Hospitals have called for blood transport when roads were closed due to blizzard/deep snow.
We got through, but a man suggests lifting the 2008 Expedition would enable it to get through deep snow better.
Is this true?
How much does lifting cost?
Does it not cause more wear to U-joints?
When snow season is over, can lift components be removed?
Thank you.
If you really think there is a market to transport blood in extreme winter conditions, have you considered a snowmobile? It goes faster, safer, and has no problem with the deepest snow. And generally from my experience in Colorado, the State Patrol could care less if you drive one on a closed road, as it is the right tool for the job, unlike the Expedition.
My $.02
Well we were out today dealing with 2’ of snow plus drifts and windrows to clear a 1000 foot drive to a water tank, the 1 ton with a ton of salt blew through the road in 2wd. I had trouble in 4wd with the f250. I was taking out a foot and he was taking out 2 feet. Only got stuck twice, but repay was I had to pull out the one ton, as he got stuck. I was optimistic but we ended up having to call a front end loader to clear the path for us. Lifting etc. in my truck would have not done a thing for me or the one ton, maybe a ton of salt would help but I think you are chasing ghosts. As a side note we ended up getting stuck sliding into the ditch as we really did not know where the road was.
We is all voldumbteers.
In some places, a snowmobile would be great!
Got stuck in deep snow in the blood center parking lot.
Managed to get into the facility and carried boxes back to the vehicle through my path.
Shoveled and BACKED OUT.
Outside of Denver, diminshing and then NO SNOW!
Deep snow at destination. Got stuck in hospital’s parking lot.
Carried boxes into hospital.
They asked if I were scared and wet my pants!
Managed to dig and BACK out and head home.
A decent lift kit will cost about $1500-$2000. And figure anyone couple hundred to have it installed. If you’re lifting it, I assume you’re going to be putting bigger tires it, this will necessitate changing the gears out as well, figure about $600 per axle for that. Figure on losing about 3 or 4 MPG as well. To do a lift right, figure in about $3500-$4000. And it probably be cost prohibitive to remove the lift with the stock bits every year.
No offense or anything, but for someone who depends on his vehicle like you do, you don’t seem to know much in the way of even general car knowledge, and when you get good information from people who do know a thing or two about cars, you tend to ignore them. Like your dangerous practice of inflated your tires to the max PSI that the tire is rated to hold rather than pressure spec’d by the very people who designed the car. I find it staggering.
If there is a real need it seems likely that more than one hospital worker would have type O negative. Rushing around in such weather might be the cause for more blood needed.
The donor may unknowingly have HIV, hepatitis, rabies, etc. So all blood is thoroughly tested in many areas before it can be certified for transfusion.
They stockpile blood in the blood banks. But sometimes unusual problems occur.
We have even transported blood to hospitals BEFORE the blizzard arrives.
Got caught in an arriving blizzard on our return.
Don’t do it. Besides making your Expedition handle worse, possibly wear out suspension/drivetrain parts quicker, and get worse mpgs, if it does help, it means you’ll get stuck further away from help, in places folks will be reluctant to go, or you will be unable to get out of.
Perhaps your outfit can buy one of those jacked up trucks with the oversize tires that some guy has grown tired off his toy. Just keep it for those “super” blizzards, otherwise let it sit.
The Expedition raised just a couple of inches would make it more dangerous for traveling at high speeds. The extra height would shift the weight of an already top heavy vehicle even higher. Rollover potential would be so high as to be unstable and dangerous even at moderate speeds. Any benefit in deep snow would be offset by disadvantages on dry or wet roads.
Thanks for the in.Fo
Expected it to cost but not be that expensive!
I would do the lifting and de-lifting myself.
But I assumed it not worthe cost and complications for the rare occasions it could be useful.
On several occasions I have dug out using the shovel in the vehicle.
Many tire people say the tire has a safety margine above 44psi.
Harder tires means less flexion and better fuel mileage.
After exceeding their rated life, there wasurprisingly little greater wear in the middle of the tread.
My greatest concern was “fracturing” a tire. But we always look ahead at what we’re rolling over and never had a problem their entire life.
As you travel faster and faster, the air below the vehicle will start to act like a ramp, causing the front end to actually lift/float off the ground(like when a dragster pops a wheelie when he takes off, just not as extreme).
If you raise the vehicle up, you’ll likely run into this problem slower than the 105 mph you claim to travel at. This will reduce your steering capability to pretty much zero.
Don’t bother lifting anything when tire chains work as well as they do. I had a two wheel drive truck that would go through anything. I towed cars through two feet of snow with it. I had this 25 foot tow band and I could get a five foot rolling start and get the car rolling. I had no weight in the back either.
I had a two wheel drive Suburban that would drive through twenty inches of snow that had been rained on. No chains needed. My tires on both trucks were L 78 15. 235 15 in the language of today.
I don’t believe a lift kit is needed.
Recently I asked a guy who had such a vehicle - lifted Jeep Cherokee.
Not only did he say “No”, he said “Hell, No!”
99.9% of the time our roads are fine.
Thanks.
I a gree with everyone else, it’s not worth the expense. Have some done it for looks alone ? Sure. Otherwise, the obvious solution is to get a more capable vehicle. Check the under carriage compared to toyota sequoia and you will see a genuine difference in capabilities illustrated by their different approach to off road capabilities. A cheaper solution may be to add skid plates And or chains if it does not already have them to allow the car to better ride over the snow. I’m sure if a suburban is that much better, it would show underneath as well.
Or, trade for a Sequoia, Suburban or other more capable off roader for your deep snow needs http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2004-03-02-trucks_x.htm
Your truck is really no more capable than most other on road vehicles and trying to make it otherwise, is a big compromise to it’s decent on road performance, longevity and a it’s waste of money IMO.
Thanks, all.
Would a Hummer be any better?
Just curious - can a vehicle be lifted an inch by placing spacers somewhere?
I have no idea how vehicles are lifted.
Thanks.
The Expedition was judged the worse in off road capability. So you raise it an inch or two, compromise the ride, handling, and running gear just to make it second to worse. Better tires, chains or trade for a more capable vehicle according to off road tests are some better options. They are safer options in my opinion too.
A Hummer would likely do better in deeper snow than an Expedition. Not so much the H3 Hummer but for true capability you need the original full sized model. Probably a good idea for your group to get one. Makes sense to me.
Ford generally makes SUVs that are good riding on road and poor off road. There are better options from GM and Toyota for deep snow performance. A Humvee (the real one) is over kill. There has been a lot of testing for off road capabilities and decent ride with good over the road performance. FEW match the Expedition in on road ride though which is where it spends much of it’s time and why it is so popular. We just have to deal with it.
Harder tires means less flexion and better fuel mileage.
And it means MUCH less control on the road.
I agree with those that recommend against lifting it. It truely does compromise safety.
I’d recommend a spare set of wheels with very aggressive winter tires, a set of chains, some piecess of some traction material that you can leave behind (like carpet remnants of such), a winch, and a shovel. With those things you should be able to get out of just about anything.
I also want to thank you for volunteering to take the risks you do to save lives.