2005 ls

steve ls

New LVC Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2019
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Location
crete Ill
I have a 2005 lincoln ls v8.My rear tires lean in at the top,I have replaced upper and lower control arm and they still lean in.Does anyone know how to fix this problem.I had people say get a alignment,I could be wrong put I can't see what is going to make the top of tires move out.I see where toe in and toe out but no camber adj.Any help anyone And thank you
 
There is a camber adjust kit (special bolts).
Has it been in a wreck, or is it lowered?
 
I had a place that does 4 wheel alignment and they checked all over but they do not make for a lincoln ls,car was not in a wreck.one other thing seems weird jack the car up and let back down wheels straight,move car 4 or 5 feet forward or backwards wheels lean in again.No vibration or any noise nothing,got me all confused ford didn't even have a answer.
 
I had a place that does 4 wheel alignment and they checked all over but they do not make for a lincoln ls,car was not in a wreck.one other thing seems weird jack the car up and let back down wheels straight,move car 4 or 5 feet forward or backwards wheels lean in again.No vibration or any noise nothing,got me all confused ford didn't even have a answer.
What Brand did you replace your parts with?
 
I was just in for a Four wheel alignment and I'm pretty sure I heard my guy say the Lincoln LS doesn't have a Camber adjustment...only a toe in toe out adjustment...when was the last time you replaced your toe link laterals?
 
I had a place that does 4 wheel alignment and they checked all over but they do not make for a lincoln ls,car was not in a wreck.one other thing seems weird jack the car up and let back down wheels straight,move car 4 or 5 feet forward or backwards wheels lean in again.No vibration or any noise nothing,got me all confused ford didn't even have a answer.
Rear Alignment Specifications:
LH + RH Camber -1.0° ± 0.75°

Don't feel to bad, just think of how good it handles in the corners...
Independent suspension factors into that also...have you ever looked at a BMW? They are notorious for the same thing ...
 
I was just in for a Four wheel alignment and I'm pretty sure I heard my guy say the Lincoln LS doesn't have a Camber adjustment...only a toe in toe out adjustment...when was the last time you replaced your toe link laterals?
Good point I haven't replaced them my bad I couldn't see how that would fix this problem my friend said to replace them whats funny I told him he's nuts that's for toe in and out that is what i'm going to do thanks for the input having two people tell me that could do it
 
...I have replaced upper and lower control arm and they still lean in...

Did you correctly preload the control arms by not tightening the bolts till the rear wheel was at the correct ride height? It not, the bushings in the arms are now damaged and that could explain "...seems weird jack the car up and let back down wheels straight,move car 4 or 5 feet forward or backwards wheels lean in again."
 
...they checked all over but they do not make for a lincoln ls...

I am only about 60% sure that they once did, but I do suspect that if they ever did, they are no longer available.
 
The toe links won't fix bad camber. However, if you don't know how old they are, there's a pretty good chance they're bad. The alignment shop should have caught them if they were though, because bad bushings won't allow the alignment to be rigidly set

For the "roll 5 feet back" thing, is it possible you're only seeing the tire sidewall flexing in at the bottom and creating a false camber appearance? Rolling the car would let the sidewall straighten out. You'd have to measure the wheel itself to know for sure. Maybe an uneven driveway could cause it
 
Should be normal to have negative camber, lowering springs or worn out springs could accentuate the lean. However, when you set the car down, the tires are stressed while the suspension is trying to re-establish that normal amount of negative camber. When you roll the car after setting it back down, that allows the tires to untrack their freshly set down positioning and when that happens, the negative camber comes back. Do you enjoy fast cornering? That negative camber helps the car track well during moderate body lean experienced in cornering. Is the car a sport model? The rear sway bars are the same, but a sport has a 30 mm front sway bar which reduces the ability of the car to lift up as much on the inside of the side of the car you are turning toward. I never drove an LS without the 30 mm sway bar, but if you can stand behind your car and picture the car in a turn with that side of the car lifting up, the other side of the car will appear to neutralize that negative camber and the wheel would appear to be standing straight up, instead of negatively cambered. This is one way that the negative camber helps you turn hard with confidence (considering tires are in good shape and inflated properly.)
 
Is the car a sport model? The rear sway bars are the same, but a sport has a 30 mm front sway bar

Sports and bases have two different rear bars. There's 4 front bars based on trim X engine

Front Base V6: 29.5mm
Front Base V8: 28mm
Front Sport/LSE V6: 32mm
Front Sport/LSE V8: 31mm


Rear base: 13mm
Rear sport/LSE rear: 18mm
 
Hi Steve, your rear suspension is none adjustable except for shimming the rear springs. Once you get the rear body height set to right height, the alignment should be within the acceptable range. When you go through this get a lifetime alignment contract costing 2x the single service to help dial the adjustment after each shim evenly added. Find the best lowest friction grease to needle attachment to apply within the boots with a dab of silicone to seal if desire. My rear suspension is over 200k miles old and still tight. The springs are Swift stock reproductions that needed about a shaft inch shim of plastic sheet cut out by hole saws. The shocks are Sach F&R with off road shock boots semisealed for oil lubrication. I hope get the car back to the original ride for the Advance Trak to be optimum. Steve
 
Hi Steve, your rear suspension is none adjustable except for shimming the rear springs. Once you get the rear body height set to right height, the alignment should be within the acceptable range. When you go through this get a lifetime alignment contract costing 2x the single service to help dial the adjustment after each shim evenly added. Find the best lowest friction grease to needle attachment to apply within the boots with a dab of silicone to seal if desire. My rear suspension is over 200k miles old and still tight. The springs are Swift stock reproductions that needed about a shaft inch shim of plastic sheet cut out by hole saws. The shocks are Sach F&R with off road shock boots semisealed for oil lubrication. I hope get the car back to the original ride for the Advance Trak to be optimum. Steve
can you explain a little more shims go how on springs,i have to put shims on top of strut or or take top off and shim im all confused
 
Hi Steve, the shims are at the bottom of the spring in the photo with a large hose clamp for strengthen the 1/2" thick Delrin shim. This worked to get alignment right and help the Firestone and Sears to fine tune the adjustments. Remove all top shims before you do this. Check the front control arm front bushing is not broken by applying a long bar to move the arm to indicate the break in the rubber bushing. It it is broken the front end will jump #feet opposite to your turn in a corner. If you have any more questions let me know. Steve

20191121_170345.jpg
 
Negative camber in the rear is normal on the LS. You'll appreciate it if you ever start pushing the car hard through turns. The negative camber in the rear helps prevent it from sliding, (at least on dry roads, and if you have good tires).

Just rotate your tires every 5000 miles. Alternate between cross rotation and front to rear rotation... and they all will wear pretty evenly.
 
As far as the shims that were mentioned... they are used to compensate for spring sag.

They are roughly 2-3 dollars apiece through any authorized Jag dealer that can be found online. For the LS... they fit the rear only... and sit under the lower plastic isolator. No clamps necessary.

And no shims on top. Only the bearing plate and top rubber isolator that helps keep the spring captive on the shock.
 
Last edited:

Members online

No members online now.
Back
Top