How to Make a Ford Excursion Ride Smoother
 

Could not find what I wanted on the web so I thought I would ask you guys!

My FIL has been slowly declining, as in end of life. They have an Excursion but he is now finding the ride excruciating. I have not been able to look at the suspension at this time (distance) but I remember it as being a bit stiff.

Instead of trying to buy another vehicle is there a way to update/upgrade the shocks/struts in order to make the ride smoother? Something like an old Towne Car or Continental.

I was also thinking of removing a leaf spring or two to make it smoother.

Letting some air out of the tires did not help.

Thanks!

I have a 2" lift, and 33s on my 6.0L diesel Excursion, that also has extra helper springs in the back for towing our 32' camper. It rides, and is MUCH quieter with less drama, than my old 99 PSD F250.

You can call around for softer rate springs/shocks, but be wary, it is a 7000# + beast that is meant for people hauling and towing. I would check the rubber front end bushings for excessive wear, and possibly have to replace.

Can you do something about the seats instead of the suspension? You might be able to find some cushy captains chairs or chair to replace one or more seats. Just a thought.

Yeah this.

I cringe when I see Excursions rolling down the road.

They just look so unstable I'd be loath to do anything that allowed that body to roll more than it already does.

https://www.suburbanseats.com/c/ford-driver-and-passenger-pickup-truck-seats

Ford air ride seats. Bolt in...

I second the seats, I had an ‘04 and was going to make it stiffer....

Ford Excursion
 

I owned and drove a Ford Excursion for over 10 years and never once had any handling or stability problems. Maybe that is because I did not try to drive it like I drive my 911! If I could get a new Excursion now I would hock the farm to do so!

Why not get something else? It’s a 3/4 ton truck with big stiff leaf springs, it’s never going to ride well.

Same. Too slow to get into trouble...

Smaller diameter and narrower wheels will allow you to fit larger profile tires (overall same diameter) for a softer ride.

Tires vary a lot. Michelins are rated for the best ride for PU's and SUV's.

But that's only part of the story. If he is uncomfortable with the ride, he doesn't like turning, stopping, etc. IDK about seats for that but it sounds like a start.

You could pick up some comfy seats from one of our own, scheel-mann usa | Orthopedic Automotive Seats

I too never once had an issue driving it.

The suspension is based on the F250.

Sell it, and buy a GOOD Expedition.

Top Speed............
 

My 2003 6.0 Diesel Excursion was artificially limited to a top speed of 97 mph! I suppose that was due to tire performance limits? Would it do 97mph? Yep, tried it once just to see!

I had the same feeling when driving my completely stock Excursion: a rough ride that bordered on uncontrollable at times. I replaced the perfectly good shocks with Bilsteins and put on a set of Michelins. The ride was much improved, especially over rough pavement. It still rides worse than my F250, but is acceptable for what it is.

When I had mine, I was running Michelin tires , good shocks and air bags on the rear, it was like driving a Cadillac

If your FIL finds the ride excruciating, I don't think you'll ever improve it enough. Anything you spend could be a waste. How about renting a Lincoln/Cadillac and see if it solves the problem, and if so, sell the Excursion and buy a Lincoln or Cadillac. Maybe research which ones have the nicest ride.

Also consider the right seat height for getting in/out.

I'm gonna bet its seat related. don't spend $$ on the truck.

great idea to try renting a different vehicle.

You are never going to fix this problem. You'd be hard-pressed to make even a 10 or 20% improvement. Sell it and buy something that's comfortable for them.

That was exactly my thought. Bilstein 5100s make a big difference in ride quality but it won’t make a 3/4 ton truck ride like a Cadillac.

I recall when my FIL was ill with what ended up being cancer he was suffering a lot of lower back pain. He drove a lot of miles as a sales rep. Left his Cadillac parked at home while he put miles on a Taurus with cabbie bead seat cover things. seat shape was the issue and you just couldn't guess which seat would be best.

Agree w this. You would be absolutely wasting any $$ spent trying to make an Excursion ride like a Cadillac. And it sounds like he has some significant medical issue if riding on normal roads is "excruciating" in any vehicle.

Don't waste $$ on tires, seats, etc. Get him a different vehicle. The newest Excursion is about 12 years old so I'm sure a late model used car would be fine for him.

