2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

OK you PSD folks. I need info. I just purchased a 2005 Excursion 4wd and I want more power. :D What is the best way to go about it with out trashing my warranty? :eek: Also, what about the these air bags, are they required / necessary? Presently my set up has a factory class 3 hitch and I would assume a class 5 would be the requirement for a bigger boat. Presently I will be pulling a 29 ' Fountain but looking to go bigger, 38' Lightning? :D I have not pulled my present boat so I do not even know how it is going to handle the 29'? I hope it will just be fine.

I'm not sure what rear end I have. The truck was a program vehicle but where can I find this info?

Any and all comments will be appreciated.

"Remember keep your stick on the ice and we're all in this together". :drink:

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Air filter and exhaust- anything else is going to void your warranty. If you get a hard-a$$ed tech rep from Ford looking at a smoked motor, they may deny the claim even on those mild mods. These guys aren't stupid nor do they like passing out $13K motors. The 6.0 is from the factory what an aftermarket-tweaked 7.3 was- already pushed up in power. They're not fragile in stock form but they're not going to take a 110+ horsepower boost without consequence. Transmission too. There are lots of internal mods that can be done to the motor/trans internals but you're looking ast some serious $$.

A programmer is an OK mod if you are just interested in blasting away from a stoplight, goofing around with the guy next to you in the Corvette. If you want to pull a 12K boat up a steep grade at 70 mph, buy a medium cause the 6.0 isn't up to it. Even with the EGT, you'll likely pop a head gasket- a common malady with this motor.

Whatever you do, get an EGT gauge for it. There's no gray area with a turbodiesel. The pistons are fine right up to the point where they melt.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Your X will pull that 29 like it isn't even there! I pulled a 353 Formula for 4 years w/ a 3/4 ton Burb. Did a geat job. I have a 382 now and I am under-trucked but I usually tow only 2-5 miles! Good luck , Wrink

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

I have had three Excursions. First was a 7.3, and the last two have been 6.0s. With them I have towed a 38' Topgun, and with my 2005 6.0 4wd, a new 39' Outerlimits. The most distance I have towed has been about 400 miles, while regularly towing approx 100 miles on some weekends in the summer.

Towing with all these trucks has been great. My latest Excursion has all the Banks upgrades on it, and performs exceptionally well.

With all said above, I am still going to buy a F350 Dually. In a perfect world I will may never have a problem towing with my Excursion. I am buying a bigger truck to increase my safety margin.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

i just put the edge w/ juice controller, AFE intake and magnoflow exhaust on my 05.... major power increase, the nicest part about it is you have 5 stages on the controller plus you can turn it off if need be.... has a built in EGT, boost, tach, backdown gauges in it... plus will record the highest of those settings.. plus has options for defueling on shifts and backdown... and it does not void your warranty.... it is called the Magnuson-Moss act, they have to prove your products caused the failure, not just say they did..
you throw that phrase out there and 9 times out of 10 they fix it without an arguement.... :D

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Do an edge w/juce on it along with a free flowing exhaust set up and a performance filter setup AFE. will really wake the beast up keep the power levels to within reason and every time you take the rig in for service remove the edge.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Check us out at www.pmtdiesel.com
Or call us at 866-768-2447.
Weffer OSO discounts!

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

I have a good friend and former employee that's a service director at a large Ford store. I hear all the time about voided warranties on Mustangs, Lightnings and diesels from guys screwing around with power outputs. Ford has way more time and resources to fight with than any of us and they don't give away motors without a fight.

In the end, Ford designed the motor to do what it does stock and warrants it as such. If you want to increase it's power by 50 to 100% you should have no expectation that someone else should pay for it if it fails. Remember, it's not a $200 repair. A replacement 6.0 with labor is about the same $$ as a moderately equipped new Taurus. You smoke a motor WITHOUT modifications, be prepared to provide solid documentation on all your maintenance.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

my dealer does all the maintence on my truck and knows what i have done too it and i have printed off the entire warranty act and keep it in my glovebox and my attorney has one too, the service manager says most people just give in when he threatens that they won't cover stuff... i have no problem if they can PROVE whatever i did caused the warranty issue, but they have to prove it... and that is a hard thing to do... :D it's a matter of law... :D

i've had hopped up trucks, vettes, bmw's and benz's and have yet to be turned down for a warranty claim even though most of those cars were heavily modified... it's just hard to prove that any one part caused another parts failure.. afterall, i don't want to pay for 5k transmissions or 15k engines either... :D

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

There's an old phrase that comes to mind- "It's better to be a defendant than a plaintiff". In the case of a warranty, you're the plaintiff. All they have to do is say "no". Now you get to start spending $225 an hour with your lawyer. History is full of innocent folks who have depleted fortunes proving it.

As far as proof, in civil court and arbitration it's preponderance of evidence. The mere fact that you made modifications to dramatically increase the power output of an engine is likely to resonate with most reasonable people.


