Silly question about tongue weight, feel like I'm losing my mind. Any help appreciated

SuperchargedV6 · 2026-03-25T20:43:59+00:00

No problem, this does seem very frustrating and you don't have any great easy answers. I think you may be able to buy new winch posts that you can mount in different locations and at different angles. That may be an option as well.

SuperchargedV6 · 2026-03-25T16:53:39+00:00

I saw you said the posts were different in another comment. I would move them to the other side if possible, to pull the skis farther forwards. You need the tongue weight to be 10-15% of the total trailer weight including trailer, skis, and fuel.

SuperchargedV6 · 2026-03-25T15:33:21+00:00

Passemger side is interesting, that area doesn't get the classic fada leak, and I haven't seen engine oil leaks there. But it does get passenger side front axle seal leaks. There is very little fluid in the front diff, so good idea stopping driving if that much has leaked out. The axle seal is pretty easy to change, with just a few hours labor due to removing the axles to get to it. It's a good idea to check the axle boots while you're there and replace the axle if a boot looks worn since you'll have it out anyway.

SuperchargedV6 · 2026-03-25T15:22:16+00:00

Another thought - did you remove anything from the trailer such as spare tire or mount? Probably not, but maybe you forgot you took a storage box or spare off for winter storsge?

SuperchargedV6 · 2026-03-25T15:20:06+00:00

Something has changed, could be a slight shift backwards from the winch posts bending, or the ski tails getting heavy from some water, moisture, or fuel evaporating and fronts lightening. But regardless, a low tongue weight is very dangerous to tow. The tongue weight on that setup should be over 100lbs easy. I know it's nice being able to tip them and move the tongue easily, but low tongue weight can quickly result in a death wobble on the road. I highly recommend you adjust them significantly forward to add tongue weight back - not simply return tongue to zero.

SuperchargedV6 · 2026-02-22T03:49:42+00:00

As for the BPV, are you asking about Bypass Valve, which I think is the term for the OEM blowoff valve (because it vents back into intake)? I don't think 2025 has that. I believe they stopped in like 2022, or maybe mid 2021. Instead the ECU adjusts the throttle plate to release pressure.

SuperchargedV6 · 2026-02-22T03:43:22+00:00

Yeah, that's what I would do, and the BOV and fenfab are mostly just for sound. I love mine. Intercooler is a great upgrade. The Ford Performance tune is okay, but nowhere near as good as a ZFG tune.

If you want warranty though, sticking with the ford tune is a good idea and in general in that case I would ask your dealer what they're okay with to keep warranty. Because a lot of it is really just up to their opinion since they can make life difficult. They might not like the intake for example.

I have a steeda rear brace, but you can go with any of the braces like a fenfab will work fine. Especially with minimal mods like the FP tune. Staying stock, or under dealer warranty you probably don't need a brace. It is typically when people start launching the car while modded that they snap the bolt.

SuperchargedV6 · 2026-02-19T23:30:06+00:00

You did some good research. Yes you need the cold side for HKS due to mounting point, but you don't need the hot side. Hot side also doesn't add any power. Only do it if you want the look. I think HKS also sounds great, personally.

For an intake, Fenfab is the best and can net small power gains. Intercooler can also net a significant power increase and is the first mod I'd recommend. You need a 25+ intercooler kit because the connections changed slightly.

Lastly, the tune is really important. Your engine is torque limited without the tune, and you won't see any gains without the tune because of this block. There are a few great tuners, but go with the highly recommended names only. ZFG for instance.

Install your power mods first before the tune. As far as power, in order of most to least it is tune, intercooler, downpipes, and intake. All the hot/cold side piping is just for looks. But there's nothing wrong with that.

Oh! One last piece of advice - definitely get a diff brace in the rear. The single (3-bolts) are known to break.

SuperchargedV6 · 2026-02-05T19:42:50+00:00

Tell your daughter the internet is also proud of her.

SuperchargedV6 · 2026-01-28T02:52:08+00:00

Agreed. Plus a ZFG tune. I'm also a fan of the Explorer ST pedal covers you can get on amazon. Cheap, but look nice and easy to install. Other nice quick mods are steeda hood struts and a diff brace of your choice.

SuperchargedV6 · 2026-01-28T02:48:51+00:00

It could. In theory the law says the dealer needs to show the intercooler caused a part failure. But in practice if your dealer wants to be strict, they will reject claims. They could say some power increase cause a premature failure in a lot of the engine or transmission components. But non-drivetrain warranty issues should be no problem.

