If this were your van what would you do?

[Red Lodge]

I own a 94 Ford E150 Chateau Club Wagon, 5.8L V8, side sliding door. I camp out of it for 3 or 4 months a year. Getting in to some trail heads has been dicey. At the moment I have KYB Monomax shocks, and stock size Michelin LTx/MS 235/75R/15 tires. The van is my daily driver so turning it into a full time expedition model is not practical. I don't know squat about where to start modifying to make it more dirt and snow friendly. More correctly, I don't know where to STOP. There is no end to the gee-gaws that I can buy. Everything from new tires to a full on 4x4 conversion($14,000).

If this were your van where would you start? I know that if I change one part of the suspension it becomes "the hip bone's connected to the thigh bone" kind of thing. [maybe that shows my age ]

Here's my list;
Toyo Open Country tires... Either stock size, or 31/10.50/LT15
Detroit Truetrac or Eaton carbon fiber limited slip differential
Camburg Engineering Entry level performance suspension
http://www.camburg.com/fordsESeriesVanP.html
Heavier sway bars, front and rear (no sway bar in rear at present)
Change to Billstein shocks

I have hidden my credit card, but I can feel my memory starting to recall where I put it. Can you folks save me from screwing up what is a very good driving van, in great condition, and putting myself in hock while I do it?

 

[Clutch]

All depends how much money you want to throw at it.

I don't know if a 4X4 conversion would be worth it, My friend found an E150 already converted for $17K. The only thing he has added was heavy duty sway bars.

 

[spencyg]

I think I'd try and squeeze 31's under it, and get a locker and a winch. Lifting those puppies isn't fun so I hear, and it requires the rebending of the TTB's under the truck to retain camber. The rear lift would be easy with a quick block and new U-Bolts. I have a '93 E350 with a 7.3L diesel sitting in the drivway that I was originally planning on doing exactly what you're suggesting. Now I have a new 4x4 van and the other one is for sale. At the end of the day, you'll be better off selling what you've got (modified vehicles have no resale value for 99% of the population) and buy something already close to your vision. Trust me on this one...I've been modifying vehicles for years, and the closer you can get to the finished product with the initial vehicle purchase, the happier you'll be.

Spence

 

[jeff@work]

So what about the trails have you been having trouble with?

If it were my van I'd put the tallest tires i could fit on it and maybe consider moving up to a 16" wheel so you could run at least D rated tires, should be tougher than C rated tires which i believe most 15's are. The Toyo's you mentioned are supposed to be a nice all terrain. Maybe even a 235/85r16 if it would fit.

Snow chains, if you're gonna be driving in snow and ice with a rear wheel drive van you're gonna need snow chains.

A selectable locker like an air locker, ox locker, or similar. This will give you much more traction off road compared to a limited slip but still be an open differential when driving on the road.

On the camburg lift...well if you're being stopped by ground clearance and even with the biggest tires you can fit on there you think you'll still run into problems then I've heard the camburg lift is supposed to be pretty nice, definitely a nice chunk of change though.

I definitely would not put a 4x4 conversion onto an older e150...just not worth it, it would be much easier and cheaper to sell it and buy one already converted to 4x4.

Heavier swaybars will not help off road, they might help with the on road ride but they will restrict articulation off road so I wouldn't put them on. I actually just removed the front swaybar from my quigley conversion so i'm running no swaybars at all and it drives much much better than it did with just the front swaybar. With just the front swaybar it was very unbalanced and the back end always felt like it was going all over the place now it feels so much more controlled.

My order of upgrades would be new tires, snow chains, then the locker, then new shocks if you're not happy with how the current ones ride, but hey that's just me!

 

[Red Lodge]

My budget for changes is about $4k. It may seem nuts to put that kind of money into a 94 van but I'd hate to have to re-do all of the improvements I've made to this van. If I had to do it again, I'd start with an E350. 1994 E150 is under-braked. I know that they went to 16" wheels and bigger brakes in later years. The Chateau Club Wagons are built as "people carriers", and the suspension meant for a comfy ride on the interstate.

