What air springs interchange directly w/ the MM

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

Hi guys, I know there were at least 2 different air springs in the Panthers, depending on year (isn't one made by Firestone?)

Anyhow, if I were to buy one new airbag for my car, what other applications would use the exact same spring? Lincoln town car only, or also CV and Grand Marquis w/ load leveling rear suspension?

Are the springs interchangeable side to side, or are they left and right specific?

Is there a special tool required to change airsprings, or can I do the job w/ regular hand tools? I have a 2003 panther shop manual but haven't looked closely at changing the air springs. I did see a CTC tool on ebay for changing air springs, I think it mounted off the rear suspension somewhere, it said something about a torsion spring in the air bag?

When I bought this car and realized it had the infamous Ford leaky air bags, I knew then that I was in for it. I have a 3/4" ride height differential in the rear, which is above the 0.5" max that the service manual allows for this car. It's got to be the air bags.

The funny thing is, when you shut the car off and the air bags deflate a little, the side that is normally too high with the car running, deflates more than the other side, and ends up maybe 1/2" off the bump stop when it's parked.

These air bags make me want to get one of the rear coil conversion kits to be rid of them, but with such a huge trunk I don't want to lose the load leveling capability.

[FordNut]

I have a used pair from the parts car I once had. PM me with an offer.

[larryo340]

Hi guys, I know there were at least 2 different air springs in the Panthers, depending on year (isn't one made by Firestone?)

Anyhow, if I were to buy one new airbag for my car, what other applications would use the exact same spring? Lincoln town car only, or also CV and Grand Marquis w/ load leveling rear suspension?

Are the springs interchangeable side to side, or are they left and right specific?

Is there a special tool required to change airsprings, or can I do the job w/ regular hand tools? I have a 2003 panther shop manual but haven't looked closely at changing the air springs. I did see a CTC tool on ebay for changing air springs, I think it mounted off the rear suspension somewhere, it said something about a torsion spring in the air bag?

When I bought this car and realized it had the infamous Ford leaky air bags, I knew then that I was in for it. I have a 3/4" ride height differential in the rear, which is above the 0.5" max that the service manual allows for this car. It's got to be the air bags.

The funny thing is, when you shut the car off and the air bags deflate a little, the side that is normally too high with the car running, deflates more than the other side, and ends up maybe 1/2" off the bump stop when it's parked.

These air bags make me want to get one of the rear coil conversion kits to be rid of them, but with such a huge trunk I don't want to lose the load leveling capability.
There should only be one part number for the rear air springs, and they are pretty easy to replace.
The CTC tool you saw is probably for the '94 and older Lincoln Continentals as they use rear air spring/strut combination that uses a torsion spring from the assembly to the lower control arms.

I don't know the prices of the air springs, but I do know that the have come down alot from years ago.

As far as the conversion to coil springs, you can use MOOG cargo coils. They come with instructions on how to effectively keep the air suspension switch off, and not have a warning light on dash. I have used them in both my last two MGMs', and it keeps the rear up alittle higher than the front. I have loaded car up with 5 people (not small by any means) and trunk full of luggage and crap and it stays level, no rear hanging down. Handles well on the road as well loaded or unloaded. There are sellers on ebay pushing rear conversion springs without name brands and brag about including instructions for turning off light, and charge alot. I've bought mine wholesale thru the dealer I worked in for about $80 a pair.

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

Thanks for the info. There are real deal new Firestone 'bags on ebay for $145 a pair, new. They are a lot cheaper than I expected. I might go w/ the coils, I think they will ride better than the air bags, which basically are rigid w/ the jacked up rear ride height on the Marauder, since they were originally designed for cars that did not have as high a rear ride height. I'll give the air bags one shot before I go that route though.

Do you have the part # for the Moog conversion kit?

I thought someone said there were two different manufacturers for the airbags, firestone and someone else? Are the Firestone bags the good ones?

[larryo340]

I don't have the part number for the Moogs, but I would think most autoparts stores could look it up for you.

As far as the airbags go, when I worked for Lincoln/Mercury the bags I'm pretty sure were made by Goodyear , and then later it could have been Firestone.
Either ones were good. As long as you would use two maching bags, they should inflate the same as each other.

[RCSignals]

these are part numbers for CVPI rear springs

Left PI rear spring - F8AC-5560-HA
Right PI rear spring - F8AC-5569-HA


i don't know what other odds and sodds you'd need to go with them

[RoyLPita]

these are part numbers for CVPI rear springs

Left PI rear spring - F8AC-5560-HA
Right PI rear spring - F8AC-5569-HA


i don't know what other odds and sodds you'd need to go with them

Those are engineering numbers. I believe the part number for the CVPI rears are F8AZ-5560-HA. They seem to be the same since 1998 and I have bought 2 pairs for both of my former 92 GMLSHPPs.

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

Thanks guys, Fordnut sold me a low mileage pair of MM bags. I'll see if out of 4 air bags, I can get two that inflate the same height, because my stock ones don't seem to.

[RCSignals]

Those are engineering numbers. I believe the part number for the CVPI rears are F8AZ-5560-HA. They seem to be the same since 1998 and I have bought 2 pairs for both of my former 92 GMLSHPPs.

Thanks. Those numbers are off the parts list for my '03 CVPI. I'll make note of the 'Z' s

[BLACKMARAUDER04]

Did you check the control for the rear ride height? Someone may have changed the settings?

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

It's a side to side problem, not front to rear. The controller does not compensate independently side to side L/R, it assumes that each air bag, when given the same pressure, will be the same height. I am going to assume this is not the case on my car, and replace the bags and see what happens.

[whd507]

could be a sticking solenoid on one side

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

whd, I also thought of that. I bought a new solenoid yesterday, which should arrive around the same time the air bags do.

[OneBADLsE]

springs can be gotten for $125 installed at my shop. Realitivly simple task.


However, stay with OEM air ride. The MM has them set at a certain postion/spring rate for a reason.


And, +1 on the solenoid! Its a common problem

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

If it truly was faulty parts at 26 k miles, I would not see a reason to use OEM parts on the air ride again. LOL. There is a company making a premium replacement air bag that has a metal piston to replace the stock plastic one. They are pricey (more expensive than OEM) but probably worth it. They are lifetime warrantied too.

[whd507]

the bags I got from americanairsuspension.com (?) for my towncar are lifetime warranty, but do not seem to exactly the same as the Marauder/LX Sport/handling package air springs, but the softer springs.

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

Yeah, I got 20k mile OE air bags. I was looking at the aftermarket air bags but shied away from them because of the unknown spring rates.