Urgent: front springs screwup

[TripleTransAm]

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[Drock96Marquis]

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</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tabletext" colspan="4"> Front suspension - Suspension components - Spring - Grand marquis
Heavy duty 2003 - 2004</td></tr></tbody></table>
Heavy duty would indicate HPP or CVPI spring rate.


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</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tabletext" colspan="4"> Front suspension - Suspension components - Coil spring
COIL SPRING, All Models, Standard Suspension - FROM 2003 2003 - 2004
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Std suspension indicates base, low-rate (close to, or same as town car spring rate)

I cannot confirm these description, these are jsut what comes up with a fordparts search.


It is common to have two different front springs, to copensate for left<-->right weight. The spring rate of these are always the same, but the static and loaded heights will be different.

Sorry I have no info on your TSB request :(

[TripleTransAm]

I can't explain this as all. The TSB indicates low front ride height, but my 2 Marauders sat absolutely even up front, I've just confirmed this looking back at photos of the two together.

WTF???

[RF Overlord]

/Steve, maybe your cars originally came with the optional Canadian front springs, and your dealer has now installed American springs not designed for your metric roadways?

[JMan]

Steve,
Let me understand this-
You took it in for a ride harshness complaint.
They decided it was the front springs and convinced you to replace them citing a TSB.
You agreed to allow them to replace the springs which altered the ride height drastically and gave it a softer ride.
They told you to give it a few days to let the springs settle (Which I do agree with by the way.) but are expecting it to lower back to the original height and tighten up again.

Q. Did they replace just the springs or did they replace the shocks and springs together? Critical question - you need to find the answer to.

Somebody messed up here, period. I would not go back to them until armed to the teeth with information. I will try to do some TSB searches today for you and get back to you via PM this PM. You just aren't supposed to own Ford cars it seems. I hope the DCX thing goes much more well!

Best luck,

J

[TripleTransAm]

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[TripleTransAm]

I found a chunk of text possibly relating to this TSB, it refers to the springs they put on my Marauder.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?p=56683

[SergntMac]

I do remember something about the 300A Marauders and front springs/shocks/strut assemblies over the summer of '02 (everyone call them something different, go figure). However, what I recall is backwards from what you describe, /Steve.

AIRI, seems a few GMs slipped off the production with Marauder springs/shocks/strut assemblies, and the fix was reverse of what you describe. Remove the Marauder assembly and install a GM assembly. My dealer did one GM, and the S/M discussed it with me, asking to inspect my Marauder. Can't recall the specs of what they found in place.

Have you considered that the rack and pinion steering may be the culprit in your feelings between the cars? The racks can be adjusted for a tighter feel, ala a '98 TSB on Mark 8 racks. I needed this done on my very first Marauder because steeering wheel feedback was loose, the other two have been fine. This may explain the "loose-ness" you describe feeling?

BTW...How much "nose-dive" can you detect on a straight-line hard brake event? Obviously, an increase in "nose-dive" would mean a softer spring/shock/strut under harsh compression.