The troubles with being gangster ;)

DuKeNoMaD

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Well...I now know why not many run 20's on these beasts, my 00 ls V8 came with some lovely 20" DaVinci's running 245/35r20 run flats..except the rear passenger side...I now know why...today while out of town it popped... something wore down the inside treadwall, and sadly I have not had it up on a lift since I got it (and I suspect it's running stock-but cut coils ) so I did not see the damage happening. Secondly...in my tiny home town(2 ferries from home) there is not a single shop open, let alone a single used 20" tire that would work to be found...and ironically I am picking up a nice set of niche 20's with 225/35r20 on them tomorrow...well now I am catching those ferries in my mom's car...picking them up and catching another back tonite...I'll get in at 130am...swap the wheels...and catch the ferry back to be home by noon ...oh what a day to be a gangster lol

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If it rubbed the sidewall, it had nothing to do with rim diameter. It's either an offset, overall tire height, or tread width mismatch. Any tire you get should match OEM ride height, which is easy even on 20s. I'd also suspect it may have bad camber in the back from being so low, so it'll wear out the inner shoulder much faster than the outside. Stock ride height does it too, but lowering accelerates it.

I have 285s in the back on +60mm offset and overall height matched to 1% of stock. No rub at all at stock ride height and tired shocks with a little too much bounce in their step
 
FDR....you sir win a prize! After pulling it off, I found after inspection that it was indeed the camber in the rear that caused it, but the upside now is I know I need new struts...and these niche wheels are very nice
 
Shocks/springs only affect ride height in these cars, which indirectly affects camber. If you're at the right ride height, it's not the "struts". Excessive camber is typically caused by worn control arm bushings these days.

[Edit] but if you're lowered, there's not much you can do about it. The wheels naturally camber for better handling as it leans in turns. Lowering is like leaning into both sides at once. Though Stu Kelly/SKM(with the drift taxi LS^2) is possibly developing an adjustable rear upper...
 
Oh yes I know, I say I need new struts assy, because I'm fairly sure mine are blown..as I am basically riding on the bump stops, and I figured the front clunk is the away bar bushing...yay!. And has anyone to your knowledge made an airride setup for the ls as of yet? If not I guess I'm back to the universal interchange to do some research!
 
I've seen at least 2 on air ride. The owners are out of the LS world now though. Nick in Florida and a blue one in Canada. They popped up in the facebook groups from time to time
 
I've seen at least 2 on air ride. The owners are out of the LS world now though. Nick in Florida and a blue one in Canada. They popped up in the facebook groups from time to time
Ah ok thanks. I'm in Canada also, been on a FB break but will try and hunt them down when I get back on it.thanks for the pointers FDR!
 
Oh yes I know, I say I need new struts assy, because I'm fairly sure mine are blown..as I am basically riding on the bump stops

If you go with new quick strut assemblies or air ride my comment won't really matter, but the struts themselves, even if "blown," will not cause a vehicle to sit low. That is the responsibility of the springs. The strut will only dampen oscillations, but does nothing really to support the weight of the vehicle.

-Rod
 
Ah ok thanks. I'm in Canada also, been on a FB break but will try and hunt them down when I get back on it.thanks for the pointers FDR!

Doesn't help with sourcing the actual bag assemblies, but here's a relevant thread

Iced LS's air ride equipped

Found a Facebook Lincoln LS Obsessed group post from Nick in which he stated he used a 3P Air Lift Performance system to air up "bag overs" that replaced the springs in his Stance coilover setup. Info is conflicting about Stance now (making them, non-stocking, not making them) but D2 is still an option.

Jake in the Lincoln LS Enthusiasts group on FB had the blue Canadian LS with a ton of body work for shaving and molding features. He didn't say much about the air except "the suspension is basically stock" so I'm guessing he (or L.Ls) also found bagovers that fit what he had. I was surprised to see my own comments there. His LS was actually the silver one from around here many years ago

L.Ls in silver. Jake bought, repainted it, and then parted it out 2 years ago sadly. The tail of this thread indicates it was in rough shape before it was sold
My car is done

Rollin has a lot of aired-out pics from several different cars if he's still popping in here. Not sure if there's any info
 
Thanks for the info, like you said not actually helping per se, but seeing this possibility gives me hope. I'm no stranger to research as I am the master of the parts xrefrence lol. Though the term "bag over" is new to me. I was quite familiar with the "shockwaves" custom air put out years ago (basically a shock bolt in replacement for hot rods with a bad built in) so I imagine something like that...I have come to the realization that I need a complete suspension overhaul if I want to ride at any height more than the current "slammed" so any info and leads on the best/most economical way to refresh everything are always appreciated!
Ti
 

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