Cheapest place to start would be the tire pressure. Maybe previous person servicing them inflated them to 40+.

If he has medical problems I question how easy it is for him to get in/out of a 3/4 ton truck/SUV.

Or you could air bag it!

No.

How old are the tires? Not only is the rubber softer on new tires, the sidewalls flex better too.

Has he been in any other family member or friends car that he found more comfortable?

New tires and bilstiens will help a lot, but there is no magic cure. I have had 3/4 and 1 ton trucks as daily drivers for years and anything else is a waste of money trying to chase the ride issue. Add a trailer or a bunch of weight and they will ride great, as designed. I have had buddies do air ride kits, spring upgrades, even box the frames and none of it was worth the money. A better seat is also a good option.

He already mentioned playing with tire pressure and it didn’t help.

Excursions hold their value well, why not just sell it and get a Cadillac DTS or Lincoln Town Car? You can find them pretty cheap with low miles.

Matt beat me too it, what year is the Excursion, Is it a diesel? If it’s a 7.3L they sell for strong money, even the 6.0L ones sell for a surprising amount.

I never owned one but did like the way they looked. It' still a better looking vehicle than the new Expedition and equally good looking to the new Chevy/GMC Suburban. It's a shame Ford didn't keep developing this vehicle.

If you are uncomfortable driving the vehicle you have, no matter how much you like everything else about it...get something that rides comfortably! Life is just too short to put up with it.

Drove a boxster 600mi to a friends and spent a week with him and his fiancé. The next weekend drove my new sedan to go to the wedding and also be a people mover. Driving the new sedan back was excruciatingly painful. I pinched nerves in my lower back causing butt pain, back pain, leg pain, and my feet waking me a night hurting. Got so could not drive the car for longer than 5 minutes before it started hurting.

While the nerves were irritated spent a month driving every sedan known, new and used. Found there were only 2 candidates I could drive. Got rid of he new car and got a different one and it resolved my problem.

Later I found the same seats were in the SUV the company made. Traded the sedan for the SUV. The SUV while not bothering my nerves it giggled me to death with the poor ride. Just driving 9 miles to and from work I felt worn out at the end of the drive.

Saw an episode to Top Gear were the guest star driving a reasonable priced car described having the same kind of nerve problems and having to reluctantly trade his Aston Martin for a Porsche. That really hit home because I had made trips in my various Porsches I've owned without any issues. So test drove some Cayennes. Much smoother and the seats didn't hurt so a Cayenne is my daily driver now.

I liked that first sedan, but freaking ouch! I had to even replace my office chairs and get new seating at home just to be able to sit down for more than 5 minutes.

Again, life is too short to drive a vehicle that is not comfortable.

If they put the new 6.7L powerstroke in a new Excursion I’d buy one in a heartbeat.

That would be a $100k vehicle for sure. And it would actually tow, w 950 lbs. of torque. The problem w the older ones is that they weighed so much empty that once you load them w passengers and luggage, you could not tow a small sailboat. At least not within the GVWR sticker limits.

The seat is what is the final point for most of your bulk.

If he doesn't want to change vehicles, the first step is seat.

Think of the seat as a critical suspension point for the human body.

Make the seat ride smoother, and you are there.

I had a 2001 7.3 diesel, 4x4, Limited. One of the best vehicles I ever owned and would still have it if it wasn't totaled by an idiot kid on his phone creaming my family in it. It saved my family from serious injury.

So, with that out of the way, at 100k miles the previous owner installed Bilstein shocks and I always had the BFG all terrain on it with the proper load rating. It did NOT strike me as a rough ride ever. Stock ride height and wheels / tire size.

This makes me think that the OP's shocks may be shot? If yes, at least replace them with bilsteins and see what happens.

If it is a V10 or V8 model, they don't have a lot of value, but a diesel, just sell it and get the old man something comfy. There are a lot of mid size SUVs that ride nice and have easy height to get in/out of.

G

Mine with the 6.0 would tow just fine, even here at altitude.

Never had any load/capacity issues towing a 27 ft camper, people and "stuff"! I even moved about 2500 lbs of teak flooring in it once! The only problem then was that I had to unload it by myself! Still makes my back hurt!

They will tow ok if the vehicle is empty but if you load it up w 6 people and luggage, you’re @ maximum GVWR in a hurry.