Word: forde
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...Ford engineers could hardly wait to replace the Explorer's outmoded front suspension. In another 1989 memo, engineer Charles White noted the start of discussions "to revise the Ranger and [Explorer] suspension due to out-of-date performance of the Twin I-Beam." White added that although Ford had planned to replace the Twin I-Beam in 1998, "it was agreed that we would look at earlier incorporation of a new front suspension out-of-cycle for the reasons stated above, not safety...
...Ford's decision to increase the stability of the Explorer by lowering the tire pressure soon had unintended consequences. The mushier tires held the road better but worsened fuel economy. When Ford asked Firestone to fix the problem, Firestone reduced the weight of the tire about...
...Ford had finally replaced the Explorer's unloved Twin I-Beam with a short-and-long-arm suspension but didn't act on previous recommendations to lower the engine and widen the chassis. And since the new suspension weighed less than the Twin I-Beam, the change raised-not lowered-the SUV's center of gravity...
...Explorers rolled over with increasing frequency on U.S. highways, Ford and Firestone turned their attention to a rash of similar accidents in automotive markets from Saudi Arabia to Thailand to Venezuela. In the Middle East, Ford replaced Wilderness AT tires on Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers in nine countries. It did not notify authorities in Washington, nor was it required...
...last year, NHTSA had launched an investigation into the rising number of tire failures-and Ford and Firestone were feuding. The automaker accused Firestone of withholding data that Ford said it needed to determine which tires were problematic...