Expeditionary
Full Access Members
Converting Your Air Ride System to a Coil Spring Suspension!
Let me start by saying that buying a conversion kit will solve all your air suspension problems for good, and in most cases is still less expensive to purchase than paying to repair even one aspect of the Ford Expedition Air Ride system.
I'm going to give up most of my knowledge on the first generation air suspension conversions to reduce the amount of repeat threads.
First off for those who have only rear air bag suspension: This conversion is as simple as unbolting lower shock bolts, sway bar, and jacking the truck up. Then taking the air bags out, replacing with coil springs (and maybe new shocks) and now you have coil spring suspension, simple.
However, those who have 4 corner Air like my self and many others on here have the task is a little more tricky. Monroe makes great kits for this application and that is what I personally use on my truck. The part numbers go as follows:
4x4 Expedition-90010
4x4 Navigator- 90006 (slightly lower ride height than the expedition kit)
4x2 expedition/Navigator- 90005
These kits run in the $200-$300 range depending on retailer, shipping, etc.
While strutmasters makes a great kit and may be a sponsor/vendor on EF.com I have to say that the Monroe kits do the same job for 1/2 the price, if not even less. However when doing the conversion yourself the Strutmasters instructional video will be extremely helpful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7fKbGAaaZ4
As you may notice from looking at these kits through images on the internet or in the video, the 4 corner air conversion kits have a coil over setup (up front) in addition to the torsion bars. The reason for this is because the Air Ride torsion bars are actually weaker than the standard expedition bars. This was to allow the air shocks (bags) up front to be able to adjust the ride height by carrying some of the weight of the front with the help of the torsion bars. So for 4 corner air, you cannot just swap the springs in the rear and put some gas shocks up front and call it done (with out changing the torsion bars out)... That is why these kits exist.
Lets clear the air on lifting air rides.
For 4wds, you also now have the ability, once converted to Coil Springs, to do a torsion bar twist, as well as adding a rear coil spacer for between 1-3" of added ride height.
2wds can now add coil spacers front and rear to allow for lift also.
Body lifts do work on 4 corner air suspension, as you can see I have one.
I also have learned that despite what the manufacturer states in the description of their lift kit, most suspension lift kits will work with only minor modification to the front shock hoop for 4wheel air, in addition to a torsion bar swap for either 7700 or standard expedition/f150 torsion bars. I know for a fact that the RCD lift a swell as the Fabtech kit can be used on these 4x4 4 corner air ride models. I have not had any luck in finding anything about the Zone kit but once mine goes in I can and will report back explaining what I had to do (if anything) to make it fit.
7700 bars are the torsion bars out of the f150 7700, which had a GVWR of 7700lbs, they are a much stiffer and heavier duty torsion bar than the standard expedition torsion bars. The addition of these bars in replacement of your air ride bars, or your standard bars will cause the front end of the truck to sit higher under its normal Torsion Key index because or their added rigidity. However they will reduce suspension articulation and increase ride stiffness. These were put into these special f150s to allow them to have the ability to have a snow plow mounted on the front with out the truck riding on the bumpstops.
Since most of us wont be plowing any snow with our Xs these can be used if a heavy duty tactical armor, warn, rhino, or road armor bumper may be in the plans for your truck. or if you're like me and you just want some more lift with out wanting to drop the money on a full kit.
These bars can be had through online parts stores, junk yards, pick & pull yards, etc.
I hope you all found this thread informative enough for you to pull the trigger on converting from air to coil spring suspension.
Any additional comments, questions, suggestions, etc. can be directed below
Let me start by saying that buying a conversion kit will solve all your air suspension problems for good, and in most cases is still less expensive to purchase than paying to repair even one aspect of the Ford Expedition Air Ride system.
I'm going to give up most of my knowledge on the first generation air suspension conversions to reduce the amount of repeat threads.
First off for those who have only rear air bag suspension: This conversion is as simple as unbolting lower shock bolts, sway bar, and jacking the truck up. Then taking the air bags out, replacing with coil springs (and maybe new shocks) and now you have coil spring suspension, simple.
However, those who have 4 corner Air like my self and many others on here have the task is a little more tricky. Monroe makes great kits for this application and that is what I personally use on my truck. The part numbers go as follows:
4x4 Expedition-90010
4x4 Navigator- 90006 (slightly lower ride height than the expedition kit)
4x2 expedition/Navigator- 90005
These kits run in the $200-$300 range depending on retailer, shipping, etc.
While strutmasters makes a great kit and may be a sponsor/vendor on EF.com I have to say that the Monroe kits do the same job for 1/2 the price, if not even less. However when doing the conversion yourself the Strutmasters instructional video will be extremely helpful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7fKbGAaaZ4
As you may notice from looking at these kits through images on the internet or in the video, the 4 corner air conversion kits have a coil over setup (up front) in addition to the torsion bars. The reason for this is because the Air Ride torsion bars are actually weaker than the standard expedition bars. This was to allow the air shocks (bags) up front to be able to adjust the ride height by carrying some of the weight of the front with the help of the torsion bars. So for 4 corner air, you cannot just swap the springs in the rear and put some gas shocks up front and call it done (with out changing the torsion bars out)... That is why these kits exist.
Lets clear the air on lifting air rides.
For 4wds, you also now have the ability, once converted to Coil Springs, to do a torsion bar twist, as well as adding a rear coil spacer for between 1-3" of added ride height.
2wds can now add coil spacers front and rear to allow for lift also.
Body lifts do work on 4 corner air suspension, as you can see I have one.
I also have learned that despite what the manufacturer states in the description of their lift kit, most suspension lift kits will work with only minor modification to the front shock hoop for 4wheel air, in addition to a torsion bar swap for either 7700 or standard expedition/f150 torsion bars. I know for a fact that the RCD lift a swell as the Fabtech kit can be used on these 4x4 4 corner air ride models. I have not had any luck in finding anything about the Zone kit but once mine goes in I can and will report back explaining what I had to do (if anything) to make it fit.
7700 bars are the torsion bars out of the f150 7700, which had a GVWR of 7700lbs, they are a much stiffer and heavier duty torsion bar than the standard expedition torsion bars. The addition of these bars in replacement of your air ride bars, or your standard bars will cause the front end of the truck to sit higher under its normal Torsion Key index because or their added rigidity. However they will reduce suspension articulation and increase ride stiffness. These were put into these special f150s to allow them to have the ability to have a snow plow mounted on the front with out the truck riding on the bumpstops.
Since most of us wont be plowing any snow with our Xs these can be used if a heavy duty tactical armor, warn, rhino, or road armor bumper may be in the plans for your truck. or if you're like me and you just want some more lift with out wanting to drop the money on a full kit.
These bars can be had through online parts stores, junk yards, pick & pull yards, etc.
I hope you all found this thread informative enough for you to pull the trigger on converting from air to coil spring suspension.
Any additional comments, questions, suggestions, etc. can be directed below