slammed after highway driving...

[inkedmkviii]

heading to the job-site this morning, everything was as usual: my '97 LSC was sitting its normal height when i headed out. My drive includes 20 miles of slower driving then 20 minutes of interstate and another 15 minutes of back roads. Exiting the highway I pulled into sheetz for a schmuffin when I noticed the ride height was slammed, not scraping the ground but definitely lower all the way around (and I have to admit kinda sweet looking). I know it was still up when I pulled onto the highway as I saw my reflection in a black cargo van next to me in the turn lane- because I am a dork and like to look at my cars reflection in other cars, store windows and the like... anyway I drove to work, parked the car for the day; when I started my car to head home the compressor pumped the car back up to normal. Same scenario for the return leg: the usual height until after my highway stint then sitting low all of the way home. Being new to the whole air-ride set-up I haven't any idea what to check... any suggestions? Thanks

 

[Modular97LSC]

All of us Mark VIII drivers look at our cars in the reflections Ive done it many times. About the lowering on highway its your air release valve thats stuck open....you can probably spray some wd-40 on it and hope that it doesnt stick anymore or you're going to need yourself a new compressor. The best option is to do a coil over conversion....its the best bang for the buck. You'll get rid of the air suspension problems for good.

 

[inkedmkviii]

All of us Mark VIII drivers look at our cars in the reflections Ive done it many times. About the lowering on highway its your air release valve thats stuck open....you can probably spray some wd-40 on it and hope that it doesnt stick anymore or you're going to need yourself a new compressor. The best option is to do a coil over conversion....its the best bang for the buck. You'll get rid of the air suspension problems for good.

I am glad I am not alone in the narcissism with the reflection gawking! And thanks- where is the valve located? Already planning on the coil-over conversion, checking out the various offerings: any recommendations?

 

[chris2523]

Already planning on the coil-over conversion, checking out the various offerings: any recommendations?

build your own kit.

 

[My Great 8]

You have a leaky air bag. This would explain why it stays up while driving slow. When on the highway the car lowers allowing the air bag to leak. When you slow down and the car returns to the higher setting, the leak is sealed. There is nothing wrong with your compressor.

 

[inkedmkviii]

build your own kit.

wouldn't know where to begin- i know the components i would need but not where to best source them ...

 

[inkedmkviii]

You have a leaky air bag. This would explain why it stays up while driving slow. When on the highway the car lowers allowing the air bag to leak. When you slow down and the car returns to the higher setting, the leak is sealed. There is nothing wrong with your compressor.

That makes sense... the car didn't return to its normal ride height with slower driving tho. Not until I restarted it after it sat all day did it return... I just went out and started it and it is back up.

 

[My Great 8]

It didn,t go back up because it timed out. They get tired of trying to keep the car up. When you shut it off and restarted the car, you reset the compressor.

 

[inkedmkviii]

It didn,t go back up because it timed out. They get tired of trying to keep the car up. When you shut it off and restarted the car, you reset the compressor.

ahhh that makes perfect sense.

 

[chris2523]

wouldn't know where to begin- i know the components i would need but not where to best source them ...

search around. many of the parts you need are linked on this site. kstromberg recently went through most of it with input from many others.
also check SCCOA and TCCOA as we share suspension components with the thunderbirds and cougars. huge piles of info on TCCOA.

all the info is here somewhere.

also, Google search is better than the built in search.

 

[inkedmkviii]

search around. many of the parts you need are linked on this site. kstromberg recently went through most of it with input from many others.
also check SCCOA and TCCOA as we share suspension components with the thunderbirds and cougars. huge piles of info on TCCOA.

all the info is here somewhere.

also, Google search is better than the built in search.

Thanks for the heads up! I can see how my weekend is going to be spent

 

[inkedmkviii]

stoooopid question time: for my '97 what years of t-bird struts will work? Thanks!

 

[chris2523]

Tenth generation, so 1989–1997. the MN12 platform. it is similar to the FN10 platform the mark viii is built on.

