I have spent this winter doing all of the upgrades I've been wanting to get done to my Ex.
-OEM 20" wheels
-2008+ tow mirrors
-3rd row headrests
-Rancho Shocks
-Powerslot cryo'd rotors and hawk pads
- 6.0 PSD engine mods etc.

Now I am ready for the definitive suspension upgrade. I already have OEM front and rear sway bars but my springs are miserable. I have already purchased V-code front springs, but am trying to determine if I should go ahead and do the modified B's or just do the RAS. As you can see in this picture, I currently have a rake of about one inch, with the front being lower. I know the V-codes will raise me up about 1.5-2 inches in front, which will mean I need to pick up about an inch of rear height in order to flatten me out.

My biggest concern is RIDE QUALITY. Towing is not a major concern. I do tow but it is generally just a boat or my 4-wheeler trailer. I just want to eliminate the slight amount of steering wader that I have and increase feel and responsiveness. This truck is my family hauler for our big road trips we take a few times a year.

Does anybody have experience with both V-codes and RAS? Any pros and/or cons to one or the other, specifically knowing my particular setup? Thanks.[IMG][/IMG]

 

Honestly, for you, I'd be willing to bet the combination of B codes, RAS, and keeping your stock blocks would make you as happy as a fart in a windstorm.

Stewart

 

Yeah that's the way I'm leaning at this point. Especially given the ease of installation. Seems I could install the RAS in about 30 minutes as opposed to a few hours, at least, for rear springs. Plus the RAS is cheaper than a new set of B code springs. I just want to do whatever is best to get rid of as much body roll, sway, and steering wander as possible.

 

I just did the modified B code install. I also did V codes in front and I got 2” lift front and rear. The rear modded B springs only took about 4 hours with 2 guys, 2 jacks and 4 jack stands...LOTS of room. The fronts were the pain on my truck. I have towed with this setup and agree that I will probably add RAS to the modded B codes to get the take I want and not sag too much while I tow (now I sag maybe 3/4” max).

 

I just re-read...you only tow light...RAS might not get you the level stance you want...modded B codes will give you more lift to keep up with the front V codes.

 

Robert,

Let me get this straight, modified B code plus RAS for the rear is what you have concluded to get the Ex for towing?
How much rake will it be with the RAS add on to the Mod B?
How's the ride with V front B rear compare to before, a lot hasher or liveable?
Will the RAS give a rake (the rear sit a little higher than the front) with the trailer in tow?

Thanks,

 

I have V codes front, un-modified B codes rear, with RAS added to same B codes. Great combination, but the rake is just a bit high. I think the rear is normally about 1.5 - 2.0 higher than the front.

Those 20" wheels look fantastic.

When towing, even the addition of RAS do not allow positive rake. The rear of mine still squats some when towing (see picture below). I am considering removing the RAS and then installing radius rods and air bags.

 

You misunderstood me.

I said the combination of B codes, RAS, and keeping the stock blocks is what I would recommend.

Stewart

 

Really?

Hmmm, I Hunter may wanna ignore my above post then.

Forest, did you use new V codes?

Stewart

 

I'll need to reply in two posts...waiting for some pics to upload.

"How's the ride with V front B rear compare to before, a lot hasher or liveable?"
Night and day. Your experience will depend on how bad your current stock front springs are. I only had about 3/4" of clearance between my front bump stops and the springs. Just pulling out of my driveway too fast would bottom out. I sat roughly level when unloaded, and after adding my storage drawer and tools i probably had a 1/4" sag. When I towed, I had about a 1 1/2" sag (14' dual axle box trailer, est. 8000lbs, 750 or so tongue weight).

Now the front is slightly stiffer (as compared to "mushy" when I bought it), but not extreme. It is more than comfortable for a daily driver and while I haven't taken a road trip in it yet, I think it will be great long distance.

I had a little steering wander and now it is arrow straight...I run E rated tires at full cold PSI and I have no wear issues.

"How much rake will it be with the RAS add on to the Mod B?"
I'm not 100% positive, but I will guess I will total put between 1" and 1 1/4" based on other people who have done both Modded Bs and RAS. Right now with my "day to day" load in the back (no third row seat but a good 200-250lbs of gear) I estimate I have 1/2" or so rake (I'll post some pics I took today that shows the current stance). When I tow I estimate I sag MAYBE 1/2", so I'm hoping the RAS will sit me dead level when towing.

"Let me get this straight, modified B code plus RAS for the rear is what you have concluded to get the Ex for towing?"
For me, yes - because I have that 200-250 lbs of SAR gear (sledge, halligan, search cameras, tools, etc) in the back and I tow moderately heavy tongue weight with no weight distribution hitch.

Guys, chime in here, but a straight V/B may give you height but not much more "strength" under load. RAS will help, but without a good spring to attach to, the RAS will have to support more load and you may get sag.

