My strut masters blow

G

George Eisenhart

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:mad:I am so agrivated with my strutmaster system. The car rides too soft front end bottoms out easy & bounces like a set of bad shocks. I've had no luck with strutmasters soooo my question is this.Is there a better system that possibly a LVC member can recommend? I can allways use these on one of my project cars when the air goes out. This is my good driver with 4.10's & nos.It is a lowering set strutmasters told me they would stiffen up with miles. hasn't happened--- Im ready to pull them off if there is something better out there. Thanks in advance for your input. George
 
I took springs from a 97 Sport they were JJEE code (not the JJJJ that everybody wants). I can really tell that the front ones are the JJ (they are stiff and I like the ride) while the rear ones are the EE (they ride real soft, bouncy, spongey and I hate it).

I'm gonna grab a set of rear JJ springs next time I'm at a yard and see how much better that makes the ride.
 
i have american air coil conversion and its the same im in search of a replacement strut but caant find one . ive heard you can switch the inside of the strut unless i misunderstood, but netkeym (what is ur name, you can pm if you want) im assuming a 97 T-Bird sport coupe?i was going to change the rear springs to the t-bird sc since i heard theyre compatible,and bilsteins ive found new ones for $97 online, if the front springs are compatible ill ill do that.im tired of floating over bumps, when i called am air i got no help and the aftermarket offered nothing without a starting point for a cross reference.aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgh!:Bang
 
the1andonlygr81 said:
i have american air coil conversion and its the same im in search of a replacement strut but caant find one . ive heard you can switch the inside of the strut unless i misunderstood, but netkeym (what is ur name, you can pm if you want) im assuming a 97 T-Bird sport coupe?i was going to change the rear springs to the t-bird sc since i heard theyre compatible,and bilsteins ive found new ones for $97 online, if the front springs are compatible ill ill do that.im tired of floating over bumps, when i called am air i got no help and the aftermarket offered nothing without a starting point for a cross reference.aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgh!:Bang
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Rick, my name is Rick. Yes, the springs I took out of a 1997 Thunderbird Sport Coupe I have a thread on TCCoA that shows my spring install. Front spring/shocks/struts whatever just bolt right in, rear requires something to hold the top of the spring in place - I made these:
TacWeldedUnit.jpg


Here is the car I took the springs out of:
IMG_4514.jpg


Installed in 1995 Mark VIII LSC:
UnitInstalled.jpg
 
FWIW, I am going with Thunderbird SC springs at all four corners with Tokico Blue struts up front and Koni adjustable yellow sport shocks out back. The other factors to consider with how your car rides has to do with your strut choice and rear shock selection. If you have good springs with crappy hardware, it will still ride like chit.

BUT, in your defense, you are not the first person that I have heard talk about the crappy ride with Strutmasters. Consider some Vogtland T-Bird springs. There is nothing special about a Strutmasters conversion other than the peace of mind in not having to deal with failing air ride components. There is no rainbows, butterflies, or fairy dust in that conversion. It's mediocre at best.
 
Kirk you should know better by now we have no struts just shocks and springs or air springs.
 
chris2523 said:
cobra bilsteins in the rear. i love mine. very stiff though. lol.
Click to expand...

Can't afford Bilsteins, so I experimented. I used a brand new set of Monroe Gas Ryder heavy duty shocks for a '69 Ford Galaxie that I got off fleabay for $6 each. They are stiff as hell and dramatically improved the ride quality of the car. I can barely push the rear end of the car down with all my weight and there is zero bounce and the rear doesn't sidestep over bumps anymore like it did with the old toasted shocks. The '69 Galaxie is a huge, heavy car. It's about 1000 pounds heavier than the Mark VIII so the shocks would be stiffer anyway. And I got the heavy duty versions so they would be even stiffer. They worked out quite nicely.

As for the front SHOCKS (they're not struts dammit:p), I am seriously considering a coil-over shock conversion. My Arnotts aren't leaking, but the p/s is starting to do the dreaded "clunking". It still rides fine, but it makes a horrible noise and it's irritating as hell. If I could afford it, I'd get OEM's. But good God man those things are frakkin' outrageous! I'm thinking about looking around at aftermarket air suspension components to see if I can "make something work" for less money. It could be possible to modify a McPherson strut to work with the Mark's SLA suspension but it would require some cutting and welding since the mounting brackets are completely dissimilar. Or I might just say phuck it and get a set of front coil-overs and rear springs from a T-Bird and call it a day. Can you tell I'm really frustrated with my car right now?;)
 
both my rear shocks just blew out on my car.. i was driving home last night and the rear of the car was bouncing all over the place. Looked under and both shocks are wet.
I ordered a set of rear t-bird Tokico Blues on amazon for $112 shipped.

my plan is to ditch the air ride and put tokico blues in the front with H&R t-bird springs on all 4 corners.
 
purpony said:
both my rear shocks just blew out on my car.. i was driving home last night and the rear of the car was bouncing all over the place. Looked under and both shocks are wet.
I ordered a set of rear t-bird Tokico Blues on amazon for $112 shipped.

my plan is to ditch the air ride and put tokico blues in the front with H&R t-bird springs on all 4 corners.
Click to expand...

