Time to break all the rules.

B

BlackIceLSC

Registered
Last week after learining how to sensor lower a Mark VIII, I decided to do mine.(94, 65k). I lowered it as far as I could without removing and re-drilling the sensor mounting bracket. Looked good, but not low enough. So, I hoisted the car on a lift, removed the R/F sensor bracket, and re-drilled it for the new position. Then, I lowered the car to "check out the difference.

Before the car was completely on the ground, I could hear the R/F air-strut start to leak HISSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

I didnt even get the car all the way on the ground yet. The tire was just at the wheel lip, so it could have gone down more, but I stopped the lift. I got soapy water, and crawled under there and sprayed it all around. Then, with a flashlight, I could see a couple cracks blowing bubbles like Bazooka Joe. "Great" I thought. Just my luck. I worried about the air ride leaking with its age, and now I really did it this time.

I lifted the car back up, and restored the suspension back to stock height, and the leak stopped(for now). My days are numbered.

I checked the L/F, and both rears, and guess what I found.... small air bubbles leaking all the way around them. Its time. I guess with 10 yr old parts, what was I expecting, a miracle?

Now, listen closely folks. Priorities. I depend on this car daily for my 100 mi round trip commute. It cant go "lame". I have to have it in "running order" all the time.

Also, I dont have the budget right now to buy 2 new front struts, 2 new rears, and notoriously, the spider valve, compressor, and dryer. I mean, if I replace the bags, I will eventually(sooner rather than later) need the components to go with it.

So, instead of cranking out near $1200 for all new equipement, I went another route.

$525 gets me a complete, 1.5" lowering kit, with progressive rate, COIL SPRING CONVERSION!

I know I will get flamed by all you "die-hard Lincoln air ride fans", but remember the key word: Priorities. Budget and reliability.

I spoke to 15+ other Mark VIII owners who went with the coil conversion, and you know what the common consensus was?
BETTER RIDE!. They all have had a "great" riding Mark before the conversion, but with springs, they have trouble-free, worry-free, smooth, not drooping, reliable, predictable cornering Mark VIII's. @ of them had less than 40k miles on their stock set up before converting, so their 'factory" ride was perfect(less the problem/leaks)

Flame me if you want, but if you had my budget, and my "needs" for the car, you might just do the same thing.

I am installing the kit today. I am keeping all of my stock components, just in case the ride is not up to my standards, so I can start saving for the original stuff, and then do a Kale-mod to get the ride height I desire.

Ok, the cat's out of the bag. I am defying the mold. Springs for me.
And before you all even think about mentioning "coil springs sag" realize this: LIFETIME WARRANTY! We all have had coil equipped cars, and I can honestly say, not one of them has developed a "sag" in its life span. The only "sprung" car I have ever owned that had spring sag, was a 1960 Mercury Comet that sat in someone's back yard with a trunk full of engine parts for 20+ years.

Just thought I would "come out of the closet" about this. I plan on taking many pics of the conversion, for anyone who has considered this.

I am excited, and since I never was a fan of the "air ride", at least now I can drive the back roads, hanging the ass-end out around a corner at 45 mph, and not worry about the air suspension doing its typical "undulation" over a minor bump in the road while driving on "the edge".

If anyone needs parts(little things, bolts, uts, sensors, wires, lines, actuator controlled rear shocks,) let me know. They will all be in boxes by the end of today.

BTW, I also sensor lowered our 95(only as far as the sensor's would slide, but not removing any bolts, or re-positioning brackets), and you know what? The ride SUCKED! It was bumpy like a mini-truck, and the shocks are all good(45k). I restored it back to the factory hieght so I wont spill any coffee all over the perfect saddle interior. How the hell do you guys drive with cars that low, without bouncing all over the road???

Never mind... I wont have to worry about that anymore!

[a BlackIceLSC-VP LODNCA
http://mark8.org/lodnca
94 Black/Black M8
95 Champagne/Saddle M8
http://www.markviii.org/~blackicelsc/lodcard2.JPG [/a]​
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

You already know my opinion, Craig, but this long explanation of your reasons only proves that you feel guilty for doing this.

So there, I said it. Enjoy your conversion ... and good luck with it.
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

Sometimes when you lower then it gets away from where the shock likes to ride and gets too bumpy. I leave mine at stock height, until i want to show off, then i lay it out with the switches.
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

Well Good luck.

I can understand why your doing the conversion, even though I would never do it myself.
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

Let us know how it turns out. My car will probably need some attention soon. It has 93k on it. I might do the same thing.
Roadie
95 Champagne Mark VIII
00 Ford F150 Supercab 4x4
02 Mazda Protege
86 Chevy Monte Carlo SS
81 Honda CB900C
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

Jeremi, true. I always feel guilty for bastardizing a truely unique feature of any car. Thats worse than converting a "suicide door Lincoln" into a regular 4-door.

