04_Sport_LS's Suspension thread

That's more or less what i was thinking... once I get the front suspension to the same specs as the refreshed rear. Don't have ramps. Never cared for them, (they always slid or weren't wide enough). So when the time comes I will be building 2x12x12 high blocks, (2 ft long), for the LS to sit on to dial in the suspension.
 
joegr said:
I would leave the bolts slightly loose and sit it down on the wheels to see where the new ride height is, then tighten them fully.
Click to expand...

Sometimes the suspension has to be jostled while the bolts are loose to get the bushings to rotate to their resting position. Obviously the car has to be very well supported to do this.

There are arguments that when a manual says the car must be on the tires - then it must be on the tires. Stands under the control arms don't count. I'm not entirely convinced, but it may depend on how the stands are placed under the arms.
 
oddball said:
Sometimes the suspension has to be jostled while the bolts are loose to get the bushings to rotate to their resting position. Obviously the car has to be very well supported to do this.

There are arguments that when a manual says the car must be on the tires - then it must be on the tires. Stands under the control arms don't count. I'm not entirely convinced, but it may depend on how the stands are placed under the arms.
Click to expand...

I agree. Placement is critical to simulate the correct leverage of the wheels. If you can do it with the wheels on, that is best.
 
Springs are ordered and should be here sometime next week. Hope to have them installed next weekend.
 
Front shocks came today. Surprised!!! Fed ex doesn't normally deliver on Saturday,,, unless it's specified as "home delivery" to a residence. Gonna have to watch out for that on the next order so it doesn't happen again.

Springs, upper arms... and new top bearing plates will be next, (since the upper arms supposedly need to be removed to replace the coil overs).
 
Went to boneyard in the last couple days,,, to help a neighbor out on finding a rearend for his truck. Only place, (obscure), locally that had one. In interest of the LS while I was there,,, I searched... and they had 6 Gen 1's,,, and no Gen 2's.

Since Gen 1's use the "adaptible" Jag/Bilstein shocks to Gen 2... I asked about a front and rear Gen 1 shock assembly. $40 each. Seems cheap enough to get the spare/intact lower isolators for both the front and rear shock assemblies.

Give me some time,,, and I'll follow through with getting the spring isolators,,, and sending them off to "Energy" and "Prothane" suspension part manufacturers.

It may take a few phone calls,,, and spare time for me will be short for a while... but I am doing my best at this point to follow through with what I promised previously.

I'm gonna do my best to get replacement urethane shock assembly parts made for the LS.

Then again... if someone wants to beat me to it... I have no problem with that. "FORGE AHEAD",,, it's just a matter of persuasion by both phone calls and e-mails.
 
Hey, keep me posted if you can get the front left upper control arm out and in without having to pull the degas bottle. I've read it's a real PITA but somehow possible without pulling the bottle.

Anticipating a lot of cussin' coming up.

Sub,d :p
 
10-4.

I just looked, and the rear nut for the front drivers UCA is just below the master cylinder. It's tight,,, but I think it's do-able. Might have to buy a spare extra long wrench,,, and heat it up and bend it to fit back in there though. Course knuckle and shock have to come out first to get the UCA bolts out.

Cussing will be optional. :)
 
If it comes to it (manual says that it will), there's not too much to unbolting the master cylinder from the brake booster. The brake lines will let you move it enough to get it out of the way.

I recall someone on here removing the pressure sensor instead. That caused him to have to bleed the whole system. Just unbolting from the master cylinder avoids all that.
 
Yeah...

I'm not gonna open up the brake system to do this. I figure after bending the wrench,,, I'll put some spray adhesive on the box end to help hang onto the nut during removal... so it doesn't drop into oblivion.

Pulling the MC is an option if necessary.
 
04_Sport_LS said:
...I'll put some spray adhesive on the box end to help hang onto the nut during removal... so it doesn't drop into oblivion.

Pulling the MC is an option if necessary.
Click to expand...

I usually take a piece of paper towel and put it over the nut of bolt-head. It squeezes into the socket (or closed-end wrench) and provides enough friction to hold it in. It's not perfect, but it usually works.
 
Welp,

Front UCA's and LCA's ordered today... along with the rear UCA's. Only thing left is to order the front Jag springs.

Not much time lately. :(
 
I was able to use a ratcheting 15mm wrench and access the firewall side nut for the driver UCA without removing anything. While I had to make many movements of the wrench in order to fully remove/install - it was possible. Granted my hands are small and I have the build of a typical 15y.o. boy, but there is enough room between the hardlines and there are some gaps between components back there to effectively "click" and rotate the wrench. I used a 12pt husky brand 15mm ratcheting wrench from HomeDepot, and a non ratcheting style 15mm 6pt for both the initial break-loose and final snug. A helper or a strategically placed wedge on the wheel well side to keep the special weld nut in place also helps sped up the rotation and limit wasted movement of the wrench.

Good luck on your install 04Sport!
 
