Hello Group I am looking to buy a 98-01 Navigator because they seem to have more options/creature comforts compared to the Expedition and Suburban of that era. I plan on using it to occasionally tow a travel trailer on short trips.
It is rated to 8,000# are they really capable at towing the max? I read that they are underpowered/sluggish. I am not looking to win races just want a capable tow vehicle and my trailer is all of 8,000 pounds.
I've read the 98-99 had the 5.4 SOHC 260hp and the 99-had the DOHC that was rated at 300 hp. I have heard the SOHC is pretty stout and bullet proof how about the DOHC models? What are there weak points. Is it better to have the 300 hp for towing?
I've read most 4wd have the air ride suspension and see some convert them to normal suspensions. Is the air ride a plus for towing (leveling the rear). Is it hard to use a weight distributing hitch with them? Are replacement parts available at a decent price for the air suspension (pumps, controller, dryers, air springs)?
Besides good maintenance what else should I look for in an older Navigator?
Are over 140K miles something I should stay away from?

Thanks
Joe

 

Get a diesel Excursion, the Nav will pull it but for long trips or hilly terrain it will really take its toll on the drivetrain. As for as the air susp I would be leery of it, If that pump goes bad while you are loaded youre in a world of crap, and those parts for the air susp are not cheap. Thats why so many people convert to a conventional susp setup. Sometimes all the goodies and toys on your vehicle are not the best way to go.

 

Hope this helps: My 98 NAVI 2WD has Air Suspension in the rear Shocks, and it came std with Oil Cooler, and Transmission Cooler, it is the 5.4 SOHC gets about 12mpg except when the AC is off then it gets 15 on trips. I bought it with 35,000 miles just off lease in dec 1999. It now has 162,000 and has pulled 3 kids back and forth to college with a dual axle trailer, 3 hours away. It has towed numerous boats 4 hours one way on vacations. Sadly all the terrain here in Florida is mostly flat. It did pull a 32 grady white (12,000 lbs) out of the water, then down the street a couple of miles and then we dunked it back in the next week. Air ride is comfortable and fine. I like the auto leveling feature, during loading of the trailer it is nice. When pulling a big 5,000 lb car on a trailer I found that from the toll booth, it was better to use the OD off/on so that it would not shift into 4th and lockup until I wanted it to, around town was ok though. Now for Ride....The reason I got this over a 2000 eddie brauer Expedition was that the NAVI advertisements had quiet, smooth, and quiet all over the literature (extra insulation). I tested both and they were right. My Michelins have lasted 83,000 miles, and I attribute the smoothness and quietness to them too.
I travel with the family (6 of us) on vacation loaded (stuff on the roof and we use a trailer hitch carrier) and small getaways traveling light. I like the ride and the view, it is comfortable, has enough getup and go, safe in the rain (we get a lot of that here) and did I mention quiet? As for maintenance, transmission flushed and filled twice, various sensors replaced, tuneup, filters, front end steering parts and ball joints replaced, and I did put new seals in the rear end because it was dripping, added axle bearings while i was there.
As for a diesel Excursion I have ridden in the non-diesel version and they are BIGGER and with the longer wheel base have a better ride, and definitely will do a better job of pulling.
All in All just got back from another road trip and was very pleased, It rained on and off the whole way back, it is nice to be wrapped in detroits thick metal with plenty of power.

 

Yes this helps, thanks I wanted personal experiences with the Navigator. A diesel Excursion is not an option for me at this time. Is there a way to turn off the air suspension?

 

If you're gonna do it,get the later model with the DOHC engine. there is a significant difference in power. I had an '01 for 4 years,and we towed a 32' travel trailer that weighed around 6000lbs with it many times. No problems at all,and you're not going to hurt the driveline at all as was stated earlier. The DOHC Navigators have the 4R100 trans like the Superduty trucks,and has a 9.75" rear axle instead of the lighter duty 8.8". Ours when running empty around here it averaged 14-16mpg and on long highway trips it would almost hit 20mpg. Towing the travel trailer it would get 9-10 mpg @65mph.
As for the air suspension-it's a really simple system with a few solenoids, height sensors and a compressor to inflate the air springs. Shadetree mechanics that don't understand it talk crap about it,and purchase "conversion kits" because they don't have the troubleshooting skills to diagnose the real problems to fix the system when it has a problem. The self-leveling system works well,and is nice to have-esp when towing.
If you're planning on towing the TT in your sig with it-you'll be right at the limits. I've got an Eagle 314BHDS(same floorplan as your TT),and the Navigator would tow it, but it was right at the limit. It would be fine for nearby trips, but for longer distances-you'll need more vehicle,IMO.
Towing that trailer- the SOHC 5.4L Navigator would be seriously underpowered.
JL