Which brand is "H&R" and are they stock height or lowered? What are you going to use to hold the springs in the rear control arms?
 
H&R is H&R.. http://www.hrsprings.com .....they are a high quality spring. Many of the mustang guys use them. They are a lowering spring... 1.7" front 1.5" rear. For the rear springs im going to machine some locating perches.
 
What I would love to find is a set of good condition, fully functional electronic adjustable front and rear shocks and springs from an '89-'95 Thunderbird SC or '89-'92 Cougar XR-7 and install them with a switch on the dash for "Soft/Firm" selection. I did that on an '87 Mustang with '88 T-Bird Turbo Coupe electronic shocks and struts. It worked quite nicely. Problem is, SC shocks are getting hard to find.:(
 
thaywood said:
What I would love to find is a set of good condition, fully functional electronic adjustable front and rear shocks and springs from an '89-'95 Thunderbird SC or '89-'92 Cougar XR-7 and install them with a switch on the dash for "Soft/Firm" selection. I did that on an '87 Mustang with '88 T-Bird Turbo Coupe electronic shocks and struts. It worked quite nicely. Problem is, SC shocks are getting hard to find.:(
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our 89 xr7 has those... and they get stuck all the time.
 
chris2523 said:
our 89 xr7 has those... and they get stuck all the time.
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That's why you leave them set to "Firm" all the time:D

But seriously, neither of my T-Bird Turbo Coupes ever gave any trouble with the Automatic Ride Control solenoids. Hmmmm...

Here's a great idea: Why don't you just get some regular front and rear shocks for the Cougie and sell the ARC shocks to me real cheap-like???;)
 
i think its mostly the same one that sticks, but yeah, it had a few issues.
haha. it needs a trans before i start worrying about anything else.
 
chris2523 said:
i think its mostly the same one that sticks, but yeah, it had a few issues.
haha. it needs a trans before i start worrying about anything else.
Click to expand...

Well, just let me know when you're ready to replace those problematic ARC shocks with some plain ol' single-setting units and I'll be ready (if I haven't gotten some before then:)).
 
NetKeym said:
Rick, my name is Rick. Yes, the springs I took out of a 1997 Thunderbird Sport Coupe I have a thread on TCCoA that shows my spring install. Front spring/shocks/struts whatever just bolt right in, rear requires something to hold the top of the spring in place - I made these:
TacWeldedUnit.jpg


Here is the car I took the springs out of:
IMG_4514.jpg


Installed in 1995 Mark VIII LSC:
UnitInstalled.jpg
Click to expand...
the american air comes with upper spring perches, im assuming it will hold the rear spring. kirk i asked you which one fits so a thunderbird sc front suspension will bolt right in with no mods? why is everyone buying strutmaster or american air if there is an easier solution?
 
the1andonlygr81 said:
the american air comes with upper spring perches, im assuming it will hold the rear spring. kirk i asked you which one fits so a thunderbird sc front suspension will bolt right in with no mods? why is everyone buying strutmaster or american air if there is an easier solution?
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I have no idea. It's real easy to make those upper perches, here is where the metal come from for mine (an old flywheel - lol - I pounded them flat before I welded them):

HoleyFlywheel.jpg

FlywheelSquares.jpg


And the round part came from an old piece of diesel exhaust that just happened to be the perfect size! Grabbed a couple of used bolts for the center pin and welded it all together!

CompletedUnitSideView.jpg


If I had to do it again, I would weld a 3/4"-1" spacer because I want the back a bit higher.
 
the1andonlygr81 said:
the american air comes with upper spring perches, im assuming it will hold the rear spring. kirk i asked you which one fits so a thunderbird sc front suspension will bolt right in with no mods? why is everyone buying strutmaster or american air if there is an easier solution?
Click to expand...

I don't know, but I do know what bolts in, and that is front Tokicos for the V8 T-Birds and the Thunderbird SC (V6 supercharged) springs. I wouldn't say it is an "easier" solution because you have to piece things together, but I bet money it trumps the strutmaster or american air conversion by a long shot.
 
call me annoying,but i just want to get it right. the tokico springs will work, ill just have to swap them out of the strut in the front.you said your running the tokico blues up front you gave me some part #'s strut mounts and isolators,i suppose your using them could you tell me how they work, i get the isolators are for the spring fit, more about the mounts where they go, etc.
 
thaywood said:
Oh good God in Heaven! The Lincoln Mark VIII does NOT have a gosh frakkin' damn strut front suspension!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm drunk. Have a nice day:D
Click to expand...

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,
2012-05-22201320.gif
 
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