If I had to describe the problem I have getting in to some trail heads, it would be that the van seems to seriously rock, from side to side, when I drive over a rocky road or over good sized holes. The rear bumper will scrape when the road goes up, steeply, at the bottom of a downhill.

On the pavement, the van still leans on the sharp turns.

This is my 3rd van, and I don't know of a better way of hauling myself, my wife and our gear. If I found a great van, that was 4wd, for under 20K, I'd probably buy it. For now, this is what I've got and for 90% of what I use it for it works for me.

Thanks to all here for the help. I'll post some pix of my van and some of our trips.

 

[spencyg]

I still think you're going to be continually disappointed with the van, regardless of how much money you throw at it. I'd sell ya my Diesel E350 for under 2 grand, and then you'd already be ahead of the game after selling your vehicle. You should modify a stouter chassis, because the more toys you add, and the more capability you throw at the van, the deeper you're going to get into a trail before you're screwed. Just my $0.02.

Spence

 

[Bella PSD]

If I found a great van, that was 4wd, for under 20K, I'd probably buy it. For now, this is what I've got and for 90% of what I use it for it works for me.

PM me for someone that has a 96 Ford Van, 4X4, 351 ci, White, 132,000 miles. $3,000 or best offer. This was on 11/7 so may still be for sale. Before you dump to much into a 2WD, might see whats out for sale....

Here is his reply to me

........3000 or best offer. I am going to be listing it later this week on CL along with some photos. I need to replace the alternator and belt on it, before I send it to a new good home. I'm an assistant automotive instructor so I am pretty fussy about the mechanicals of vehicles. Let me know if you

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[ujoint]

14K is a little high for a conversion, it can be done much cheaper if you do it yourself & find some of the major components cheap.

 

[jeff@work]

Boy am i familiar with that rocking motion, that rocking motion is one of the reasons i removed the front swaybar on my van. It helped tremedously as a lot of the rocking is caused by the limited articulation the vans have. Mind you I'm not familiar with what the 2wd suspensions look like but my quigley drives much better on and off road now. With only the front swaybar the van was very unbalanced and it felt like the rear of the van was just swaying all over the place at the slightest touch of the steering wheel. After removing the front swaybar the van handles much more neutrally and is much more comfortable for me to drive, plus I now have better articulation off road and it doesn't rock back and forth as much.

As far as the draggin goes well yeah obviously that requires bigger tires and/or more lift.

The on road sway....well the heavier duty swaybars would help that but that would just make the rocking back and forth off road worse. Stiffer shocks/springs might help... To tell you the truth my van feels like it sways less with the front bar removed, probably has something to do with the whole van swaying evenly as opposed to only the rear of the van swaying all over ...the vans are just so unbalanced with a front swaybar and no rear swaybar.

 

[Red Lodge]

because the more toys you add, and the more capability you throw at the van, the deeper you're going to get into a trail before you're screwed. Just my $0.02.

Spence

Boy are you right about that!!!

PM me for someone that has a 96 Ford Van, 4X4, 351 ci, White, 132,000 miles. $3,000 or best offer. This was on 11/7 so may still be for sale. Before you dump to much into a 2WD, might see whats out for sale....

PM sent

 

[Bella PSD]

PM sent back...Good luck!
Louie

 

[dar395]

2WD $3,500 SOUNDS LIKE MY BUILD

I disagree with some that think 4wd is the only choice, In doing a $4000 build I feel that I will be able to travel 80% of the back roads others travel. I'll work at the first of the off road equipment add ons at my thread "Cheap Build Savana" check it out see what you think.

 

[bknudtsen]

Wow! Bringing back the dead! Over 6 years old. Must be a new record...

 

[ujoint]

Wow! Bringing back the dead! Over 6 years old. Must be a new record...

No kidding!