How capable would you consider your 4x4 Expedition?
- Thread starter Artie
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ExplorerTom
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I use mine occasionally offroad. It does well. I haven't taken it on any serious trails, but it gets me to where i need to go.
Before i threw a solid axle under the front of my Explorer, I would offroad the heck out if it. A second gen Explorer is basically a smaller version of a first gen Expedition. So other than any issues you'd run into due to the increased size (width, length) it should do fine with a set of proper tires.
Before i threw a solid axle under the front of my Explorer, I would offroad the heck out if it. A second gen Explorer is basically a smaller version of a first gen Expedition. So other than any issues you'd run into due to the increased size (width, length) it should do fine with a set of proper tires.
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Artie
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Well the reason I ask is that we plan on taking it cross country a couple times in the coming years and will be doing some highway and off road driving on the same trip. Nothing super crazy, we have a Subaru that we have done similar trips with and it's gotten us through some pretty sketchy areas but it's much smaller and lighter but I do ride regular car tires on it.
Hayes Riviere
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Mine has been pretty damn successful over it's life. It's been driving on a ****** dirt road and through unplowed snow and mud since day one, never let me down! 
It's also done some off roading too but not rock crawling. I have nothing special to let it off-road other than some winter tires. Very capable to say the least!
It's also done some off roading too but not rock crawling. I have nothing special to let it off-road other than some winter tires. Very capable to say the least!
ChrisOIFdoc
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It's not a rock crawler, but I haven't been stuck.....YET.....close to it, but not yet. Drive off road every week. Lots of washes, gullies, and deep sand in the mesa, some times mud. Drive a lot of old mine, and un-maintained forest roads in the mountains.
jeff kushner
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Picture your middle school playing fields in the winter time....now envision a 2 foot snowstorm over those same fields. Now add to your picture a 42 y/o Dad with his 10 y/o son blasting huge 4wd four-rooster-tossing donuts in those fields......yes, the 4wd Expy is a beast! I think my '99 was "tougher" than my '03 EB but I drove both in 22+" of snow in 4LO and they crawled right through. I have seen Suburbans get stuck in street snow tracks forcing me to virgin deep snow and it pulled right through.
I managed to get the '99 stuck after a big wide arced drift in deep snow built a berm right under the middle of my truck, jacking the wheels off but a little digging and a well-placed comforter at the front wheels & just putting it in gear and letting off the brake allowed it to "walk" out of the mess. That was one impressive truck. I hope this one will match that first one for guts.
jeff
I managed to get the '99 stuck after a big wide arced drift in deep snow built a berm right under the middle of my truck, jacking the wheels off but a little digging and a well-placed comforter at the front wheels & just putting it in gear and letting off the brake allowed it to "walk" out of the mess. That was one impressive truck. I hope this one will match that first one for guts.
jeff
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Artie
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The snow field sounds fun, I must admit that I wish we got some more of that here down south. Sounds like this is as much truck as people hauler. Thanks for the info!
Hayes Riviere
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Snow is fun at first but it can be a pain in the ass too after four months of it
JExpedition07
That One Member
Haven't had mine in the snow yet but have had it in soft mud and it didn't miss a beat. My 02 exploder was a beast in the snow... I ended up on the wrong side of a parkway with a 20' median (median was small where I ended up on the wrong side following someone else, it was wide when I figured out where I was). in a snowstorm because it was a white out. I put it in 4HI and plowed through the snowdrift left by the plow truck right through a foot of snow in the median then through the snowdrift on the other side to get to the correct side. That thing never missed a beat and plowed through all the snow in the world. Today's explorers can't do that.... they are AWD soccer mom wagons now...
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Hayes Riviere
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That's what happens when the world wants crossovers, and moms are too cool for minivans. They went from badass, body on frame, small, RWD small SUVs to unibody, FWD crossovers shaped like eggs. Available AWD, but its not 4WD, which is what matters. The new explorers are hideous too
ChrisOIFdoc
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LIFT IT!!! Come on Trusted Friend....I know you got some Redneck in you....Just let it out!!
08T1
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The weight does good in snow and ice. But it needs a limited slip minimum. For mud and sand lockers.
CJ
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Artie
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This is why we are looking at the new Expedition or Navigator, real 4x4 and 2 speed transfer case and it can haul a family and gear comfortably. We looked at the Explorer but the AWD was a deal breaker as we are reacing a Subaru. Don't get me wrong, the Subaru has faired well on our off pavement adventures (excepts for a few times the AWD wouldnt get the job done) but it's small, has no power.
jeff kushner
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LOL...yes, it is a beast in the snow, especially if you have some tires with some meat on them. That year I took my son out, I let him drive and it was so funny cause he nearly had to stand to see over the wheel! He couldn't believe that his dad was letting him do doughnuts in the snow-covered parking lot. I put it in 4HI for him and told him to stay "in it" but not to over-rev it...we both had a blast!
After buying my new truck last Nov. I was PRAYING for deep snow this past winter. I couldn't wait to "try out" my new truck but we never got more than 2" so I still don't know how my '17 is going to do but I have removed the black lower cowling from under the front bumper because it was going to either get ripped off by a parking lot concrete bumper or deep snow would have ripped it out so I removed it and hung it in the garage.
I never tried mountains of rocks and crap but at Lexington Ohio each year at the Vintage days bike event, it always rains making for some pretty epic mud holes and considering the weight, I wouldn't try really deep mud...anything over 6" would keep me out. I've driven my old ones('99 & '03EB) through 18" deep mud/water puddles staying on the gas so water didn't get into the exhaust but nothing deeper.
jeff
After buying my new truck last Nov. I was PRAYING for deep snow this past winter. I couldn't wait to "try out" my new truck but we never got more than 2" so I still don't know how my '17 is going to do but I have removed the black lower cowling from under the front bumper because it was going to either get ripped off by a parking lot concrete bumper or deep snow would have ripped it out so I removed it and hung it in the garage.
I never tried mountains of rocks and crap but at Lexington Ohio each year at the Vintage days bike event, it always rains making for some pretty epic mud holes and considering the weight, I wouldn't try really deep mud...anything over 6" would keep me out. I've driven my old ones('99 & '03EB) through 18" deep mud/water puddles staying on the gas so water didn't get into the exhaust but nothing deeper.
jeff
JExpedition07
That One Member
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Hayes Riviere
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Jeff after hearing that I kind of want to do the same with my truck. Praying for good snow this year then
ExplorerTom
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How do you like those gears? I've really been considering those. Did it change your mileage?
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