2008 Ford Explorer comments please

[acolic]

Hi,

My daily driver broke down recently after almost 400,000 km and I need to replace it.

I have a 99 Ford expedition that is probably near end-of-life as well. It’s sole purpose was to move the five of us and a boat during vacations.

My son is trying to convince me that it’s time to kill two birds with one stone.

Replace both vehicles with a 2008 or 2009 4.6 L Ford Explorer.

I don’t do any heavy off-roading except during hunting season when I need a vehicle to be able to go down unmaintained roads or logging trails etc.

The rest of the time it’s driving back and forth from work.

I like to do most of my own maintenance and the 99 Ford expedition was tough in that regard having the space to do basic tasks like changing the spark plugs.

So I’m looking for comments if this is a good vehicle to meet both requirements.

And if there’s more aftermarket suspension lift kits for this vehicle then the Ford Expedition?

And if you don’t have to sacrifice your first born to change the eight spark plugs?

And if the Ford Explorer has an electronic Fan versus a mechanical radiator fan?

And if once you stow the rear and middle seats if the back is truly flat or at an angle like the Ford Expedition?

Or if there are any other gotchas or concerns with this year and make?

Appreciate the help.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[autism family travels]

I think it's a great rig. Not much in terms of aftermarket support. But I am thinking there are a few things available to make it a little more hunting friendly. I would not hesitate if it's a good example.

 

[ExplorerTom]

The 4.6 in the Explorer is the same as the 4.6/5.4 in your Expedition. If you hated changing those plugs, imagine doing the same in a smaller engine bay......

The rear suspension in the Explorer is independent. And the geniuses at Ford decided to run the axles through a hole in the frame. This severely limits lift options.

But otherwise a decent rig for your intentions. I mean in reality, pretty much any rig with 4wd would do.

 

[motoboss]

Had an 06 Explorer. The best 4x4 ( mine was AWD all the time) I ever owned. It would go anywhere over anything. Don't really need a lift, just some bigger tires, shocks and rims and your ready to go. Not really mechanically inclined so maintenance was farmed out. Still never spent much on tune ups, maybe one every 2/3 years and did fluids myself on a regular basis. Sold it at 196,000 and its still on the road.

Wouldn't hesitate.

 

[Milky2k]

Hello, I have an 05 Explorer (3rd gen) and I've been looking into getting an 06-09 (4th gen) Explorer. I think you are in the same situation. The 3rd gen and 4th gen are very similar, I will share what I have found so far. My current 05 Explorer has a 2 inch lift from ebay, 32" (255/75 R17) Goodyear Duratracs on 17" wheels, tow hooks from an Expedition and aftermarket Android head unit and an Anytone AT 778UV mobile radio.

Aftermarket lifts- You have 3 options. You can do a body lift using hockey pucks, there are several write ups on the explorer forum. You can get Rancho quick lifts for about 1.5-2 inches of lift. You can get spacers from a Traxda or BTF Fabrication, maybe even no namers from ebay.
Sparkplug change- I have the previous 4.6 V8 and it didn't seem hard. I know there are issues with the spark plug falling apart but that should have been taken care of early on so later years like 08-09 that you said are the way to go. As far as space goes, I had no problem with the 2 valve V8, I can only guess the 3 valve would be the same.
Electric or mechanical radiator fan- Mechanical.
Middle seats flat or angled- It depends. There is a version of middle row seats that have a handle on the backrests that say "storage mode" or something like that. This allows the middle row seats to fold even further and give a completely flat floor level with the 3rd row. This feature is what made me want to upgrade to the 4th gen Explorer. I camp out in the truck every now and then and sleep on an air mattress back there but one end is slightly raised because the seats don't fold all the way down. I don't mind too much but a flat floor would be nicer. Not all 4th gen Explorers seem to have this feature. I don't know if its due to the trim level (XLT, Eddie Bauer, Limited) or what but its not universal.
Any gotchas?- The 3rd gens had a pre-punched out spot for tow hooks and many people could get F150 or Expedition tow hooks and bolt them up on the Explorers. The 4th gens have done away with that so its not that easy to put in a recovery point. There is a small loop down there but it looks more like a tie down point than a recovery point. I am concerned about a front recovery point and I also want a winch installed so I am looking at having to get something custom made since there are no off the shelf winch bumpers for them. I would also get one with the tow package so you can have a rear recovery point. The other gotcha is that if you go for a spacer lift you will stress out your upper ball joint the more extreme you go. I think 2.5" lift is the max recommendation. BTF Fabrication makes a uniball upper control arm that can help. He is the only one making them so they aren't cheap. Also consider that you can get replacement set of arms with ball joint for about $80, maybe less. I replaced one set of ball joints and the next time I am replacing the arms, its just so much faster. My 32' tires rub on the plastic when making turns, I had a 31 tire before without a lift and it didn't rub just to give you an idea of what you can fit in there. I also have a hard time fitting a 32" spare under the back, I had to deflate it to fit and it still sticks out some, so keep that in mind when getting bigger tires. If you get a lift, throw away the factory jack and get a couple of bottlejacks and a jack stand with some thick pieces of board for support so the jack doesn't sink in the dirt. I've done a bit of travelling in the Anza Borrego, Mojave and Big Bear areas even in snow, and the Explorer does great out there on 99.5% of the trails. On the remaining .5% of the trails I wish there was more articulation so I don't get up on 3 wheels as often but I realize every truck is a compromise of one thing or another. I am ok with this compromise since the rest of the time its a comfy cruiser on pavement and has loads of space, moonroof, and a good subwoofer. I hope this helps.

 

[Buliwyf]

2 birds with 1 stone ain't an Explorer.

4runner or f150 cc, is my vote.