In your case, having a friendly dealer is nice but if you smoke a diesel, it's not going to be up to him. It will be up to a Ford tech rep. Having a close friend as a service manager couldn't get me out of a jam on two different occasions. The TR said no- that was it. Fortunately they were a couple hundred bucks.

In the end, if you can afford the consequences you shouldn't be worried about them.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

most dealers don't want the bad press and do what they can to accomadate their customers (especially if they know they will sell them another)... i have paid out about 2k in lawyers fees over this kind of stuff, but got a 14k BMW (among other things) engine paid for that all it took was a letter and they just fixed it... most dealers/manufactures don't want to fight, or at least that is my experience... :D

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

All right guys thanks for the info on the engine hp tips but what about hitches and air bags and other stuff to pull a bigger boat? Do I really need to do anything to pull a 38?

I'll wait for the warranty to end before I modify the engine just to make sure I'm covered. I can see the point that it is up to the TR to prove it is not your fault but I don't want that headache.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

There is a change up front from leaf to coil on the '05. You're going to find overall the Ex is a bit mushy and it gets worse when you load it up. I've replaced all the suspension on my '04 with Superduty hardware. It's a couple inches taller (now it looks like a real truck, not mom's giant station wagon) and it rides/handles 100% better than stock. You can likely do the same thing with '05 superduty parts. Ford's stock shocks aren't too hot. I bought Edelbrocks and love them but there are lots of good one's out there. Instant ride/handling improvement. Air bags are a must- not so much for the static load but trailering something of that size is going to squash the back end down on rolling dips and big bumps- sometimes enough to be a little scary. I'm not certain but I don't believe they added a rear sway bar for '05 but a Hellwig made a big difference in mine. The hitch needs to be replaced with a class V.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Chris
Where can I find a call V hitch. I checked a few places but since the Ex is no longer being made no one seems to have parts already. Someone has to have parts laying around from an 04 I would that most parts would fit an 05.
The truck already has after market shocks on it, Edelbrocks.

Air bags? Where, who and what type (if there are any) to get? Installation is it hard?

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

All I can add is I have a 2003 Excursion with the 6.0 D and its all bone stock. From the factory it had a class IV hitch, I am using a 10,000 # ball, I tow a 38' Powerquest that dry is 7,800 #, With a 2,0003 trailer and with gas and stuff I am guessing I am at about 11'000 #.
I have no problem towing at 70 MPH down the road but there are times on some curves and in the wind when I take it down a notch as she gets a little loose. I believe if I boosted the shocks I would be fine, just haven't done it yet.

I might be moving up to a 43 Black Thunder, now with that I could have issues on a long haul.





















33l

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Performancemary,
That is a great looking rig. Thanks for the tips.

The BT is my ultimate dream boat but if and when I get one I would have to get a F550 to be safe but that is a lot of truck to just drive around town and trailer once in awhile. But that would be the set up. :D :drink:

itilldo

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Putnam makes the XDR hitch and I believe Reese makes one too. I can't imagine Ford changed their tooling for a major component like a frame just for '05 so all years should fit. I'm guessing that both of these manufacturers have a tech line that can steer you to the right fitment and a supplier. Firestone makes the Ride-Rite bag system.

How hard the installation is depends on your skills and tools. Not a tough job but would probably take an afternoon. Pretty much a bolt-on job. They bolt to the side of the frame and to the top of the axle. You can either do the simple Schrader valve for the bags or an onboard pump and a cab switch which is more time and money. I always recommend someone do their own work if possible. If the first time you ever slide under the truck is with a flashlight at an interstate rest stop, the likelihood of you getting back and going is alot less. Plus, rarely have I ever been satisfied with the quality of work and attention to detail after paying someone else to do the work for me. Again, a rubbed-thru line is going to present a problem on the highway with your boat attached and the cabin filled with crying kids and a pi$$ed-off wife.

You probably don't need this stuff to pull your boat but it's damn cheap insurance.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

I beleive this only applies to the Super Dutys, not the EX. This is one reason they are dis-continued, they didn't want to switch the EX line to coil-overs.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

You are of course correct- momentary brain fade on my part.

The stock Ex rides a bit nose-down and they have a habit of being wanderers on the road. The SD springs and rear blocks cures the problem. The stock front spring is a negative curve piece and I have been told this contributes to the wander. The extra height allowed me to put 315/70r 17's on it (H2 size) which fill the wheel wells much better. Very minor trimming to the bottom of the plastic inner fenders all the way at the bottom was all that was needed.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Chris,

Can you post a few pics?

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

I'm interested in the SD springs and blocks for mine, do you use regular SD parts or aftermarket one's ?

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Chris did you get your truck done?
05 Ex's still have leaf front
I used ford x-code fronts and 4" rear block and run 35x12.5x18 toyo m/t
I welded 2 washers totaling 1/8" to turn stop to avoid hitting leaf spring at full turn

Mine is the smaller one!

