howell_jd
Adventurer
Returning to a discussion of the actual suspension does sound like a prime choice!
I can provide a basis of comparison to the air ride as I have the original 2005 coil and leaf suspension on Dana Super 60 (front) and Dana S110 (rear) axles and 4.88 differential riding on Bilstein 5100 shocks.
There have been a few occasions where I have taken the truck very close to its absolute capabilities but most recently getting my family off the Medano Creek Pass Primitive Road was a real experience with the full range of travel of the truck's suspension.
I posted a little of this on FaceBook - unfortunately without photos as it was close to sunset and I was more concerned about getting out of the sand before it was dark.
...and yes this will cover the capability of even a worn out set of Bilsteins on coil and leaf suspension supporting an 8ton truck in DEEP sand...
Basically, I successfully took my family outbound on the Medano Creek Pass Primitive Road at the end of the EarthRoamer Rally this year. My daughter, my wife, and I enjoyed surfing the sand at Castle Creek Campsite. We used the facilities of the truck to wash up and enjoy something to eat before turning around to head back to Mississippi.
The fact is that the sand was DEEP. The back end of the ER is heavy and even though I had aired down, soon the rear diff was dragging on an uphill climb. I used the front Warn and a rig over a trailside bolster and an uphill tree to winch forward but the rear diff was still dragging even though I dug out the undercarriage and used trail scrub under the rear tires.
The recovery was much shortened when another trail enthusiast in a lifted Jeep came over the top of the hill. He offered to let me use his front tow hooks as a running anchor but before I could respool the winch he popped the cable. I tied a clove hitch to reattach and with my wife on the throttle, him on his Jeep and me operating the winch we extracted the truck to the trail top and out of the deepest sand.
I've got his contact info - turns out he is a former 82d Airborne rigger...nice to have and Airborne connection to help out a recovery operation!...and I will be sending him some cool thank you gifts shortly.
So to the suspension part of the story...
There is quite a bit of DEEP sand between Castle Creek Camp and The Point of No Return and I already had aired down as much as the truck will handle without breaking a bead so..."damn the torpedos and full speed ahead!"
As I've said, the shocks are near gone so we had a slipping sliding banging and bucking high speed sand blasting tire spinning adventure back to the main road where I discovered I had broken the bike rack from the back of the truck - a 2 inch steel bike rack. Let me say that walking back down the trail to collect the bikes and rack was no fun and I've walked a bit in sand too.
The truck definitely caught air on trail tops and very nearly bottomed out on the low spots. I did not want to get stuck again so momentum was my driving partner and there were some spots that I very nearly did get stuck again.
During the 2009 ER Rally I had an air ride and Continental tire equipped ER follow me through "impassable sand"
He was able to just motor thru what had been a challenge for the several trucks in front of me...I even gave the obstacle three tries to get across.
The upgraded suspension on Kelderman air alone is a great improvement. It's a clear choice for those who want to explore in sand. Although stock can handle the sand, the air ride is much better. The Continental tires on the new wheels are even better on the sand. I took my air pressure from 110 front and rear to 35/45 front/rear.
Obviously, a winch is a trail necessity more than suspension/tire modifications and is less expensive but the upgrade opens opportunities of exploration to those with fewer days to experience off-road educational events. My own experience with HMMWVs and MRAPs are even a bit different than driving the ER.
I was very anxious for the damage I could have imposed upon my truck - driving Army trucks I knew that I always had a contact crew available and when someone is shooting you will tend to drive a bit more aggressively with confidence I assure you. That being said, the only damage for my full tilt escape from the sand was the broken bike rack and a broken pressure regulator to my air compressor (the sand bent a copper tube). Ford builds em tough but what ER does makes the whole system bulletproof.
I am impressed...maybe I impress too easily but I do have a bit of experience with heavy off road trucks - 16 years on light, medium, and heavy chassis. I look forward to replacing my Bilsteins this year with Kings. Maybe a bit later, I'll be able to spring forward to an air-ride...I still have dreams but I'm more thankful that I get to live the dreams that I can now.
