Cross-member protection (off-roading)

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shinysideup2

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I use my Expedition to tow a 6500 lb travel trailer to base-camp destinations with my family of 4, sometimes off-road, then go exploring further off-road from there. So it needs to double as a tow vehicle + off-roader w/ lots of internal cargo room.

Most of us that off-road with our Ford Expedition (especially EL) know that a huge limitation of this model is the poor break-over angle caused largely by the cross-member in the middle (front-to-back) of the frame between the front and rear wheels. I've bashed this cross-member a couple times pretty good. I do have the skid plate that mounts forward of the cross-member and it's saved my ass from damaging components a couple times.

Has anybody come up with any creative solutions to better protecting the edges of cross-member?

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Thanks.
 
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shinysideup2

shinysideup2

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I suppose it does as far as damage goes. I'd like a smoother transition, like a bumper/kickout/ ramp (upside down), so that it doesn't catch so abruptly on rocks and other obstacles. I've been trying to think up a design. I'm certainly not a fabricator, so hoping somebody has thought up a creative solution. But I don't think many Expedition owners are taking theirs off road a whole lot.

Looks like it does fine by itself.
 

bauer4567

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I’ve hit mine a fair amount of time on my EL. We do highway construction, so we go up and down steep ramps to access many new bridge decks or new sections of concrete pavement...

The bigger problem I had was that my muffler got pushed backwards when it got caught on the ramps...

My father has a navigator short wheel base, and never hits the ramps! So this is one down side of the EL!


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shinysideup2

shinysideup2

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Another thing I'd like to do is redirect the exhaust to not hang out the backside down so low... Thanks for the info. Good to see that some are using their Exp for hard work!

I’ve hit mine a fair amount of time on my EL. We do highway construction, so we go up and down steep ramps to access many new bridge decks or new sections of concrete pavement...

The bigger problem I had was that my muffler got pushed backwards when it got caught on the ramps...

My father has a navigator short wheel base, and never hits the ramps! So this is one down side of the EL!


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bauer4567

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The muffler is actually up in between the axles. The resonator is that big one in the back. And I agree, I wish it was smaller and exited to the side behind the rear wheel.

There are some guys on here that got rid of the resonator and used some universal bends and tips to do this... I’ll probably do something different if I hit the muffler again.


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shinysideup2

shinysideup2

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Does removing the resonator increase exhaust volume significantly? I've had plenty of that in my younger years and am NOT looking for a louder exhaust note at this point in my life. :) Still, I'd like to get that tailpipe out of the way of the "departure" area.

The muffler is actually up in between the axles. The resonator is that big one in the back. And I agree, I wish it was smaller and exited to the side behind the rear wheel.

There are some guys on here that got rid of the resonator and used some universal bends and tips to do this... I’ll probably do something different if I hit the muffler again.


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