But, I am also on the defense due to alot of people telling me I will hate it, when in actuality, they really dont know. They have never done it, or even riden in a converted Mark VIII.

Well guess what? Its done. 2.5 hours, and I now have the ride I have always wanted. I just didnt know this part was missing I liked the ride before... but I LOVE the ride now. Old, worn out components didnt help my old set up any, but with all new struts/shocks/springs, its like a new car... literally.

I wont go into a long explanation. I dont want anyone to think I am trying to convince them. I will just say, I am very happy, and I dont regret it one bit. And there is no longer ANY guilt. Its done, and the old parts are history.

If anyone wants to know about it, they can PM me.

And as far as "hitting switches", if I had the funds, and the know how, I would have loved to keep the stock set up, and just "lay it out" when I wanted to.

But, I cannot travel down that road now. I just drive....

Talk to you all later.

[a BlackIceLSC-VP LODNCA
http://mark8.org/lodnca
94 Black/Black M8
95 Champagne/Saddle M8
http://www.markviii.org/~blackicelsc/lodcard2.JPG [/a]​
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

I'm glad you're happy with it. I just love the air-ride, but i've pretty much got it figured out by now, having "been there and done that" on two seperate mark viii's now. I've never had everything give out at once, though, so it was never economically beneficial to switch out to coils.
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

I do the same as sleeper, I drive mine around at normal height most of the time and slam it when I park. After seeing it slammed, I just can't stand the look of the car any other way.

But to each his own. As our Marks are getting older, more and more people will be interested in going this route simply for function. If your kit worked out great with regard to ride quality, handling, stance, no missing parts, etc., then people would probably like to know what kit you bought and the details of installation.

When these kits first came out, there were some installation and quality issues.

Kale
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

I personally think you did the right thing, I’m sick and tired of pumping and humping... my car has a different height every damn day.. I wish it would stick to the same height for once...and with the height changing, my steering gets lighter/heavier with no pattern, so I say.. ENJOY IT CRAIG!! Wish I did the same. If I knew I’m gonna to keep this car for a long time, I would do the same thing.

Post some pics please, and thanks for sharing...
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

Kale, Moe, thanks for the remarks.

Here's the info.

Struts-R-Us.com
I spoke to Tim after reading several posts in which he came highly recommended. I called him, and told him I wanted a 1.5" lowering kit for my 94 Mark VIII. He is a "middle man", and honest enough to tell me that. He simply has "parts" in stock, from an outside vendor. He "installs" the requested spring choice onto the struts, and boxes them up, along with the rears.

I told him I was under the gun for time(wasnt about to miss the first drag race of the year because of an ailing car). He sent the order out the next day. I paid extra $$$ for Fed-Ex-2 day air.

The parts are beautiful(as nice looking as struts/springs can be). The fronts are fully assembled, and they even have "bellow boots" on the insert shaft of the front strut. No spring compressor needed.

The whole job(on a lift at a friend's shop with plenty of air tools and a fully licensed mechanic on hand) took us less than 3 hours. The most time consuming part was figuring out how to un-hook all the air ride hardware without damaging any of it(I may need parts for our 95 Mark some day).

I didnt even find the instructions until I was throwing away boxes. It is pretty straight forward, as long as you know about how to correctly "perch" rear coil springs with the cut coils lined up for equal ride height.

I was amazed at how easy this installation was. I also replaced my rear shocks and upper shock mounts while I was in there.(that took longer than both fronts by the way)

The car sits 1" lower than stock "parked" height, and we all know that new springs take a few weeks/hundred miles or so to "settle" with weight on them.

I took it out for a lengthy test drive. Freeway, bumpy side streets, heavy braking, cornering, etc. No bumps, rattles, thumps, or creaks.

It rained the night before, so my car was filthy, and I think it is entitled to a nice bath before "photo session" should commence.

I will post pics soon.

There really isnt any part of the job I need to "warn" you about. As long as you know your way around suspension, its all just nuts and bolts. Just remember, the rear air bags are "twist locks" to hold them in. You have to rotate them to "un-lock" them from their upper perch. The housings are plastic and may be brittle, so be careful if you want to save them for "spares". The extra "help" is very useful though, so get the beer ready to "barter" you buddy(s) with.

Let me know if you need anymore help, or have more questions. And thanks for your "support", literally. I thought I would be defending my decision here, not being asked to tell you all about it. You guys are great. Especially from you, Kale, the King of modified air suspension!

[a BlackIceLSC-VP LODNCA
http://mark8.org/lodnca
94 Black/Black M8
95 Champagne/Saddle M8
http://www.markviii.org/~blackicelsc/lodcard2.JPG [/a]​
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

So far, all the compressor, dryer, etc is still tucked inside the fender well. The lines have been "plugged" and neatly wire tied and placed securely behind the fender well cover as well, along with the sensor lines. I removed the solonoids of course, and the ride height sensors.