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Credit where credit is due- Beau (RBR2328) was a big help in clueing me in to what parts to use. All OEM Ford Superduty stuff. I chose to go with the 315/70R 17 as it is a more common, more available size. I didn't want to worry about not being able to find a replacement tire and the Nitto is on perpetual backorder. On any given day, I'm somewhere within a 1,000 mile radius of home and felt that the BFG would be a much easier tire to find. It's also 1" narrower than the 35" 18. I went with an 8.5" wheel- Weld, of course. Wouldn't really consider having another brand- even though they are $$$.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Got it done over the weekend- what an improvement!

With the 315's being an inch narrower, all I had to do was nip an inch and a half off of the bottom of the right-side inner fender. It's plastic and took about 3 minutes. Tire is 3/8" off the leaf front and back.

Thanks for all your help and guidance- the part numbers came in really handy as well. It saved me a bunch of research. Total cost was under $400 at the Ford dealer. About 2 hours work to swap the parts. It retained the stock shocks.

I was concerned about loss of ride quality but it got better. Incredible differenc ein highway stability and comfort. The additional front travel is wonderful. There's a driveway I go down every morning and it has larger speed bumps. I was always a little embarrassed that I had to almost stop to go over them. Not anymore- it acts like they're barely even there.

Truck is a couple inches taller but my wife has yet to notice so it mustn't be too bad. She seldom misses the opportunity to complain....

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Courtesy of rbr2328 (Beau):

Ford part numbers

2C3Z-5310-AF Springs
F81Z-5598-FA , F81Z-5598-GA rear block, L & R
F81Z-5705-EA U-bolts- need 4 of these

You will re-use the u-bolt nuts. On the front, the 4 acorn -head bolts by the tow hooks is all that holds the front bumper on- one bolt inside each fender holds the end braces. (As an added benefit, I finally located my engine heater plug!) You'll need to remove the a/c evaporator lower brackets to get those front shackle bolts out. On the left rearward, you'll have to lift the front axle a few inches to get the shackle bolt out as it hits the driveshaft when hanging (truck on jack stands). Going back together, I slid it in from the opposite side. As the springs are taller (more curve), you have to loosen the hardware on both sides. I did the driver's first. It took a bit of effort to get the spring guide pin into the axle mount as the axle shifted when I loosened it. I couldn't find a cause but it wouldn't slide into place. I took a 2" ratchet strap and pulled it to where it needed to go- no big deal. This was on both sides. With both side's hardware loose I found it hard to lift the axle without rotating it - it just took a bit of trial and error on lifting points. Don't take the shocks loose- they'll slide out of the way when you remove the u-bolts.

The rears took 5 minutes each. Didn't even get under the truck.

The u-bolts need to be re-torqued in a week or so and the shackle bolts were loctited- I re-loctited them going back on.

I wouldn't suggest tackling this job without a good floor jack and stands. An impact is a BIG help too.

If Ford would have built the truck this way from the start, they would have sold many more of them.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Chris- For those who have not done drivetrain/suspension work I would sub this out to a shop. Fooling with leaf springs is not an easy or safe thing to do. An up on a lift a shop can do allthese in 2-3 hours max.

My $ .02

Wannabe

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Like anything, if you don't have the tools and the skills you should let a pro do it. Not only can you hurt yourself very badly, if you get it apart, you are going to have to put it back together. It isn't like you can drive it to the dealer without the front axle bolted in!

I have a lift and it was actually easier doing it on the floor.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

WOW Lots of information but I still have a question. If I were to install these parts with the part #'s listed do I end up with more tow capacity on my 2003 6.0 diesel?

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

thanks Chris,
My neighbor has a tranny shop so i have access to all the right tools and space , your info save's alot of time :drink:

Will

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Tow capacity will be the same however it will tow much better.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

No, this does not increase your capacity. It will make the truck easier to drive while pulling. Having the truck balanced right is very important.

Wannabe

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

I would have never considered hooking up even 75% of the Ex's rated towing weight to it stock. Much more stable on the road now.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

Towing capacity encompasses many elements- the load rating of the tire/wheel/axle and spring combination, the brake system capability and the strength of the driveline are just a few elements. Adding airbags, bigger springs, higher rated tires/wheels, stronger driveline components, etc will usually make for a better towing experience but no modification you do will legally increase the towing capacity of your vehicle. The weitht specified on the build tag is what it will always be- by US DOT regulation. This applies to passenger and commercial vehicle. The only exception is when the chassis manufacturer designates the vehicle as incomplete- the body manufacturer then attaches the supplemental tag to the chassis. An example would be an RV manufacturer.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

My pleasure. Beau got me halfway there with figuring out what would work and supplying the part numbers.

Re: 2005 Excursion 4wd PSD
 

I neglected to mention that I replaced the stock POS damper with an aftermarket dual-cylinder unit. It cost less than an OEM replacement single unit from Ford.

Every piece of what I did added a bit of improvement but everything together didn't do what the spring swap did.