Hilly's Build Thread

[HILLY]

I've done this before with other cars I've owed on other forums. Haven't really seen it done here, so here goes. Good for posting pics and linking projects done and planned.

The beginning:
4/27/2023

Traded in my trusty old 2007 Toyota 4Runner. I bought it new back when times were tougher for me financially as I was getting married and buying a house. I needed a good reliable vehicle to commute in and we needed something safe and big to start a family. I was working for CarMax at the time as a second job, and back then the dealer in Laurel, MD sold new Toyotas. I got a killer deal on it as it was marked down as a leftover model plus employee pricing. Fast forward 16 years and three kids later, we needed to upgrade and get a bigger car. My wife had a much newer 4Runner too which also had third row (albeit not much of one), so it made most sense to trade mine in. Many good memories and it served me well as it was dead-on reliable. It was a little emotional getting rid of it especially for the kids as they all were brought home from the hospital in it.

I found Expedition #1 by chance at a local CarMax (haven't worked for them for years at this point), a 2018 Expedition that really caught my eye. It wasn't listed on the site yet but was sitting in the yard. It was fairly clean with decent miles on it. What caught my attention was that it didn't have a lot of frills to it, but had the basics of what I wanted. 4X4, 200A package, with HD Tow. No sunroof and cloth seats was a bonus for me so I moved on it.



I did some mods to this truck which I'll link, but to fast forward to 8/30/2024, mother nature had other plans for us.

Goodbye For Now

Well, after an unfortunate and almost "Final Destination" like event Friday evening, the Expy is no longer for me. My wife and kids went to a local venue to enjoy ice cream and entertainment while I went out to a work function. The lot they parked in had a huge tree in the middle of it. Well...

www.expeditionforum.com

 

[HILLY]

After this tree crushing incident, I decided to wait awhile before finding another truck to get. My wife was going out on disability and wouldn't be driving which I saw as an opportunity to take our time to find a replacement vehicle I figured it would be closer to the new year before we got another.

I'll also be honest that I didn't keep my searches to just Ford, as I also looked into Tahoe/Yukon's, Sequoia's, etc. A couple of other brands caught our attention, but nothing worked out. Eventually I came across our current truck browsing the CarMax app on my phone one night (again, only a coincidence, not intentional!) and it was one of those things I couldn't pass up. 2019 (~5 years old) with only 20K miles on it. Had everything I wanted and then some (HD Tow, NO sunroof, auto cruise control, 2nd row bench) Looked super clean but would have to be transferred to my store in Greenville from Knoxville. I kept my fingers crossed that it would be everything I was hoping for. I figured if anything was wrong it would be something I couldn't see like a smoker's car.

When it came in it was super clean looking, test drove for 24 hours, took it to my shop to put on the lift and inspect with my guys, and in the end I couldn't pass it up.



10/22/2024
20,537 miles



I immediately went to work on modifying this new ride using previous experience. Within the fist two weeks I had the front air dam removed, the lug nuts replaced, auto start-stop eliminator installed, FORscan mods done, LED bulbs updated, Fumoto valve, and 170* t-stat installed.

 

[HILLY]

Some of my write-up links:

Audio/Electronics:

Center Channel Speaker Level Amplifier Install

Looking for some Expedition Audio experts here. Currently in the process of slowly upgrading the stereo in my Expy (2018 XLT Base Sync 3 with 4.2" screen). Not a rookie at this, but I am a little bit stumped at this issue. This project started off as I had an extra 3.5" Infinity speaker...

www.expeditionforum.com

How To: Install Ford Permiter Plus Vehicle Security System

I just completed installing the Ford VSS+ module to my Expedition. My truck is rather base and plain for an XLT (200A), and thus it did not come with a remote start or security system. The remote start was my primary want and the security system was a secondary benefit. I was able to pick up...

www.expeditionforum.com

Sounds Good Stereo Door Block Off Plate Install

To improve my stereo’s sound quality, I came across Sounds Good Stereo’s door panel block off plates for the Expedition. I was going to apply sound deadening to my doors as it were, and these seemed to be the perfect addition to that project to help tighten up the mid-bass sound...

www.expeditionforum.com

How To: Center Console Refrigerator Install

I recently caught wind and posted in another thread that Dometic had their F-150 console refrigerator on sale. As in at $100 at the time of writing this is practically giving it away. It's a respectable brand and are also from what I understand sourced by OEMs to provide solutions. I had...

www.expeditionforum.com

Center Stowage Compartment Downgrade

Just did this mod to gain real estate back from the front stowage compartment in the center console. My previous XLT did not have the wireless charging option and I used to throw a lot of smaller odds 'n ends in there vs the armrest storage bin. I thought I would like my new setup with the...

www.expeditionforum.com

Performance:

How To: Ford Performance Air-Oil Separator

Ford Performance has an Air/Oil Separator kit that they offer for the F-150 EcoBoost. I had been eyeing up this kit since I had my previous truck and since FP just came out with a 25% off holiday discount, I decided to take advantage of it. I went with this kit due to it's simplicity and it...

www.expeditionforum.com

How To: Ground Stud Install

I was going through my garage and came across some leftover parts that I have from projects and campaigns that I accumulate from work. One thing that I have noticed with the Expedition is the lack of being able to simply attach to the battery for jump/charge points. The terminals are rather...

www.expeditionforum.com

 

[HILLY]

Bilstein 5100 Lift Installed
5/15/2025

Not doing a writeup as pretty much everyone has. Just posting an update, feedback, and pics.

