What do you mean "This is definitely an improvement..."? Is it a difference you can really feel. Pretty obvious just by looking at it and seeing the Steeda video that it stiffens the link but does it really help. The Steeda video shows some moderate torque applied to the link and seeing the link actually get bent out if shape. I've been waiting to look at mine until I go to change to winter rims but looking at your picture, your vertical link looks absolutely pristine. I'm a big fan of Steeda products but is this really something that has appreciable gains?
An analogy is the Steeda strut brace. It's far and away a much stiffer, solid piece than stock. But can anyone really say they feel improvement in handling?
I have no data, butt-dyno or otherwise, yet to say it truly makes an improvement, but seeing the wide-open stamped steel 3-sided vertical link, I figure anything to make it more solid will help with suspension stiffness or wheelhop. So far, this is an assumption. There is no video evidence like with the subframe bushings. From experience, replacing the vertical link with a billet one on S550 Mustangs made a noticeable improvement in wheelhop reduction, so I expected the same with this car. The S550 VL is on the outside of the LCA, not sandwiched like this Explorer so it was much easier to replace with a billet one.
I will drive and see, as I did notice immediate improvements in drivability from the toe links and subframe bushing inserts, but as I'm stock and slow, I might not see as much improvement with these VL inserts as a tuned car.
Haha yes, I know the Steeda strut brace does nothing handling-wise due the design of the front end of the car. Ford knows that too, which is why the factory brace is the thickness of a human hair. But I replaced it for some visual bling and I do use it for support when I'm working under the hood. The stock one would fold like paper if I tried to lean on it.