DeviLSh,

Yeah... I saw pretty much what you mentioned above,,, and thanks for the best wishes.

Gonna be a while yet. Couple months hopefully. Working crazy hours right now. Front Jag springs will be ordered soon, (maybe tonight). :cool:
 
Front springs and spacers ordered. Can't call the spacers isolators,,, because they are flat discs... where the true "isolators" are tapered to match the spring coil.

Been noticing front suspension issues since the rear was rebuilt. Clunks and rattles and such. Either ball joints,,, and/or sway bar bushings. Thing is... if I put another 50+ lbs in the trunk to the rear near the bumper,,, the rear is less harsh... and the front is less noisy. Definitely more weight on the front at this point.

Change one dynamic in a suspension... and you change another. I suspect by the time I am done,,, the LS will be slightly loose in the backend with the Jag/Bilstein full combo, and the non-passive Lemforder/Jag rear toe links.

With the current setup,,, the LS is easier to "throttle steer",,, but the front end is heavy. Again... that should change with the front rebuild.
 
I get this done... then I'm gonna pursue the idea of a N/A 3 valve GT 4.6 swap at 350HP. That should take a year or better... considering my timeline of things to do. Re-wiring and getting the electronics to play nice is going to be the challenge... if even possible. One thing at a time.
 
Front Jag coils came today,,, and WTF??? One of the front coil springs came with a bottom coil spring isolator. So the bottom coil spring isolators DO EXIST from Jag. No part #'s seen on the isolator... so it seems it's part of the "spring assembly". That means I was shorted 3 isolators in my order for the front and rear springs!

Time to break out the digital camera again!!! And contact the Jag dealer I ordered from.
 
So...I-went-to-the-bonyard-the-other-day,,,and-pulled-a-couple-rear-shock-assemblies.--Once-they-got-the-LS-out-of-the-mud...it-only-took-about-20-minutes-per-side,,,to-pull-the-assemblies.

Took-them-home,,,and-pulled-them-apart-to-get-the-spring-isolators...so-front-suspension-rebuild-should-be-happening-sometime-soon...pending-work-schedule.

I'm-eventually-going-to-take-the-single-Jag-isolator-I-have...and-get-in-contact-with-Energy-Suspension-about-making-these-for-the-LS/Thunderbird/S-Type...for-rebuild-with-Jag-parts.

Special-thanks-to-member-"BCA"...for-pointing-out-that-the-rear-LS-isolators,,,work-with-the-front-Jag-springs-and-Bilsteins!!!
 
Thanks for doing all this and documenting along the way--I like you would love to see quality isolators and such from "Energy" for when I go about replacing most of my suspension next year.

The LS suspension is entirely too well designed to have to use "used" parts.

Good Luck.
 
Yeah...Shame-that-important-factory-"wear"-parts-aren't-available-anymore....only-because-they-were-part-of-an-"assembly"--Blame-that-on-low-dealer-demand,,,for-a-somewhat-rare-vehicle...and-that-Ford-wanted-to-get-away-from-the-Jag-developement-of-the-DEW98-platform,,,,(which-Jag-is-still-using-today).

Probably-going-to-be-another-month-or-2,,,before-I-get-the-front-suspension-done.---Then-I-will-hopefully-have-the-time-to-talk-directly-with-Energy-suspension.

Again...contacting-"Energy"-will-be-strictly-based-on-using-the-"Jag"-Bilsteins...for-an-LS/Thunderbird/S-type...coil/shock-rebuild...since-those-parts-are-more-plentiful...and-seem-to-be-stiffer-than-the-original-LS-suspension.--The-"Jag"-isolator-from-"ENERGY",,,should-fit-all-corners-of-the-LS...but-only-with-using-pre-2002-"Jag"-"S-Type"-Shocks-and-Springs.

I-thought-about-including-the-front-LS-spring-isolators-in-the-discussions-with-"ENERGY"...but-since-MOST-aftermarket-offerings-for-LS-shocks-leave-something-to-be-desired...and-the-front-LS-isolators-are-different-size,,,I-don't-think-"ENERGY"-would-see-it-as-profitable....to-produce-a-"one-off"-(size),-isolator-for-a-specific-vehicle.

They-would-be-better-off...producing-a-"universal"-isolator,,,that-would-fit-multiple-"Jag"-type-suspensions/conversions.--This-is-looking-at-things-from-the-"ENERGY"-corporate-perspective.

I.E.-,,,will-this-be-profitable-for-us...or-will-we-lose-money?---Is-there-enough-"demand"...for-us-to-be-willing-to-make/meet-the-"supply"?

For-an-isolator-to-fit-the-"Jag"-suspension...."ENERGY"-is-probably-looking-at-a-200-grand-investment,,,in-the-design-and-research-for-the-"injection-mold"....to-produce-the-part.
 
If locating parts is an issue let me know. There is a few yards near me with subjects available.

I'd be willing to throw some effort for the cause because I have plans to replace the entire suspension next year.
 
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