If you’re following along, our initial towing test with the Excursion proved to be quite stressful due to a worn suspension. The rig swayed side to side and at times was difficult to control. This was especially true when met with 40 mph crosswinds on interstate 70.
Upon returning from our initial trip I became obsessed with the issue. At night Lindsey would go to bed and I would scour the internet for forum and group posts on how to address the issue. I knew if the problem could not be fixed, the Excursion would be kicked to the curb and my investment would be a bust. As it turns out, the ‘steering wander’ issue is extremely common and a lot of folks have poured a lot of time and money into fixing it. Great news for me as I could learn from others success and failures.
Process
When tackling the issue, I decided to work from the least expensive components and work my way up. I figured if I replaced the worn pieces bit by bit I’d save money and in the process better identify what was actually wrong. I have learned over the years that throwing new parts at something is not always the solution and can end up opening a can of worms not needed. Rather than dive in and order $1,000+ in suspension bits, I’d rather go slow and see how each upgrade impacts overall performance.
Steering Stabilizer
The very first item on the docket was a new steering stabilizer. This is a horizontally mounted shock absorber between the front wheels and in line with the front axle. The idea is that the shock will absorb lateral jiggling and jarring and keep the heavy suspension in line rather than succumbing to every last road imperfection or lateral force (cross wind) on the truck and trailer. The crosswinds we experienced on that initial towing test proved to be wicked and truly made me feel as if I ha not control of my vehicle. This is a feeling I would never like to experience again!
A few nights after our return our youngest decided sleep was for the birds and required some snuggle time on the couch to sleep. After a couple hours scrolling, reading, an price shopping I decided on a single Bilstein monotube setup. Bilstein as a brand has an outstanding reputation and reviews on multiple shopping platforms and forums were positive. Some folks will swear by a dual stabilize shock setup but it seemed most users were those with large tires and lifts. We have neither on our Excursion and are not planning to increase wheel and tire size any time soon. Of course, if any sponsors reading this wish to donate wheels, tires, and rear end gearing we may reconsider 😉
Shameless begging for parts aside, I can cheerfully say The single Bilstein setup did not disappoint. My son and I tag teamed the install and when we removed the existing stabilizer I could almost certainly say it was the original. The tiny turd brown shock was blown and crusty with zero ability to bounce back once compressed. This was certainly not performing its intended function of keeping the front end tight and in line.
Driving impressions after install were positive as the steering wheel definitely felt tighter even without a trailer hitched up while at highway speeds. While improved, I know that this is the first step of likely many in fixing the problem. A new stabilizer is nothing more than a band aid on a cut in need of stitches on these trucks. Case in point, my father in laws 2001 super duty does not have a stabilizer shock at all! If these trucks can roll straight without, something else is certainly off on our Excursion. Follow along to see what’s next.
