seats more truck like than they were in the older explorers.. the old explorers were pretty short seats in the front...
That is true... Just another reason to go with a Chevy Tahoe. I don't want to go that route for cost, but the Expedition suffers the a few less, but very similar deficiencies as the explorer.
Shame, even pathfinders now don't come with a frame under them.
Why is that a shame?
Some things work better without a frame. Cheaper to make and less weight.
Jeff
I think you are confusing the appearnce of ground clearance with actual ground clearance. I pulled the following numbers off the interent for various year 4 Door Explorers:
6.6" - 1991 7.4" - 1995 6.7" - 2001 8.5" - 2002 8.3" - 2008No matter what the height of the chassis for the old Explorer, the differential pumkin was the lowest item. For the IRS Explorers, this is no longer the case.
Years ago when I first graduated from college I interviewed with the Ford Light Truck Division. I asked the Engineer who showed me around why they pick-up trucks were jacked up so high. I did ths becasue I grew up on a farm and thought jaciing up the bodyof pick-up was idiotic. He told me the only reason was that people wanted them that way. The illusion of ground clearance seems much more important to most people than actual ground clearance...
Ed
Ed
>
Good observation. I see trucks that are jacked up all the time producing no increase in ground clearance at all. After you jack it up you have to get bigger tires in there. Maybe jacking up the truck allows the customer to put whatever tires they want in the extra space.
"Sheldon" wrote in news:ignsfn$r0e$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:
Only partly true...Ed is correct in that the clearance measured at the lowest point (diffs) does not increase when the truck is lifted, the reason for lifting a true "off-road" vehicle is to increase the clearance of the components (tranny, transfer case, etc) between the front and rear axles and to allow fender clearance for taller tires. Driving off road when an obstacle, like a log or large rock, it is common practice to put one set of wheel on the obstacle, thereby avoiding the clearance problem at the differentials....
DaveD
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