My strut masters blow
- Thread starter George Eisenhart
- Start date
Lownslowlsc
Dedicated LVC Member
im drunk, pilled out, depressed, aggravated, and just about any adjective you could use to describe ones life when it completely crumbles, so what is it that holds the spring in a coil over? just a shock? tell me and ill go make another batch of grey goose soaked watermelon, just tasty. chop into cubes put in tupperware pour like 5 shots in let it soak for a few hrs shake, flip around a couple times let soak overnite, yummy,
For the front.......3 pieces. The "Shock", coil and upper strut mount. There might be rubber isolators, not sure.
For the rear you'll have the coil, isolators and upper metal spring perch.
I'm no susp guru but i'm pretty sure thats it. If not someone will chime in.
KStromberg
Dedicated LVC Member
That's exactly right. SHOCKS! (my bad, lol) coils, upper mounts and rubber isolators.
NetKeym, please elaborate. I have never heard of such an atrocity.
the1andonlyGR81
Dedicated LVC Member
the american air rear susp comes with upper spring perch and the bottom went into whatever was holding the air shock into the rear control arm the thunderbird or whatever spring i order using the thunderbird as reference should go right in. the front coil overs came with some kind of mount for the fender, ill just have to have the shop switch the spring. maybe ill pay the guy to see if the thunderbird front suspension will fit as a trial. everybody likes president jackson!
Lownslowlsc
Dedicated LVC Member
Might want to consider rear Prothane 6-1709 isolators for the rear bottoms.
NoLimit95
Dedicated LVC Member
Just go back to air ride and it will be fixed right. :shifty:
Lownslowlsc
Dedicated LVC Member
:blah:
NetKeym
Dedicated LVC Member
I just left the stock ones that were on the bottom out of the bird. New ones are cheap enough at less than $20 from a couple of places:
http://www.energysuspensionparts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=61709
http://www.lethalperformance.com/maximum-motorsports-03-04-cobra-irs-rear-spring-isolators.html
http://www.lethalperformance.com/maximum-motorsports-99-04-gt-mach-1-rear-spring-isolators.html
NoLimit95
Dedicated LVC Member
:lol:
NoLimit95
Dedicated LVC Member
Wonder if this setup would be any good?
[url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/Monroe-Expert-Series-90002-Suspension-Conversion-Kit-/110838891000?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19ce8341f8&vxp=mtr[/URL]
[url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/Monroe-Expert-Series-90002-Suspension-Conversion-Kit-/110838891000?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19ce8341f8&vxp=mtr[/URL]
Lownslowlsc
Dedicated LVC Member
I'm pretty sure the "Expert Series" uses sensatracs, so out of all the reg hieght conv kits that would be the type to go with. I however am not familiar with what usually comes with the reg hieght kits.
ForeverScrewed
Active LVC Member
I have that set-up on my '94. Haven't had any experience with any other systems so I can't really compare it to anything. It isn't overly stiff, nor is it really spongy. I'm not 100% sure what the stock ride height is on these (kit was installed prior to me purchasing the car) but compared to some I see with the stock air, it seemed to lower the car a bit, more so in the front. I don't have any gripes with it really, other than the bushing on the bottom of the front shock where it bolts to the front suspension (can't remember what it's called exactly) deteriorates and completely falls out.
NoLimit95
Dedicated LVC Member
When you have time, could you measure (on a level surface) from the concrete up to the bottom of the fender well? Should be in the 26" to 27 1/2" range. If it's any lower than 26", you might just need to replace the front shocks and with those, the bushing you speak of should come with them.
ForeverScrewed
Active LVC Member
NoLimit95
Dedicated LVC Member
I have 27 1/4" up front and 28" in the rear, so maybe it's just my eyes fooling me.
27 1/4 is what I have up front with air and sensor lowered. Nothing wrong with that height. Not sure what I have in the rear. Haven't measured but it's even with the front when vented and or driving.
