You are here: Forums SUVs Ford Explorer Ford Explorer Door and Body Questions

Ford Explorer Door and Body Questions

78 messages,  Last post on Mar 18, 2009 at 4:16 AM

You are in the Ford Explorer Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester

What is this discussion about? Ford Explorer, Interior, SUV

Messages Page 1 of 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Prev Next Last

Go To Msg # Search This Discussion

#1 of 78 '06 door panels by ghauser Feb 02, 2007 (12:24 pm)
The location of the '06 interior door grab handles is an abomination. I added grab pockets to the armrests of mine, cutting a hole and adding a pocket from a farm tractor cab door. It looks factory. If you want to know more, e-mail me and I'll send you photos and a discussion of what problems you could encounter. annagarynetins.net Replies to this message: steve_ (Feb 02, 2007 2:28 pm) ghauser (Feb 02, 2007 6:35 pm) steve_ (Feb 02, 2007 7:21 pm) ghauser (Feb 03, 2007 7:05 pm)
#2 of 78 Re: '06 door panels [ghauser] by steve_ HOST Feb 02, 2007 (2:28 pm)
Replying to: ghauser (Feb 02, 2007 12:24 pm) Why not just park the info on your CarSpace page or make a Guide there; be easier than trying to track you down all the time.   There's a good place to upload your photos at CarSpace too. Replies to this message: ghauser (Feb 02, 2007 6:35 pm) steve_ (Feb 02, 2007 7:21 pm)
#3 of 78 Re: '06 door panels [steve_] by ghauser Feb 02, 2007 (6:35 pm)
Replying to: steve_ (Feb 02, 2007 2:28 pm) Steve -- I'd like to do that, and have created my page. But I don't see how or where to put the information. Help?   Gary Replies to this message: steve_ (Feb 02, 2007 7:21 pm)
#4 of 78 Re: '06 door panels [ghauser] by steve_ HOST Feb 02, 2007 (7:21 pm)
Replying to: ghauser (Feb 02, 2007 6:35 pm) The first thing I'd do is upload your photos to an Album on your CarSpace page. It's easy - the add photo stuff browses your local computer drive and it's just point and click from there. [Edit - oh shoot, you've done that - you're way ahead of me. ]   Then look at the Guides tab at the top of the site there - that link will open to some text boxes that will let you enter your mod information. Then follow the Submit a Guide link on the left side to open the editing section for a new guide.   When you get down to the Guide Details section, there's a button you can use to insert images along with your modification text if you wish. That button will ask for the URL link for the image, and you can find the URLs easily by viewing the photos you previously uploaded to your CarSpace Album (the links are set out in boxes beneath each photo for easy copying and pasting).   Let me know if you get stuck (you can email me too; click on my name in the post title to get my contact info).
#5 of 78 Re: '06 door panels [ghauser] by ghauser Feb 03, 2007 (7:05 pm)
Replying to: ghauser (Feb 02, 2007 12:24 pm) Modification information and photos are now posted in "Guides"
#7 of 78 Thank you! by nvbanker Feb 07, 2007 (10:27 am)
I read your guide with complete "do it yourself" instructions....excellent, and thank you!!   Howard Replies to this message: ghauser (Feb 07, 2007 1:38 pm) nvbanker (Feb 11, 2007 1:41 pm) ghauser (Feb 11, 2007 3:23 pm) and 1 more...
#8 of 78 Re: Thank you! [nvbanker] by ghauser Feb 07, 2007 (1:38 pm)
Replying to: nvbanker (Feb 07, 2007 10:27 am) Thanks for the kind words, nvbanker. I now hate my Explorer much less than I did at first. Another fix I did was much less elegant than the armrest pockets: I taped a piece of lightly-fogged film over the exceedingly-bright high beam indicator. Ugly, but it serves the purpose until I can think of something else. Incidentally, with a light meter I measured the high beam lights' light reflected from a white target at 120 yards, both with my '02 Explorer which has projector beams, which are the high beams, integrated into the low beam housings, and with the '06. I found 13% less light from the '06. But of course. They have done away with the projector beams and replaced them with the turn signal bulb. Now they are faced with the problem of placing both the low beam filament and the high beam filament at the focal point of the quasi-parabolic reflector, which they really can't do. (That's the reason companies went to the quad headlight system back in 1968 or whenever it was.) Cheers! Replies to this message: nvbanker (Feb 11, 2007 1:41 pm) ghauser (Feb 11, 2007 3:23 pm) nvbanker (Feb 11, 2007 3:42 pm)
#9 of 78 Re: Thank you! [ghauser] by nvbanker Feb 11, 2007 (1:41 pm)
Replying to: ghauser (Feb 07, 2007 1:38 pm) Hadn't noticed any distress from the High-Beam indicator in mine, but now that you bring it up, I'll check it out tonight and see if it can irritate me. I find it interesting the changes made over the years, most of them great, some of them just moronic, and you wonder who designs some of these things. This is my 6th Explorer/Mountaineer, so I've been through all the iterations. My 98 was kind of the high water mark in some ways, as it had the 5.0L motor which was a powerhouse of torque and reliability, and the 4AOD transmission - also a hallmark of durability. They were nimble, if not tippy. The 02 had the genius of the 3rd seat, and a better ride from the IRS, but the fabulous seats were gone, and cheap seats were in, and the second seat became unremarkable. The 4.6L was good, but the gear ratios with the 5 speed were goofy - you had some hesitation out of the hole, and yet it ran out of steam at high speed rather quickly, and wasn't that great for towing. The 06 with the 6 speed and increased HP seems to have corrected all of that. Now that it shifts well, it runs much more like my 97 and 98 did. If it weren't for that damn door panel, it would be about perfect, as the seats are better also! Replies to this message: ghauser (Feb 11, 2007 3:23 pm) nvbanker (Feb 11, 2007 3:42 pm)
#10 of 78 Re: Thank you! [nvbanker] by ghauser Feb 11, 2007 (3:23 pm)
Replying to: nvbanker (Feb 11, 2007 1:41 pm) Good observations. My 06 seems a bit more willing to shift down -- as at the slightest provocation -- than I'd like, which I wonder if is responsible for the poorer mileage I'm seeing compared with the 02. But to try to be fair, it is winter and it isn't broken in yet so I'm willing to give it a chance. Incidentally, as an addendum to the door pocket guide I should make formal recognition of what should be obvious: if you do it you now have a hole in the top of your armrest. If you have pointy elbows and find that you rest them there, you may not want to do the mod, or else find a smaller cup to use. It isn't an issue for me because in my driving position (I sit way back), my elbow misses it, but my wife's distance from the steering wheel lets hers come in the wrong place. Fortunately, she drives it but seldom, so we're still friends. I agree the seats are very good, the car is very quiet and the ride is great. Replies to this message: nvbanker (Feb 11, 2007 3:42 pm)

Messages Page 1 of 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Prev Next Last

Go To Msg # Search This Discussion

You are here: Forums SUVs Ford Explorer Ford Explorer Door and Body Questions