I’ll admit, the level look is throwing me off a bit, so I might drop the rear to 1.5" to bring back a little bit of the squat. But honestly, it drives so much better now, and there’s so much less to worry about—no clunking, no creeping over speed bumps, nothing. This is exactly how an Expedition should feel, so I’m definitely happy with it.
The last two pics show it with the 3.5" lift in the front for comparison.
What lift kit did you use?
Noah said:
What lift kit did you use?
Just got strut spacers off eBay. Trust me, 3.5" is too much—you’ll end up lowering it back down eventually, or something will break.
So you have 2.5" strut spacers in the front and back now? How does the truck not nose-dive slightly? My Expedition is at stock height, and even with a full tank of gas and tools in the back, it slightly nose-dives. Also, do you notice any major drop in acceleration or MPG with 35s? I know these trucks aren’t fast to begin with, but I don’t want to make it worse. I’ve got the 4.6, so I was leaning towards 33s, but 35s fill out the wheel well so much better.
@Lyle
Yeah, it’s level now with 2.5" all around. Originally, we had 3.5" in the front and 2.5" in the back, but it was too much. We also replaced the shocks, tie rods, sway bar end links, and upper control arms since all the boots were shot.
Now, I get 8 MPG with 35s. There’s definitely a drop in acceleration, but it’s not a dealbreaker. These trucks weren’t fast to begin with. You could tune it and regear to help with tire spin, but I think it’s fine as is. Honestly, it looks awesome with the 35s, and that’s worth it to me. 
@Quincy
I hear you. I’m planning to get the ReadyLift 3" front and 2" rear kit. It’s the only one I’ve seen with that combo, and I want as much lift as possible without messing up the ride quality. If I want more later, I’ll look into actual lift kits. Yours looks great, by the way!
@Lyle
Thank you! Just a heads up, though: the 3.5" spacers really max out the suspension geometry on these second-gen Expeditions. Anything above 3" can be a pain to install and makes the ride pretty stiff. I’m super happy with the 2.5" spacers—it looks great and rides well.
@Quincy
Yeah, I’ve noticed there’s barely any aftermarket support for these trucks, which is surprising. Your 2.5" setup looks high, probably because of the 35s. Did the 3.5" spacers max out just the upper control arms, or was it worse than that? How are the angles now with the 2.5"? We need a side-by-side comparison with a stock Expedition!
@Lyle
The 3.5" spacers maxed out both the upper and lower control arms. There was no travel, so the suspension was stiff and bottomed out a lot. Now, with the 2.5", the angles are much better, and it drives fine. There’s a little noise sometimes, but that’s probably from worn bushings due to running overextended for a while.
Edit: The 35s definitely make the biggest difference in ride height and road presence.
Edit again: I’ll post more detailed pics later in the sub!
@Quincy
So if I went with 3", I’d likely have the same issues? Where’d you get your lift, and how’s the quality? Definitely looking forward to seeing those pics!
Lyle said:
@Quincy
So if I went with 3", I’d likely have the same issues? Where’d you get your lift, and how’s the quality? Definitely looking forward to seeing those pics!
I’ll PM you.
@Lyle
Also, the 4.6 is much easier to build power in since it’s the same engine as in Mustangs of that era. Pretty sure you could slap a supercharger on it. The 5.4 doesn’t have that same potential.
Quincy said:
@Lyle
Also, the 4.6 is much easier to build power in since it’s the same engine as in Mustangs of that era. Pretty sure you could slap a supercharger on it. The 5.4 doesn’t have that same potential.
True, but by the time you’ve built the 4.6 to handle a supercharger, you might as well swap in a 5.0 Coyote. They share motor mounts, and the Coyote has similar or better power stock compared to a boosted 4.6. It’s also cheaper.
@Lyle
I’ve heard that! Swapping in a Coyote sounds awesome, but I think the wiring harness might be the tricky part. You definitely seem to know more about it than I do.
Quincy said:
@Lyle
I’ve heard that! Swapping in a Coyote sounds awesome, but I think the wiring harness might be the tricky part. You definitely seem to know more about it than I do.
Yeah, there’s more to it than just dropping the motor in. The shared mounts make it easier, though. You can get custom wiring harnesses and ECUs for swaps like this.