The error message is still there(I just hit reset). when I was done with the job, I took a quick look for the wire, and couldnt find "the one", so I decided to wait until next time I feel like digging in there to locate the correct wire. No biggie, now that I know exactly where it is!

I ended up using a 1997 T-Bird rear shock, and when placed side by side with the stock Mark VIII shock, they were identical in size and compression distance. Then I wire tied the actuator assemblies back inside the rear wheel arches, so they dont rattle around. The T-Bird shock is a perfect match, and at $25.00 each for a lifetime warranty, Monroe-sensi-trac HD, it rides like glass back there. Even during heavy acceleration. No tire hop at all!

A complete success!!! Rides will cost $5.00 each(inside info like this isnt free ya know! I had to pay $500+ to find out what it would be like!)
:)

[a BlackIceLSC-VP LODNCA
http://mark8.org/lodnca
94 Black/Black M8
95 Champagne/Saddle M8
http://www.markviii.org/~blackicelsc/lodcard2.JPG [/a]​
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

Man, I just want to congratulate you on taking this big step. Really, I wish I did the same thing instead of buying two front struts for that same price you did all 4 corners. I can still return my left strut since it’s in my trunk brand new in the box with a receipt :)

NOW, IF I WAKE UP ONE DAY WITH THAT BOX MISSING, I KNOW WHOM TO LOOK FOR! :)

Back to the subject at hand, I really want to see the pics of the height of the car.
Thanks for keeping us updated criag!
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

I'm wondering why the Tbird struts wouldn't work...Anyone know???

And about the 1997 T-Bird rear shocks, are you saying that the shocks AND mounts are identical? With the same bushings as the Mark? I couldn't find a pair of rear shocks for any year T-Bird that would fit. I found some that I could make work, but they would have required some modifications.

Please take some height measurements for reference. The stock specs are measured from the fender to bottom of the wheel (16"). Let us know so we can get an accurate idea of what people can expect if they order a 1.5" dropped spring kit.

Moe, about those struts, I may be interested, or someone at baggedbirds.com may be interested. It depends on what you want for them or if you can indeed get your money back.

Let me know.

Kale
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.



Moe, about those struts, I may be interested, or someone at baggedbirds.com may be interested. It depends on what you want for them or if you can indeed get your money back.

Let me know.

Kale
[/quote][/i]

The left one is already in, and the right one is waiting to be installed, I still can return the right one to the dealership but I’m just too lazy to do the spring conversion, knowing that I have no clue for how long I will keep the car. So its just one Brand new one, the other one has a couple of hundred miles. I’m pretty sure I will be looking for a newer Lexus LS/GS during the summer. Or a 98 Black on Black LSC with very low miles if it can be found around here.
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.


I ended up using a 1997 T-Bird rear shock, and when placed side by side with the stock Mark VIII shock, they were identical in size and compression distance.[/quote]

Really. The top shaft where it goes through the shock mount is the same diameter? Interesting, since Bilstein also makes shocks for the T-Bird. I've got a set here for my T-Bird, but never thought to see if they fit those mounts. T-Bird Bilsteins might be a good alternative to the Cobra shocks people have tried to make work, only to find the shaft diameters are different.

Bring one of your old rear shocks to the Dublin meet, and I'll bring a Bilstein to compare. And if you get those replacement shock mounts by then, bring them also, so we can check them out with the Bilsteins. I've got a complete set of Eibach 1.5" lowering springs and Bilstein shocks ready to mount in my T-Bird, including new front upper spring seats, (so I could pre-assemble the fronts for an easy in and out). So also bring one of your old front strut assemblies - we should be able to compare that way, to see if the T-Bird front assemply could also be used.

John
[link:mark8.org/lodnca|NorCal Chapter Website]
http://mark8.org/users/johnaec/Mark_VIII_s.jpg
'97 Mark VIII LSC
'96 T-Bird 4.6L
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

I'm curious to hear if the car sags when you load up the trunk with some heavy items? I really like the fact that I can pop 200lbs in the trunk and know that the back bumper doesn't look like it's dragging it's ass on the road because the suspension will pump it up.


Chad
Owner of a 1993 Deep Jewel Green with Mocha interior Mark VIII
IA Parrot, one of the most popular avian resources on the internet
http://aviary.info
 
RE: Time to break all the rules.

I have always left the option for coil struts open and now that my ride is getting really bad I have been considering it. It's bad enough that I am embarrassed to drive people in it because of the way it rides. I need a new left strut, both rears and new shocks. I have always wondered why the newer Lincolns didn't get bags if they're supposed to be so good. Don't get me wrong though, I love the bags, but sometimes they're just a pain in the ass!

Make sure to get as may members as you can to ride in it, and PLEASE!!! post what you guy think.

______________________Mark of the Cobra______________________ http://dtw.truckmoxie.com/forums/images/badass.gif
David J.
 
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