Jonathan
I can provide a basis of comparison to the air ride as I have the original 2005 coil and leaf suspension on Dana Super 60 (front) and Dana S110 (rear) axles and 4.88 differential riding on Bilstein 5100 shocks.
There have been a few occasions where I have taken the truck very close to its absolute capabilities but most recently getting my family off the Medano Creek Pass Primitive Road was a real experience with the full range of travel of the truck's suspension.
I posted a little of this on FaceBook - unfortunately without photos as it was close to sunset and I was more concerned about getting out of the sand before it was dark.
...and yes this will cover the capability of even a worn out set of Bilsteins on coil and leaf suspension supporting an 8ton truck in DEEP sand...
Basically, I successfully took my family outbound on the Medano Creek Pass Primitive Road at the end of the EarthRoamer Rally this year. My daughter, my wife, and I enjoyed surfing the sand at Castle Creek Campsite. We used the facilities of the truck to wash up and enjoy something to eat before turning around to head back to Mississippi.
The fact is that the sand was DEEP. The back end of the ER is heavy and even though I had aired down, soon the rear diff was dragging on an uphill climb. I used the front Warn and a rig over a trailside bolster and an uphill tree to winch forward but the rear diff was still dragging even though I dug out the undercarriage and used trail scrub under the rear tires.
The recovery was much shortened when another trail enthusiast in a lifted Jeep came over the top of the hill. He offered to let me use his front tow hooks as a running anchor but before I could respool the winch he popped the cable. I tied a clove hitch to reattach and with my wife on the throttle, him on his Jeep and me operating the winch we extracted the truck to the trail top and out of the deepest sand.
I've got his contact info - turns out he is a former 82d Airborne rigger...nice to have and Airborne connection to help out a recovery operation!...and I will be sending him some cool thank you gifts shortly.
So to the suspension part of the story...
There is quite a bit of DEEP sand between Castle Creek Camp and The Point of No Return and I already had aired down as much as the truck will handle without breaking a bead so..."damn the torpedos and full speed ahead!"
As I've said, the shocks are near gone so we had a slipping sliding banging and bucking high speed sand blasting tire spinning adventure back to the main road where I discovered I had broken the bike rack from the back of the truck - a 2 inch steel bike rack. Let me say that walking back down the trail to collect the bikes and rack was no fun and I've walked a bit in sand too.
The truck definitely caught air on trail tops and very nearly bottomed out on the low spots. I did not want to get stuck again so momentum was my driving partner and there were some spots that I very nearly did get stuck again.
During the 2009 ER Rally I had an air ride and Continental tire equipped ER follow me through "impassable sand"
He was able to just motor thru what had been a challenge for the several trucks in front of me...I even gave the obstacle three tries to get across.
The upgraded suspension on Kelderman air alone is a great improvement. It's a clear choice for those who want to explore in sand. Although stock can handle the sand, the air ride is much better. The Continental tires on the new wheels are even better on the sand. I took my air pressure from 110 front and rear to 35/45 front/rear.
Obviously, a winch is a trail necessity more than suspension/tire modifications and is less expensive but the upgrade opens opportunities of exploration to those with fewer days to experience off-road educational events. My own experience with HMMWVs and MRAPs are even a bit different than driving the ER.
I was very anxious for the damage I could have imposed upon my truck - driving Army trucks I knew that I always had a contact crew available and when someone is shooting you will tend to drive a bit more aggressively with confidence I assure you. That being said, the only damage for my full tilt escape from the sand was the broken bike rack and a broken pressure regulator to my air compressor (the sand bent a copper tube). Ford builds em tough but what ER does makes the whole system bulletproof.
I am impressed...maybe I impress too easily but I do have a bit of experience with heavy off road trucks - 16 years on light, medium, and heavy chassis. I look forward to replacing my Bilsteins this year with Kings. Maybe a bit later, I'll be able to spring forward to an air-ride...I still have dreams but I'm more thankful that I get to live the dreams that I can now.
Jonathan
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