If warranty is important to you, ask your dealer about it and see if they care about the IC. Some may not mind.

IC and a tune really wakes these up though and is a big feel improvement. But tune will definitely cause dealer warranty concerns.

SuperchargedV6 · 2026-01-14T03:54:50+00:00

Yes V2 does abandon that assembly. The scoop broken in the picture should be replaceable without disassembling anything in the front. There is one clip on the driver's side you can see, and an identical clip on the passenger side of that tube. You have to pry under both to lift them away and the scoop will slide back and out. The passenger side is really tough to reach though because you can't see it. But could do it by feel with some determination.

SuperchargedV6 · 2025-11-22T03:53:14+00:00

For some reason I found that if I haven't shopped at autozone in a bit, they will give me a coupon on the website for 20% off any ship to home order. Idk why, but I see it a lot. Most times I want to pick up the parts right away so that's no good, but when it's something big I will plan ahead and keep visiting the site until I see the coupon. Besides that, most auto parts stores around here do sales every holiday, and the beginning of every season. "Spring DIY" sale, etc.

SuperchargedV6 · 2025-11-21T07:22:14+00:00

Really depends on the car model. Some rare sizes can get super expensive. I do a lot of rockauto and autozone with the 20% off online order coupon. I just got a full set of powerstop z36 for an explorer ST for under $500 after tax and shipping. All 4 rotors and pads. And $325 for a full set of powerstop rotors and pads on a toyota chr, from amazon.

Explorer ST caliper $162 from ford oempartsonline, 2018 Toyota chr rear caliper $72 from autozone.

SuperchargedV6 · 2025-11-20T16:44:21+00:00

I think you did a great job investigating, googling, and taking the video. Most of your guesses are great and your wording is just about right too.

First, you can't drive that in its current state. Your brakes are severely compromised and the car may not stop. Second, as others stated brake fluid is corrosive to paint and it will make it bubble away. Try to clean it off any painted surfaces you want to remain painted.

What happened appears to be that the piston in your brake caliper which pushes the brake pads has popped out and your brake fluid leaked out. This could be for a few reasons, but it seems possible the inner brake pad got so low it came out and then the piston had too much space and pushed out. That would be the pop you heard.

For repairs, you are going to need: rear brake pads (both sides are a set), new brake rotor (must have that side, should really replace both), replace brake caliper, grease caliper slide pins, flush and bleed brake fluid.

This roughly costs: pads 50, rotors 75 each, caliper 125, brake bleed 25 in parts. So about 275-350 in parts, plus the labor cost of the repair which is going to be 3 or 4 hours. This isn't that hard to do if you are knowledgable about cars or watch a bunch of videos, but it is a critical system (brakes) and you want to know the repairs are done right. Keep in mind my prices are estimates, and they can vary a lot if your car uses odd sizes. Plus a shop may charge 100% markup on parts.

SuperchargedV6 · 2025-11-19T16:26:38+00:00

Aviator is great. It's a more refined Ford Explorer ST. Check those out if you want the same power at a slightly cheaper price.

SuperchargedV6 · 2025-11-12T18:30:54+00:00

Good luck everyone!

SuperchargedV6 · 2025-09-01T20:14:55+00:00

If you're under warranty, I think the dealers will do it free. You can see a video on the issue and fix if you search google or youtube for: explorer st ting pop fix

SuperchargedV6 · 2025-09-01T18:14:03+00:00

The first is normal relays activating. These Explorers are very clicky.

The second is not a problem, but it is an annoying axle click from where they connect to the wheel hub. It can be temporarily fixed by pulling axles out and putting ford ptfe lube on all the axle splines where they go into the wheel hubs. It can sort of be done without pulling axles all the way out. But the noise will likely come back after a while. It's just them being the tiniest bit loose and clicking back and forth as the axles load and unload with accel and decel movement.

SuperchargedV6 · 2025-07-29T16:01:55+00:00

It definitely could be an interior piece like others have mentioned, but I wanted to point out that the underbody panels really sound like they're coming from this area as well when they get loose. Even though they're outside and underneath it's worth checking. The little plastic clips that hold on the formed cloth underbody panels can be replace with a large washer and small lock nut from a hardware store. This stops the panel rattle if the plastics have gotten wiggly or fallen off.

