2004 Suspension Issues

[Bobwheeler]

Thank you. Looks like I have the same or similar press. Did you reuse your old springs? Looks like that is what is in the pic.

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[edward301]

Yes I reused my old springs because they were in good condition and had not sagged at all.

 

[Redbird 02]

In 2019 I purchased a 2004 T-bird in West Texas with ~22k miles. Drove fine until I got to New Jersey in 2021 and suspension fell apart (great roads in Jersey City) at 37,391 in May 2021. $5k and 3 weeks later the car has almost new suspension from the Jersey City Ford dealership . Front shock absorbers upper and lower, springs, strut mounts, shock mounts, upper control arms, tie rods, and rear upper control arms and rear lower control arms.

drives like crap. I had the NJ Dealership double check things (took another two weeks). even a fairly flush manhole cover will make the entire car shudder, judder, and rattle like it's falling apart at 25mph. Tires are Continental Pure Contact with <10k miles. They've been checked by the dealership and rotated but no change in ride quality.

Since arriving in Ohio, March 2022, I've had two separate Ford shops check the suspension (one to replace one of the new shocks that blew out) and both of them say everything else in the suspension is ok and within spec. Clearly it's not, but now that I'm outside the 12 month warranty for my 5k suspension job they might find something... Any clues on what to check next? I used to love driving this car, but now it just feels like it's shaking apart even on a smooth road with no visible bumps. I got a Lyft from the dealership in a bottom barrel sub-compact and it had a better ride than my t-bird.

pulling my hair out

Just a thought, but the control arms where they mount to the body need to be tightened at ride height. They can only flex a little. If they were installed and tightened by the mechanic with wheels hanging, they hit the upper limit when dropped to the ground. There may be damage to the rubber bushings.

 

[Dmitry]

Bought a 2003 sight unseen from an internet auction. It has a clean Carfax, one owner and 67,000 miles. In the past 10 years the car has only been driven 10,000 miles. Car was maintained by the selling Ford dealer in NH for the first 10 years/52,000 miles, and during that time had oil changes every 3,000 miles and other Ford-recommended maintenance. The original owner then moved the car from NH to FL, and I do not have the maintenance/repair history for the last 10 years/10,000 miles.

My initial notes: the ride is poor. There is vibration of the steering wheel starting at 35 mph, and increasing to being rather uncomfortable at around 60 mph and higher. I discovered the passenger side front wheel had an inner bend and was hoping that straightening it would fix the ride quality, but it didn't. It still rides worse than I was hoping. Yes, I did balance the wheels. The tire shop didn't observe flat spots on the tires.
I am taking it to my mechanic in a week; they'll get it on the lift. What should we address while I'm there? I suspect that the car sat in the garage for prolonged periods over the last decade. Car starts fine. I am considering replacing all fluids, spark plugs/coils, fuel filter. What else would you recommend? I'm assuming all the hoses are old. Which hoses would you recommend replacing?

What should we focus on as far as improving the ride quality? There are complete suspension kits on eBay, for about $800. Should I buy one, and have the whole suspension replaced? Thanks!

 

[Tom Alpers]

My comments are not specific to that car... You would have to have a really really worn-out suspension part for it to cause anything noticeable at 35 mph. Definitely get things checked but I would be very doubtful worn suspension parts are your problem if it's happening at 35. Regardless of what the tire shop says, if those tires are 10 years old replace them... that would be the first thing I would do before spending money elsewhere trying to solve the ride and vibration issue. I had a crown vic with factory Perrelli's and the car rode smooth as glass. When they wore out the shop installed Firestone's. The car rode like a buckboard with the firestones on it... it was a literal night and day change.

 

[Rick4852]

I totally agree on the tires. Might not be noticeable on a lift, but that age could be trying to separate while driving.

 

[pschultzy]

My car sat for so many years that the tires were oval, so i replaced all the tires. In the front i replaced the struts/shocks, upper control arms, sway bar links, and tie rods. In the rear i replaced the tie rod links and the sway bars, but not the upper control arms and not the struts/shocks. Now it rides terribly, feels like every little imperfection in the road is noticeable. I put on the Monroe quick strut's in the front.

Do you think that not changing the rear struts/shocks could make that big of a difference, or could it be that these shocks are just too tight and need time to loosen up???

 

[aororex]

With 55k miles I installed all new strut assemblies and the ride height really changed. Took them off and went back to my originals. Ride is still good and what was strange was both, old and new were the same heights when on the ground.

More Information for FCS 1345454

It was quite an ickiee procedure returning them to RockAuto but they did accept them back.

 

[Tnargrant]

Just under 60k miles on an 04. Original suspension. Average tires. Original rims that weigh a million pounds. Commissioning a suspension mech to make a performance suspension for the bird, but currently can handle a forgiving slalom at 85, but barely hanging on.

The trick is to be over 90 mph. The AJ really shines above 90 around 4000RPM and the front end disappears giving the car a near perfect center of gravity. It needs to drop about an inch front and back with slightly wider tires to stick better and, ideally, put another 20-30 ontop of the 85.