Clarification

[BBMK790]

Looking to replace all bushings/joints in the front on my lincoln town coupe. Read over the sticky and still had some questions. Went to energy suspension web site and theres no option for my car. Can I just use parts under 81 TC or 82 MKVI?

Im also replacing the front coils. Saw in another post these are replacements http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Street...rings,166.html
Someone said 1350 are REAL stiff. Im looking for mildly stiff coil with some give. A luxurious ride is what Im looking for. Should I go maybe 1150?

Any help is appreciated.

[1987cp]

To my knowledge, most Box-body owners use the Energy Suspension bushing kit referenced in the forum stickies. Advertised to fit a '92 Vic, civilian version. I learned the fun way not to get the police version, and got to get creative with sandpaper and a wood lathe to reduce two of the upper bushings to the right size.

I think 700 lb/in police springs are stiff enough for most purposes, but then, my P72 is a relative lightweight at ~3700 lbs.

[BBMK790]

So all the parts that fit a 92 Vic are going to fit my car?

[1987cp]

Dunno what you mean by "all the parts".

The Energy Suspension control arm bushing kit (PN 4.3150) is the proper item to order when rebuilding civilian box-body control arms (I used upper arms from an '88 Grand Marquis, since my P72 came with solid-bushing upper control arms).


Swaybar bushings, you measure your bar diameter and endlink length and buy the ones that fit.


Everything else I've bought (balljoints, tie rods, Pitman arm) has been whatever is listed for the vehicle it was going on ('87 P72 in my most recent case).



Springs, buy whatever the whatever you want that provides the ride/handling/height combination you desire. As I've said elsewhere, I think my '87's original 700 lb/in front coils (yes, I measured them to verify the rate) provide a very firm ride, and I can't see myself wanting anything stiffer. And the car doesn't pitch detectably during anything I've attempted in this vehicle. Obviously, other opinions vary, depending on personal preferences, weight of your individual vehicle, etc. etc. Thain disliked his hard ride so much he went all the way back to 390 lb/in coils (IIRC).

[DuceAnAHalf]

im running 1350# springs in the front of my '97, i dont think they are too stiff (id like them to be stiffer) im using a Carrera circle track shock with extra heavy valving. but its personal preference, you may be happy with the 1150s but you might be willing to go stiffer for better handling

[1987cp]

^^^ Like I said. I think a 1000+ lb/in coil would ride like a bally skateboard, but if you like that, that's not my call!

Though, the OP was pretty specific that he wanted a "luxurious" ride .... that would suggest he should stay pretty soft, like say 440 lb/in civilian springs (or help me in my quest to locate HPP springs!). Either way, it's all good.

[BBMK790]

The ones I pulled have a yellow sticker still atached to them. When I ran the number online HPP stuff came up. They seem stiff but the front of my car was sitting forward. The head lights hit the ground only a few feet out. Does height of the spring have anything to do with it? Or are they all the same height just different spring rates?

[1987cp]

The same spring installed in five different vehicles may generate five different ride heights in each vehicle. Ride height (and lowering amount) guidelines are just that, guidelines.

If your headlights are too low, time to adjust them.

Interesting about your springs. I don't suppose you have a caliper to measure the wire diameter? The rate is calculated by the wire diameter, coil diameter, and the number of free coils, so you could easily use that info to verify your current spring rate (as I did).

[gadget73]

Do you have the weird 1980-only tubular upper control arms? If so, those take an unobtanium upper ball joint. No clue about bushings. The stamped steel arm takes the same bushings as the aero.


Something I've found with Lincolns is that Vic springs don't sit right. The police springs make it a lowrider that crashes the wheels into the fender trim constantly, and whale Vic springs make it sit like a donk. The only springs I've ever found that make it sit where it belongs are stock replacement springs. They do sag with age though, so its very likely that 30 year old springs will have the car sitting lower than brand new stock replacements will.

[BBMK790]

The same spring installed in five different vehicles may generate five different ride heights in each vehicle. Ride height (and lowering amount) guidelines are just that, guidelines.

If your headlights are too low, time to adjust them.

Interesting about your springs. I don't suppose you have a caliper to measure the wire diameter? The rate is calculated by the wire diameter, coil diameter, and the number of free coils, so you could easily use that info to verify your current spring rate (as I did).

Its not the headlights. You can see from a side view the cars sitting forward. The rear is at normal ride height and the fronts low.

I dont have a caliper but ill see about getting one or looking for the tag with the part #.

[BBMK790]

Do you have the weird 1980-only tubular upper control arms? If so, those take an unobtanium upper ball joint. No clue about bushings. The stamped steel arm takes the same bushings as the aero.


Something I've found with Lincolns is that Vic springs don't sit right. The police springs make it a lowrider that crashes the wheels into the fender trim constantly, and whale Vic springs make it sit like a donk. The only springs I've ever found that make it sit where it belongs are stock replacement springs. They do sag with age though, so its very likely that 30 year old springs will have the car sitting lower than brand new stock replacements will.

Yes the upper arms are tubular. When I bought the car he said he couldnt do the upper a arm ball joints so he replaced the passenger side with a 88 vic arm. He didnt do the drivers side but gave me the matching vic arm to replace it.

I cant find stock replacements. I have advance auto parts around the corner so I order from them and their web site only has two different kinds of rears. I ordered both not looking at the info thinking ones fronts and the others are rears. I checked ebay too and nothing comes up for fronts for my model and year just more rear coils.

[gadget73]

try Towncar springs. They all physically interchange from 1979 (80 Lincoln) to 2002 but the spring rate and overall length will vary significantly from application to application.

[BBMK790]

I looked at the 80's and 90's. The 90's has a bigger bar diameter and load. The spring rate varys by 1 pound.

[1987cp]

The police springs make it a lowrider that crashes the wheels into the fender trim constantly

Was this the case even with the superthick ES spring insulators installed? (though granted, the P72/5.0L/original springs/ES insulators still sits lower in front than the '81 with the 5.0L and its original fronts, whatever they are)

[Piece-it pete]

I regret using the superthick energy front spring bushings with stock springs. The front end definately sits higher. Though I suppose if I had the right rear springs it wouldn't matter as much.

Is your TC a daily driver? If so even if you're not doing the big brake swap I'd get JY control arms and change the bushings and ball joints 1st. And you really need the inside spring compressor, the outside ones won't work. Just passing on what I did wrong

Pete