Front: Bilstein F-150 4x4, setting 0 (bottom)
Rear: Bilstein Expedition, setting 5 (top)
UCA: JBA Offroad
LCA Alignment Cams: SPC Raptor Style (Need two kits - 86252)
Wheels: Icon Alloys Compression Titanium 17x8.5 ET6
Tires: Goodyear Territory MT 315/70R17 (OEM Bronco Sasquatch)

Pros: I like the lift a lot and it accomplished what I wanted. I was able to get the W&T combo that I had planned under it without any issues. No rub and rides really well. Another bonus is that the new assembly only weighed in four more pounds than the OEM 20". Stock weighed in at 78.4 lbs vs 82.6 pounds for the new - whoa! I'll be interested in seeing how the mileage is with some upcoming summer trips. I know I'll loose from the larger diameter, but the modest weight gain should be a plus.

I did the Hunter Road Force on the W&T's and they balanced great. Even better than a lot of performance tires would do. All of them averaged under 10 lbs. whether before or after the wheel matching. Alignment went very well and the truck drives straight and true down the road. I only installed part of the new cam kit. I need to drill the alignment pin hole for the matching plates and I'd like to take to a shop to get them tack welded on to make them solidly mounted in place. I will say for anyone that has done their own alignments (or for the sake of a shop), this is definitely the way to go to fine tune your adjustments and keep them in spec.

Ride is very smooth and comfortable and the tire noise is negligible over the stock tires they replaced. Will be getting the alignment followed up on soon to check how everything settled.

Cons: The lift itself works pretty well. I do have a slight concern with the length of the F-150 strut as it is about 1.5" longer than the stock strut. This is really pushing the limits of the stock suspension geometry as the UCA will slightly touch the spring as well of the CV boot of the half shaft touching the LCA. If I did it again I think I would explore the 4x2 F-150 setup instead. That strut is only about .5" longer than the Expedition one and would not have the issues I see with the 4x4 version.

 

[HILLY]

Cons: The lift itself works pretty well. I do have a slight concern with the length of the F-150 strut as it is about 1.5" longer than the stock strut. This is really pushing the limits of the stock suspension geometry as the UCA will slightly touch the spring as well of the CV boot of the half shaft touching the LCA. If I did it again I think I would explore the 4x2 F-150 setup instead. That strut is only about .5" longer than the Expedition one and would not have the issues I see with the 4x4 version.

Just want to follow up on details that I put together on the various Bilstein 5100 front struts since I can't edit my original post anymore. The F150 4x4 is a quite a bit bigger when you factor in all dimensions. My biggest concern with it as I have experienced it is that the extended length difference is 1.51" longer, so that in execution should be 3.02" longer if the IFS math of 1:2 is in play (1" shock travel = 2" arm travel).

A 4x2 version *should* still give good max lift comparable to the 4x4 while still being within tolerance of the Expedition version and while also providing 0.5" of additional travel.

 

[Langer]

Bilstein 5100 Lift Installed
5/15/2025

Not doing a writeup as pretty much everyone has. Just posting an update, feedback, and pics.

Front: Bilstein F-150 4x4, setting 0 (bottom)
Rear: Bilstein Expedition, setting 5 (top)
UCA: JBA Offroad
LCA Alignment Cams: SPC Raptor Style (Need two kits - 86252)
Wheels: Icon Alloys Compression Titanium 17x8.5 ET6
Tires: Goodyear Territory MT 315/70R17 (OEM Bronco Sasquatch)

Pros: I like the lift a lot and it accomplished what I wanted. I was able to get the W&T combo that I had planned under it without any issues. No rub and rides really well. Another bonus is that the new assembly only weighed in four more pounds than the OEM 20". Stock weighed in at 78.4 lbs vs 82.6 pounds for the new - whoa! I'll be interested in seeing how the mileage is with some upcoming summer trips. I know I'll loose from the larger diameter, but the modest weight gain should be a plus.

I did the Hunter Road Force on the W&T's and they balanced great. Even better than a lot of performance tires would do. All of them averaged under 10 lbs. whether before or after the wheel matching. Alignment went very well and the truck drives straight and true down the road. I only installed part of the new cam kit. I need to drill the alignment pin hole for the matching plates and I'd like to take to a shop to get them tack welded on to make them solidly mounted in place. I will say for anyone that has done their own alignments (or for the sake of a shop), this is definitely the way to go to fine tune your adjustments and keep them in spec.

Ride is very smooth and comfortable and the tire noise is negligible over the stock tires they replaced. Will be getting the alignment followed up on soon to check how everything settled.

Cons: The lift itself works pretty well. I do have a slight concern with the length of the F-150 strut as it is about 1.5" longer than the stock strut. This is really pushing the limits of the stock suspension geometry as the UCA will slightly touch the spring as well of the CV boot of the half shaft touching the LCA. If I did it again I think I would explore the 4x2 F-150 setup instead. That strut is only about .5" longer than the Expedition one and would not have the issues I see with the 4x4 version.

View attachment 84878

View attachment 84874


View attachment 84876

View attachment 84877

Great setup, looking to do similar to mine.

Just wanted to confirm you used the previous gen f-150 front UCA for your build?

I have a 2023, but I reckon they’re still using the same UCA.

Thanks in advance.

 

[HILLY]

Great setup, looking to do similar to mine.

Just wanted to confirm you used the previous gen f-150 front UCA for your build?

I have a 2023, but I reckon they’re still using the same UCA.

Thanks in advance.

This is exactly what I used.

JBA Upper Control Arms for 2004 - 2020 Ford F150 (1 to 3.5 inch lift)

Enhance Your Ride: Discover JBA Upper A-Arms for Your Ford Revolutionize your Ford F150, Expedition, or Navigator's performance with our game-changing JBA upper control arms. Tailored explicitly for spring lifts or leveling kits, these robust American-made steel control arms are designed to...

jbaoffroad.com

I have no reason to believe that they have changed up through MY24. I would even venture to say that the 5th gens are the same as well.