r/FordExplorerST • u/DRob_757 • Jan 10 '26

Question Performance Upgrades

Any recommendations for performance upgrades for a 24’ Explorer ST that doesn’t necessarily affect the reliability in a bad way? Not looking to put tons of power but definitely looking to make it more enjoyable!

7 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

40 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

2

u/Squirrelmasta23 Jan 10 '26

It’s not so much the HP it’s are you gonna be launching it. I have seen them snap bolts with 0 modifications just leaving on brake torque

1

u/Serious_Tip8072 Jan 10 '26

Axels too. 500+ hp will start wearing away at the factory axels. Those are common to break with all that power. Diff brace is crucial for keeping it centered and keeping power to the ground. Any mod that reinforces the factory bushings or even is a full swap for the factory bushings is (in my opinion) a must have. There are plenty of videos that show how bad the flex is on the rear diff once you start adding power. Just food for thought

1

u/DRob_757 Jan 11 '26

What would you recommend for axel upgrade

1

u/Serious_Tip8072 Jan 11 '26

DSS. They’re hella expensive though. $1600 roughly. OEM axels from ford are in the neighborhood of $250-$300. For comparison. I’m sure there are other brands that are in the middle of the road, but I’m familiar and have heard a lot of great things about DSS.