 

[soduka]

Tenth generation, so 1989–1997. the MN12 platform. it is similar to the FN10 platform the mark viii is built on.

I absolutely know this is a stupid question, but the searching brought up connections that I know are 90% there but I just need to make sure. My '94 Mark VIII, is the front suspension the same as the MN12? Can I buy 89-97 Thunderbird-Cougar struts/shocks/coils and have them fit where the bags were?

 

[KStromberg]

stoooopid question time: for my '97 what years of t-bird struts will work? Thanks!

89-97 I used the Tokico Blues and I highly recommend them. I now have real life experience on the road with them and I am very pleased. The front end does not wallow at all.

 

[inkedmkviii]

Tenth generation, so 1989–1997. the MN12 platform. it is similar to the FN10 platform the mark viii is built on.

Thanks again!

 

[chris2523]

Can I buy 89-97 Thunderbird-Cougar struts/shocks/coils and have them fit where the bags were?

yep. front is stupid easy.
in the rear you need something to center the springs. birds have cups for the springs to sit in, marks do not.
and that's really all their is to it.

 

[chris2523]

also, don't call them struts! thaywood! stay back! its a new guy!!!

 

[soduka]

yep. front is stupid easy.
in the rear you need something to center the springs. birds have cups for the springs to sit in, marks do not.
and that's really all their is to it.

Thank you VERY much. Anything else compatible? What about the lower control arm, tie rod ends? Reason I'm being so nosy is I used to own a '92 Cougar and have quite a few NIB suspension/steering parts that are just laying around since she went away.

 

[soduka]

also, don't call them struts! thaywood! stay back! its a new guy!!!

Heh, if that was directed at me, sorry. I got used to listing every name there is. If I don't people sometimes don't know what I'm talking about. No excuse though.

 

[KStromberg]

Thank you VERY much. Anything else compatible? What about the lower control arm, tie rod ends? Reason I'm being so nosy is I used to own a '92 Cougar and have quite a few NIB suspension/steering parts that are just laying around since she went away.

I know for sure that the T-Bird upper and lower control arms will work if you are on coils. If the 92 Cougar uppers and lowers are a direct cross reference to the T-Bird ones you should be good to go. Not sure on the tie rod ends, but I'm sure someone will chime in.

 

[soduka]

89-97 I used the Tokico Blues and I highly recommend them. I now have real life experience on the road with them and I am very pleased. The front end does not wallow at all.

Very cool. Have any pics? Where'd you get them?

 

[KStromberg]

Very cool. Have any pics? Where'd you get them?

***

 

[chris2523]

Thank you VERY much. Anything else compatible? What about the lower control arm, tie rod ends? Reason I'm being so nosy is I used to own a '92 Cougar and have quite a few NIB suspension/steering parts that are just laying around since she went away.

yep. lower control arms, absolutely.
upper control arms, anything goes on coils, but with air ride is Mark specific. there is an attachment for the air ride sensor.
tie rod ends and such i don't know. but looking up some part numbers shouldn't be hard and will answer that.

Heh, if that was directed at me, sorry. I got used to listing every name there is. If I don't people sometimes don't know what I'm talking about. No excuse though.

:lol: its fine. thaywood gets a little bent out of shape sometimes. a strut abused him as a small child or something.

I know for sure that the T-Bird upper and lower control arms will work if you are on coils. If the 92 Cougar uppers and lowers are a direct cross reference to the T-Bird ones you should be good to go. Not sure on the tie rod ends, but I'm sure someone will chime in.

yup. cougar/bird are the same on similar years. Seventh generation, also 1989–1997. same platform as the birds.

also unsure on tie rod ends.

 

[KStromberg]

Very cool. Have any pics? Where'd you get them?

I bought them from a member on another forum because at the time, there was no availability of these shocks. I would just search online for them. I would imagine by now they are available again, but before you make any potential purchase and get the "sorry we don't actually have them" type of email that I got(even though they said they were in stock) I would call them on the phone to verify. Sometimes these online sites are very disorganized with their inventories. Just a fair warning....