 

Thanks so much for the info. Its helps that you have a similiar size/weight TT and have experience towing with the Navigator. I was originally gonna get an older 96-99 Suburban 7.4L (had one briefly before) to tow but thought about getting something with a little more "class" plus the few ones around me are the same price if not cheaper than the Suburbans and Expedition for the same vintage.
Yeah I figured my trailer will be at the upper limits of what I should pull with it but I am only planning on local, flat trips, no more cross countries through the passes (when I had the Ex).
Is there a way to disengage the air system so you can hook up the trailer before they try to compensate?

Joe

 

Yes,there's a switch above the passenger footwell that turns off the system so you can hitch up your weight distribution gear and get it level before turning it back on. The DOHC 5.4L is a marvel of power and really shines when you hitch up a load behind it. It's a far cry from it's weaker SOHC brother, which will tow that load, albeit with a bit more work, and a bit slower.
JL

 

I have found some bargains that need some TLC. They mostly are ones with interior with worn seats or ones with bad trans. I have found trans (4R100?) for $400-700 at several local yards some from Navi's on car-part.com, do the 1998-2001 use the same trans? If its a 4wd it has to be replaced with a 4wd trans correct?
Are the seats the same for the different years (98-01). I have also found good seats at the yards and thought about getting one with worn seats and just switching them out. Besides the mounts and the wiring are they pretty straight forward to swap out?

Thanks
Joe

 

The 4R100's used behind modulars are all the same bellhousing pattern. There were minor internal changes made over the years, but not many from what I've read. There's a run of '01 model 4R100's to avoid-they had a bad one-way clutch design that was changed-just make sure you get one from the DOHC engine configuration if you end up with a DOHC Navigator,and you'll be OK because the torque converters on the DOHC's were higher stall speed than the SOHC versions.
4WD transmissions will need to be changed with a 4WD transmission.
The seats are all pretty much the same from what I've seen,so you should be good there with a seat swap if you find a nice vehicle that needs seat repair. The leather seat cover skins are also available from the dealer-they're expensive....but, they're an easy swap.
JL

 

Thanks JL
I have also been looking for the official tow rating for the 99 with the DOHC engine (and 00). I have seen different numbers. I have seen all with tow hitches but did all Navigators come with the heavy duty tow package in the early years or was it an option?

Joe

 

The '99 models were a mixed breed with some being SOHC's and the remainder being DOHC.
SOHC 2WD:
3.31 axle-6600lbs max trailer
3.73 axle-8000lbs max trailer
SOHC 4WD:
3.73 axle-7700lbs max trailer
DOHC 2WD:
3.73 axle-8850 lbs max trailer
DOHC 4WD:
3.73 axle-8700 lbs max trailer
Deduct 500lbs from these weights if the vehicle has OEM 17" wheels and tires.
2000-2002 were all DOHC,were all 3.73 axle,and all had 17" wheels:
2WD-8900 lbs max trailer
4WD-8100 lbs max trailer
As far as I know,they all had the factory towing package. '99 is a screwy year since it was a transition to the better DOHC engine,I'd stay with 2000-2002 if it were me purchasing another one.
JL

 

Thanks again JL. After all of this I slept through the Ebay final bidding (I like to bid in last 5-10 sec) and the 99 Navigator with 150K miles went for 3,200. It was at 0 bid at 3,000 up until the last day so i was trying to get it at bottom dollar since I couldn't inspect. I would have had to pay 400-500 to transport it here and a few hundred to replace the seats but I thought it was a good truck. Well another 99 Navigator local owned dropped their price from 6K to 5K OBO and its local with less miles so maybe I can wheel and deal. I hope I get one or else it will be back to the Suburban 2500 (big block)

Joe

 

You should use an automatic bidder like Auction Sniper so you don't miss out on auctions and don't need to stay up. It is how most people bid in the last few seconds and it is automatic. You pick your max amount, and you lead time and thr bids get put in automatically much faster than you could ever rebid manually.