• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Explorer ST Forum and Explorer ST community dedicated to Explorer ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Explorer ST Forum today!


Late 2022 with four bolt subframe?

Messages
278
Reactions
186
Points
37
Location
Kansas
Vehicle
2022 Rapid Red ST
#1
I am seeing postings on ST Facebook that late 2022 have four bolt subframe??

318127265_533486662038066_7248706735337860847_n.jpg
 

Cdubya

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,697
Reactions
846
Points
262
Location
NE Ohio
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST
#2
That would be welcome news. I wouldn't mind replacing my MY2020 with a new one at 100k miles but not if it had one bolt. I'm at 60k miles now.
 

st8

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,074
Reactions
479
Points
212
Location
Bel Air, MD, USA
#3
Yeah I saw that as well. Definitely further admission of fault or wrongdoing by ford. No matter the cause. Assuming this wasn’t a fluke and is the normal moving forward.
 

Sgt1411

Member
Law Enforcement
Messages
239
Reactions
151
Points
37
Location
BC&AZ
Vehicle
2021 ST
#4
I compared that photo to mine, I still see same two bolts on rear subframe. Are they saying Ford went from 2 bolts to 4 bolts?.....where are bolts 3 and 4?
 

2020FordRaptor

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,497
Reactions
719
Points
162
Location
Nevada
Vehicle
'20 Raptor, '22 Explorer ST, '14 GT500, '03 F150
#5
I compared that photo to mine, I still see same two bolts on rear subframe. Are they saying Ford went from 2 bolts to 4 bolts?.....where are bolts 3 and 4?
Yah wondering that also.
 

Cdubya

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,697
Reactions
846
Points
262
Location
NE Ohio
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST
#6
I compared that photo to mine, I still see same two bolts on rear subframe. Are they saying Ford went from 2 bolts to 4 bolts?.....where are bolts 3 and 4?
There are either 3 or 4 (although some just like to count how many are visible in the rear, 1 or 2). The other two are on the front of the rear differential and bolted in the down-up direction.
 

RobHalo

New Member
U.S. Army Veteran
Messages
11
Reactions
14
Points
2
Location
NJ
#7
I compared that photo to mine, I still see same two bolts on rear subframe. Are they saying Ford went from 2 bolts to 4 bolts?.....where are bolts 3 and 4?
For this issue, people are looking at the largest high-center bolts to the right and left of that QR code sticker. A 3 bolt subframe only has one of those bolts installed, 4 bolt has both.
 

OP
K
Messages
278
Reactions
186
Points
37
Location
Kansas
Vehicle
2022 Rapid Red ST
Thread Starter #8
Here is a picture of my three bolt.

1670180958001.jpeg
 

FORZDA3

Member
U.S. Air Force Veteran
Messages
489
Reactions
326
Points
67
Location
Gloucester, VA, USA
Vehicle
2021 Explorer ST
#9
Uh oh. If the fire starter guy sees this thread he’s likely to blow a gasket! Ford actually fixing the root cause of their self-induced problem he says doesn’t exist! Oh, the humanity(!). No, not humility.
 

Messages
122
Reactions
81
Points
27
Location
Bowie, MD, USA
Vehicle
2021 Explorer ST
#10
Uh oh. If the fire starter guy sees this thread he’s likely to blow a gasket! Ford actually fixing the root cause of their self-induced problem he says doesn’t exist! Oh, the humanity(!). No, not humility.
I don’t think he ever claimed (although I am wrong the majority of the time) that there is an issue, I think he was attempting to show that the issue was negligible to the amount of reported occurrences. I will not re-read the 7k posts to prove myself wrong I am sure he made the comment at some point.
 

Messages
349
Reactions
288
Points
67
Location
The midwest
#11
Has been discussed for months already. Ford used the base model rear subframe on many ST’s, with lots of details in a long thread on here:

https://www.explorerst.org/threads/rear-end-damage.2602/

The other two bolts mount vertically behind the pinion on either side.

A55AC86C-B5A2-4196-B222-DFA2FA1AE2F9.jpeg
 

Last edited:

GearHead_1

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,559
Reactions
1,305
Points
262
Location
Utah
Vehicle
Exploder
#12
I'm pretty sure that the data collected on this forum was the reason Ford decided to fix the issue. :rolleyes:
 

DaveG ST

Member
U.S. Army Veteran
Messages
382
Reactions
165
Points
37
Location
Hurlock, MD, USA
#13
Went by my local Ford dealer this morning. Some new 2022 STs have the 4 bolt subframe and some still had the 3 bolt subframe.
 

Messages
76
Reactions
33
Points
17
Location
Peoria, AZ
Vehicle
2022 Explorer ST
#14
My '22, ordered in March 22 delivered in Oct 22, has the 3 bolt :(. I got the AWR rear diff mount to help out. I know that these brackets don't necessarily prevent the 3rd bolt from snapping, but it does make it where when it does snap, you can limp it along with the diff mount holding up the diff. It has a bracket that bolts onto three of the bottom bolts of the diff cover, and a wide poly bushing that connects to a mount that bolts up to the subframe. Solid as a rock and the bushing allows for flex and play from the torsion of the drivetrain.
 

Messages
16
Reactions
0
Points
1
Location
Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
#15
I'm pretty sure that the data collected on this forum was the reason Ford decided to fix the issue. :rolleyes:
I’m very ignorant to mechanical issues, can another bolt simply not be put in? Does it need a whole new subframe? Is it possible to just bolt the fourth bolt on there?
 

2020FordRaptor

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,497
Reactions
719
Points
162
Location
Nevada
Vehicle
'20 Raptor, '22 Explorer ST, '14 GT500, '03 F150
#16
I’m very ignorant to mechanical issues, can another bolt simply not be put in? Does it need a whole new subframe? Is it possible to just bolt the fourth bolt on there?
Whole subframe needs to be replaced.
 

Cruising68

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,630
Reactions
1,186
Points
262
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
#17
Whole subframe needs to be replaced.
This. There is a hole but no bushing installed where the second bolt would go. Suppose somebody could fab a bushing sleeve in there but that’s beyond my fab skills, hence my replacement of the whole shebang.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

CareerFiremanGuy

1000 Post Club
Firefighter/EMT
Messages
1,083
Reactions
812
Points
262
Location
USA
Vehicle
2022 Ford Explorer ST
#18
The overwhleming majority of ST owners will never spend the time and $$ to replace whole subframes, and Ford knows it.

Ford also knows 3 bolt ST's are still going to roll off dealer lots with people lining up to buy one regardless of how much others whine about it.

Owners should get a brace if they want to safely make more hp, or go and spend an $85k for a 12 mpg Durangpo SRT and shush already.

I wonder if the fact deniers here will ever connect with reality.
 

Cruising68

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,630
Reactions
1,186
Points
262
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
#19
Fact deniers, what a tool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 



Top