Lownslowlsc
Dedicated LVC Member
With the lowered kit it sits at 26" in front. Using prothane isolators on top and bottom in the rear it comes to about 26.5-27". Listed for reference.
ForeverScrewed
Active LVC Member
Even though this isn't a bad kit, I still wish I was riding on air.......:shifty:
NetKeym
Dedicated LVC Member
I took the suspension from a 97 Thunderbird Sport for my Mark - they were JJEE springs, not JJJJ. I know now that the J springs are in the front because the Mark rides SO MUCH BETTER and sportier with the J springs in the front. The rear is very soft & bouncy, so I'm sure those are the E springs. I even tried adding a rubber spring spacer to the back and the Sport shocks, it's still to soft for my liking.
I'm going to grab a set of JJ springs from a yard and change the rear out again to see if I can get the 4 wheel stiff sport feel on all four corners that I'm looking for - like my Bird rides - firm, flat, sporty and just a great ride!
I'm going to grab a set of JJ springs from a yard and change the rear out again to see if I can get the 4 wheel stiff sport feel on all four corners that I'm looking for - like my Bird rides - firm, flat, sporty and just a great ride!
thaywood
Dedicated LVC Member
im drunk, pilled out, depressed, aggravated, and just about any adjective you could use to describe ones life when it completely crumbles, so what is it that holds the spring in a coil over? just a shock? tell me and ill go make another batch of grey goose soaked watermelon, just tasty. chop into cubes put in tupperware pour like 5 shots in let it soak for a few hrs shake, flip around a couple times let soak overnite, yummy,
the MN12/FN10 platform uses an SLA or Short/Long Arm suspension. It's a completely different design compared to McPherson struts which does not have an upper control arm. In a strut suspension, the strut (whether it has a coil spring attached or not - see the Fox/SN95 chassis) bolts directly to the spindle and acts as a suspension locating link, damper, and steering kingpin. In an SLA design the SHOCK (whether it has a coil spring attached or not) acts only as a damper. It does not locate the suspension nor does it act as a steering kingpin. Therefore, the Mark VIII does not have McPherson struts.Sorry for the rant...Stepping down off the soapbox now...
BTW, I may have to try that melon recipe. Sounds yummy!
Lownslowlsc
Dedicated LVC Member
So you're saying the Mark 8 and Thunderbird have struts......Right?
If so I agree.
:shifty:
If so I agree.
:shifty:
NoLimit95
Dedicated LVC Member
I promise thaywood isn't saying that Marks have struts... 
thaywood
Dedicated LVC Member
Lownslowlsc
Dedicated LVC Member
Mark viii's have struts, I get it. I'm not arguing with you.
Anyway's, how do you like your Arnott air struts? I've been looking at converting back and would love to know how people like their struts. Are they soft struts or firmer stuts. Do the struts tend to leak? Resulting in leaky air bags outside of the strut assembly?
NoLimit95
Dedicated LVC Member
This is funny and I KNOW it's crawling all under thaywoods skin hahahahaha
thaywood
Dedicated LVC Member
I know you're just trying to get a rise out of me. Good thing I've been drinking. So here goes:
What kind of Mark VIII do you have? If yours has a strut suspension, how did you remove the upper control arm? Did you machine the spindle to attach the strut directly to it? Did you put a bearing cap on top of you coil spring so it wouldn't scrape the shock tower when the steering wheel turns?
My Mark VIII, just like every Mark VIII ever built, has an UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARM front suspension. Honestly, how can anyone who has ever worked on a car actually look at the Mark VIII's front suspension and seriously believe it has McPherson struts?
Here's a strut suspension:
And here's an SLA suspension:
See the difference??? Can it be more obvious? The differences between the two types of suspension designs are so blatantly obvious to anyone with eyes and a brain that I can't for the life of me understand why it's even an issue. The Mark VIII DOES NOT HAVE FVCKING STRUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just for more proof:
Yet another example of an UPPER/LOWER CONTROL ARM (SLA) Design:
More SLA:
And another strut:
Can I get a collective DUH?!?!?!?!