The issue I think you may have by going with Vs and RAS alone is that from my experience (2000 V10 w/105000 on the odo) I gained a full 2" from the Vs and Modded Bs. If memory serves, most people report 1" - 1 1/2" of lift from the RAS UNLOADED. That would put you slightly "negative" on your rake by 1/4" to 1/2". If you tow light (ATVs, motorcycles, jet skis) and only use the rear for gear (i.e. no third row with kids AND gear) I think when fully loaded you would be down even more...add kids to the third row and it compounds itself.

If you go Vs/Modded Bs, you will gain strength AND height, with a minimum height. Remember, the Modded B takes two additional leaves from your stock springs, boosting the strength a bit.

So, in my opinion adding RAS is a bigger gamble for towing...it seems to me RAS is more expensive than getting Bs and modding them, and you get true "OEM" spring strength. Its as if there are four options to choose from with just V/B as an option (guys, chime in if you disagree):
1) Guys who never tow can just do Vs with 3 1/2" tapered blocks and have a level stance...all height in the rear but no added muscle.
2) The guys that run truly "empty" (no gear in back and no third row) can get away with Vs/Bs, giving a little extra strength to handle an interior load or a light trailer, but not both.
3) Guys that run a daily load or a heavy trailer can run Vs/Modded Bs and will have a nice looking rake when not towing and a barely perceptible sag when towing
4) Guys can run loaded for bear and with a heavy trailer with Vs/Modded Bs plus RAS - at the expense of a rake while not towing in exchange for a level ride with a heavy trailer.

I can't speak to the springs heavier than Bs, but from my research the Bs have the most "car-like" highway feel...where the bigger springs may start to feel more like a F250/350 on the road.

Guys, chime in if you disagree - I only have V/B driving experience.

I'll post some new pics I took today of the rake and will take some more tomorrow with the trailer hooked up for reference.

 

Where his setup differs from mine is that I have a decent amount of "day to day" load in the back (200-250 lbs), so that takes a little of the rake away.

 

Better pics of the new stance. Keep in mind there is 200-250lbs of gear in the back already:


This pic is a little misleading - the street has a downward slope (higher on the left than the right) and the garage in the background makes the roof look like its got more rake than it actually does:

 

Better illustration...I took this pic and put it in Visio, drew a straight line and rotated the photo so the bottom of both tires were level.

Drew another line (level and parallel to the first) and raised it to the wheelwells...

Right now (with 200-250lbs of gear) I sit perfectly level. Unloaded I would estimate I probably would have 1/2" of positive rake (rear higher).

 

From the OP it sounds like air bags would not be beneficial for you unless you someday plan to tow something heavier. My post is more in response to other various posts.

If the truck were to see some heavy loads either occasionally or constantly, air bags may be more beneficial as they can be completely adjusted. I notice a couple of times in this thread where someone either mentions that the RAS while unloaded adds to the rake or doesn't necessarily provide enough support to make it level with the load. By having an adjustable system you could always be level as long as you are towing within the vehicle tow ratings.

 

So a shot of the truck loaded up.

Now, it's inherently difficult to get a real three dimensional image to translate into a flat image (barrel distortion from the lens, etc. etc. etc.).

Add to those problems that when I hooked up I didn't back in 100% straight (my nose was a little left of center when I hooked up, meaning the nose of the truck is closer to the camera than the rear).

To compensate I put the line on the bottom of the tires - found it about -.75 degrees off of true. To figure out how much of a deflection I needed to apply, I drew another line along the top of the wheels, and found that to be 0 degrees. Calculating the distance between the two led me to figure "level" at around the top of the wheel wells would be +.25 degrees (the top line):


The trailer was easier since it was straight...

You can see the trailer is just a touch high on the front, and the truck has very little sag - maybe 1/4"? Not too bad for 750lbs or so of tongue weight (further out than most tow vehicles - my hitch ball extends out a good 8-10 inches) AND another 200-250lbs of gear in the back (mostly behind the axle).

I think adding RAS to my setup would get me a decent amount of rake (say another 1/2 to 3/4") while not towing, but would put me at level or +1/4" of rake while towing.

For someone who doesn't drive around with the third row full of kids or a lot of tools, I think the smarter choice is B codes/blocks or Modded B codes - you get the same height (maybe a touch more) as you do with RAS, but you get more true weight carrying ability with Modded B's than I think you would with RAS.

Someone early in the thread said installing RAS was going to be easier than Modded B's. I haven't installed RAS, but I can tell you that it's not hard to install B's on the rear. Plenty of room to work and so long as you have a torque wrench that can go up to 185ft/lbs, you'll be fine.

I guess I'm partial to using true Ford parts designed by engineers to work with the frame and axle of the Excursion to get brute lifting force (treating the disease) vs. a bolt on product that is designed to treat a symptom (overloaded or wrapping springs).