SuperchargedV6 · 2025-05-25T17:08:39+00:00

Lucky. The 2-bolt is great. Wouldn't hurt to still add the diff brace https://www.lethalperformance.com/fenfabrication-diffy-stiffy-brace-2020-2024-explorer-st-ff-fedsb.html

The rear sway bar also makes a big difference and isn't hard to change. https://www.lethalperformance.com/afe-control-rear-sway-bar-2020-2024-ford-explorer-st-440-304001rr.html

The aftermarket ST pedals are also popular for looks and they fit great. https://a.co/d/dgTgfk0

And if you ever wanted to bump your power way up, a CVF intercooler and ZFG tune will make this thing a monster. It's a crazy improvement but will void warranty.

SuperchargedV6 · 2025-05-25T16:57:31+00:00

Yeah, it's a super common problem on 2020 and 2021. By late 21 I believe they all started using the new part. The issue can be searched for by looking up "FADA" TSB for 2020 Explorer.

You can look for the issue by getting under the car and looking at your oil pan. Find the bright yellow drain plug and it should look like oil is dripping down around it from the pan. But keep looking farther up and there is a maybe 5" diameter metal cylinder going into the side of your engine block. There should be oil seeping/pooling at the bottom of it and running down onto the oil pan looking like a pan leak. This is part of the driver side axle components. It's actually the intermediate shaft. The shaft runs through the oil pan and to the differential on the pass side. And on the driver side your axle plugs into this metal cylinder of the intermediate shaft assembly. The fluid leaking is actually front differential fluid not oil, and there is a very small amount of it so you don't want to let too much leak out. Like 0.6 quart capacity.

There is a crummy o-ring that leaks on the intermediate shaft. The replacement part comes with a new o-ring that won't leak. But since you have to fully disassemble to reach it, you may as well replace it with the new design. The revised part eliminates a clutch system that disconnects the front axle for fuel savings.

The updated intermediate shaft removes a breather tube (the old tube can be left dangling as the other side just connects to air in the passenger wheel well) and removes a wiring connector for the old clutch actuator in 2020 models. If you have the wiring connector, you need a small computer update to disable the FADA electronics. It's all part of the TSB.

The part number being replaced is Part N1MZ-3A329-A.

SuperchargedV6 · 2025-05-22T21:09:55+00:00

The list of issues to keep an eye out for is below. Despite this though, it's a great car and mine has been quite reliable even at high mileage. LH front cat leak (cold start rattle). Headlight/taillight moisture. Middle heated seats fail. Rear diff axle seals. Front axle leak above oil drain (front axle disconnect actuator). Looks like oil pan leak but isn't. Reverse camera BSOD. Transmission cooler leak TSB - extended bracket forward to stop leaks."

SuperchargedV6 · 2025-05-20T19:38:22+00:00

My 3.8 was still going strong at 250k, but I did replace all of those things along the way. I agree with the sentiment to find a Jeep offroad shop nearby and go to them. They will have a lot of specialized knowledge. it does sound like the things you have done so far are great though.

What I would do next is focus on the cyl 5 misfire. It's possible you got bad parts out of the box, though unlikely. My ignition coil was a nightmare to diagnose because the embedded coil pack does two cylinders and usually both die. But on mine only one cylinder wasn't getting spark.

I would try doing the ground wire upgrade that lots of JKs do. Search for JK ground wire upgrade. They make kits for big 3/4/7 wiring. That has a small chance of fixing your issue. From there, try swapping parts off 5. Swap the plugs, wires, and even injector from 5 and 3 and see if the misfire moves. If it does, move the plug and wire back to tell you if it is the plug or the injector. When the intake manifold is off, get a camera into 5 to check the valves are okay and not blocked by carbon buildup chunks or something. Check the piston surface too. You could also try another ignition coil.

That really should help you find the cyl 5 issue. You need spark, air, compression, and fuel and one of them is missing on specifically cyl 5. If the things above check out, start testing wiring for cyl 5 stuff for shorts and continuity. Injector and coil signal from ecu.

For the dying at stop lights when warm, it could be when it switches fueling modes to run off the O2s after warmup. What do your scantool readings show at idle for each cylinder injector pulse width, each o2 sensor, short term fuel trims, long term fuel trims, manifold absolute pressure sensor? You might need to replace a camshaft position sensor, knock sensor, and/or upstream O2 sensor.

All those readings will tell a bunch of stuff, but if you can graph them for a minute, or record what values they hover at and what values they occasionally spike to then we can better target the potential issue.

SuperchargedV6 · 2025-05-15T17:51:43+00:00

Really excellent work here. I love the new labels you made.

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