shinysideup2
Full Access Members
I had the opportunity to take my 2017 EL Limited 4WD to Cleghorn Ridge Trail here in Southern California. The famous "Edison Hill" section (and many others at Cleghorn) provides multiple great opportunities to test our rigs' ability to climb rutted hills of varying steepness.
NOTE: 10/16: I fixed the below link. Here's the URL just in case I screwed it up again: https://photos.app.goo.gl/gyFpEJzu1rUasVFW7
Here are some videos illustrating what this EL could and couldn't do, configured as follows:
2017 Expedition EL Limited 4WD (3 adults + 3 children on board)
- 33" tires (275-60R20 on Method NV305 20x9 +18 offset - +1" outset vs stock)
- Front hitch receiver (acts a bit like a skid plate)
NOTES:
- I didn't push it too hard because I was towing a travel trailer that weekend and didn't want to risk breaking drivetrain and axle parts.
- This is also the reason I'm currently preferring narrower tires (275). I want the tires to give before drivetrain & axle parts break.
- I was surprised at how much traction there was in 2WD, and how much nicer it was to 'wheel in 2WD, given the EL's rear Limited Slip Diff (3.73).
- It was interesting to hear the ControlTrac kick in 4Lo. Very capable system, but not as robust a real lockers, which I had in my old 4Runner 4WD. You could feel the brakes being modulated and holding the rig back a bit.
- I did not disconnect the sway bars this time, but will try it next time. That bit of extra articulation may help with traction on the one hill that I couldn't get up (see this video at 1:47). My 4Runner (with locker and bars disconnected) did this hill without a problem.
- While I like the 3.5L EcoBoost for towing, the turbo lag gets in a way for low-RPM off-roading such as this. Throttle response is not great at low RPMs which is where you need it when going up rutted hills like this. A torquey NA engine (V8) would be better for this type of stuff. Left-foot braking helps a bit when trying to delicately traverse a series of deep ruts in order to keep turbo boost from sneaking up on you, but it's definitely annoying to have to do.
- Going up Edison Hill, I incorrectly mentioned the rumbling noise as coming from the LSD. I later figured out that this is ControlTrac using the ABS motor to modulate out excess wheelspin (software emulated "locker").
Next up / off-road wishlist:
- Skid plates (tranny and gas tank) - likely RCI
- Rock sliders - probably will have to go with a 90" universal fit weld-on unit.
- Upgrade dampers Rancho RS9000XL (Icons are too expensive for what I want to do).
- Rear sway bar (Hellwig #7688) for towing stability & on-road handling.
- 1"-2" Body Lift - if I can find a kit or figure out how to cobble one together with washers & extended bolts + figure out what connection issues might arise (steering, hoses, etc).
- Upper Control Arms (Icon)
- Maybe a mild lift after UCA's are installed.
My goals (in order of priority) are to have
- a reliable rig with which I can haul my family of four,
- tow our 4000 lb travel trailer, and
- venture out to interesting (and challenging) off-road destinations.
I'd love to see videos of others (especially EL's) off-roading!
NOTE: 10/16: I fixed the below link. Here's the URL just in case I screwed it up again: https://photos.app.goo.gl/gyFpEJzu1rUasVFW7
Here are some videos illustrating what this EL could and couldn't do, configured as follows:
2017 Expedition EL Limited 4WD (3 adults + 3 children on board)
- 33" tires (275-60R20 on Method NV305 20x9 +18 offset - +1" outset vs stock)
- Front hitch receiver (acts a bit like a skid plate)
NOTES:
- I didn't push it too hard because I was towing a travel trailer that weekend and didn't want to risk breaking drivetrain and axle parts.
- This is also the reason I'm currently preferring narrower tires (275). I want the tires to give before drivetrain & axle parts break.
- I was surprised at how much traction there was in 2WD, and how much nicer it was to 'wheel in 2WD, given the EL's rear Limited Slip Diff (3.73).
- It was interesting to hear the ControlTrac kick in 4Lo. Very capable system, but not as robust a real lockers, which I had in my old 4Runner 4WD. You could feel the brakes being modulated and holding the rig back a bit.
- I did not disconnect the sway bars this time, but will try it next time. That bit of extra articulation may help with traction on the one hill that I couldn't get up (see this video at 1:47). My 4Runner (with locker and bars disconnected) did this hill without a problem.
- While I like the 3.5L EcoBoost for towing, the turbo lag gets in a way for low-RPM off-roading such as this. Throttle response is not great at low RPMs which is where you need it when going up rutted hills like this. A torquey NA engine (V8) would be better for this type of stuff. Left-foot braking helps a bit when trying to delicately traverse a series of deep ruts in order to keep turbo boost from sneaking up on you, but it's definitely annoying to have to do.
- Going up Edison Hill, I incorrectly mentioned the rumbling noise as coming from the LSD. I later figured out that this is ControlTrac using the ABS motor to modulate out excess wheelspin (software emulated "locker").
Next up / off-road wishlist:
- Skid plates (tranny and gas tank) - likely RCI
- Rock sliders - probably will have to go with a 90" universal fit weld-on unit.
- Upgrade dampers Rancho RS9000XL (Icons are too expensive for what I want to do).
- Rear sway bar (Hellwig #7688) for towing stability & on-road handling.
- 1"-2" Body Lift - if I can find a kit or figure out how to cobble one together with washers & extended bolts + figure out what connection issues might arise (steering, hoses, etc).
- Upper Control Arms (Icon)
- Maybe a mild lift after UCA's are installed.
My goals (in order of priority) are to have
- a reliable rig with which I can haul my family of four,
- tow our 4000 lb travel trailer, and
- venture out to interesting (and challenging) off-road destinations.
I'd love to see videos of others (especially EL's) off-roading!
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