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Thread: Sway bar and new gauges installed!

  1. #1

    Sway bar and new gauges installed!

    Just wanted to pass along a note of thanks to everybody who provided such good advice re: the upgraded rear sway bar and also the gauge replacement (for real, working Autometer ones).

    I had today off so I spent it installing these on my car (finally). The sway bar install was a breeze, even doing it by myself. I haven't had much chance to test it out yet, but what little driving I did with it definitely felt different. The rear end seems much tighter than with the stock bar. I'm sure once I get a chance to play with the car a bit I'll really notice it.

    The gauge replacement was much more difficult. I pulled my car into my father's garage (which has a heater) and let the car warm up before I tried removing the gauge panel again. This time it came out without too much fuss. Wiring in the new guages using the original wiring harnesses was a snap, as was replacing the sender unit. All of this along with the sway bar replacement took maybe 3 hours (with oil change). The trouble came when it was time to put the gauge panel back in.

    I've not cursed so loudly while working on anything in quite some time. It took me over two hours to get that b*tch back in place. Arrrrghh! Horrible. Honestly, had I know how much trouble the whole thing was going to be I probably would not have done this upgrade. Still, now that the new gauges are in place I'm really happy. I love being able to see exactly what my oil pressure is at all times. Very slick!

    So, after a lot of grunt'n and cursing I'm way happy with the results! Just wanted to say thanks for all the helpful advice everybody passed along. It definitely made the whole job go much more smoothly!
    Last edited by Fourth Horseman; 02-17-2004 at 09:24 PM.
    2003 Mercury Marauder
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  2. #2
    Congrats!
    You'll love the sway bar the first time you take a 90 degree turn at 45 mph!!

    As far as the gauge panel goes..... I've had mine off twice, and never had any problem whatsoever putting it back on. Maybe your panel is slightly tweaked?

    Tom

  3. #3
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    I wassn't following the thread so..

    Quote Originally Posted by Fourth Horseman
    Just wanted to pass along a note of thanks to everybody who provided such good advice re: the upgraded rear sway bar and also the gauge replacement (for real, working Autometer ones).

    The gauge replacement was much more difficult. I pulled my car into my father's garage (which has a heater) and let the car warm up before I tried removing the gauge panel again. This time it came out without too much fuss. Wiring in the new guages using the original wiring harnesses was a snap, as was replacing the sender unit. All of this along with the sway bar replacement took maybe 3 hours (with oil change). The trouble came when it was time to put the gauge panel back in.

    I wasn't following the thread so can you tell me the brand and where you got the gauge replacement?

    I have the swaybar installed. Unfortunately, I have on my winter tires, so I not getting the full enjoyment, yet. Can't wait until spring.
    George G
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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by TripleG
    I wasn't following the thread so can you tell me the brand and where you got the gauge replacement?

    I have the swaybar installed. Unfortunately, I have on my winter tires, so I not getting the full enjoyment, yet. Can't wait until spring.

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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fourth Horseman
    Just wanted to pass along a note of thanks to everybody who provided such good advice re: the upgraded rear sway bar and also the gauge replacement (for real, working Autometer ones).
    Congratulations Fourth. The sway bar is one of the upgrades that I wish to do, enjoy, Let us know how it feels when you put it to the test.
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  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Petrograde
    Congrats!
    You'll love the sway bar the first time you take a 90 degree turn at 45 mph!!

    As far as the gauge panel goes..... I've had mine off twice, and never had any problem whatsoever putting it back on. Maybe your panel is slightly tweaked?
    Even though every thing looks normal after my accident repairs, they had the dash out to do their work and I don't think everything went back exactly like it was when it was new. The gauge panel was a cast iron b*tch to replace. But it's back now and I won't have to worry about it again unless a gauge light needs replacing or something. Hopefully won't have to worry about that for a while.

    Hopefully I'll get a chance to test the sway bar out this weekend. Whoohoo!
    2003 Mercury Marauder
    2007 Lincoln Town Car
    1993 Crown Victoria LX

  7. #7
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    Way to go, Fourth!

    Just out of curiosity, what are you getting for oil pressure readings?

    1. Cold start-up...
    2. Warm cruisin' (40-45 mph)...
    3. Warm idle in gear...
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  8. #8
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    So the sway bar just improves the handling characteristics of the vehicle? Makes me wonder, is there any one part that makes the Marquis steering so vague and mushy? I'd love to fix this...
    2007 Honda Accord V6. Fit for a father of two. 5% tint all around.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by woaface
    is there any one part that makes the Marquis steering so vague and mushy?
    James: Vague and mushy steering can be any number of causes...

    1. Under-inflated front tires and/or over-inflated rear tires
    1a. Low-performance tires with soft sidewalls...
    2. Worn tie-rod ends
    3. Worn front sway-bar bushings
    4. Worn/broken front sway-bar end-links
    5. Out of alignment (most common)

    ...just to name a few...
    The Blackbird
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by RF Overlord
    James: Vague and mushy steering can be any number of causes...

    1. Under-inflated front tires and/or over-inflated rear tires
    1a. Low-performance tires with soft sidewalls...
    2. Worn tie-rod ends
    3. Worn front sway-bar bushings
    4. Worn/broken front sway-bar end-links
    5. Out of alignment (most common)

    ...just to name a few...
    That car has been mushy since we bought it, I think it's made to be like it is. (The average buyer at purchase time was 60 some years) I've got higher performance tires, and I keep 'em inflated correctly. I also had all that stuff looked over just last week and I was told it was fine. I was thinking maybe it's the steering system, the suspension...something like that? I just wanna know what kind of parts are around, and what it would take to get it tighter. For example, I can be doing 80 or 90 down the interstate and shake the wheel left and right maybe one minute or more either way were it a clock...nothing happens.
    Last edited by woaface; 02-18-2004 at 05:13 PM. Reason: added last sentence.
    2007 Honda Accord V6. Fit for a father of two. 5% tint all around.

  11. #11
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    The suspension on a stock GM is spongy. It is some what firmer with the handling package and the firmest in the Marauder.
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  12. #12
    TripleTransAm Guest
    To address the sponginess, you have to start by addressing the alignment specs. With good caster and just the right amount of camber, you can start to get better road feel back through the steering (at the expense of a little more steering effort, but what the hey...).

    Then there are the springs... G.Marquis spring rates are most likely selected from the "pamper" range rather than the "roadholding" specs. Add the right amount of sway bar control to keep things tight.

    And then there's the tough part. The steering box probably has this over-assisted characteristic dialed in from the factory, not to mention probably having a ratio that's good for the silver-haired set and not so good for quick handling. You have the recirculating ball setup, I believe... although I'm not familiar with Ford's version, the General Motors recirculating ball units had an adjustment to take up slack. Playing with this would sometimes make the steering a little more sensitive to movement (ie. quicker to react) but there's pretty much nothing you can do about changing the ratio. Perhaps a CV PI box has a different ratio and you could swap that unit in?

  13. #13
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    James,

    I drove a 2000 GM GS with the sports suspension for about 2 years and I think that's just the way its made. I loved it for the highway trips... smooth as glass.

    The Marauder is definately much more "engaged" with the road. At first I thought it was a bit rough with all the heaving expansion joints and delaminated blacktop we call highways around here as compared to the GM, but I got used to it. Pothole avoidance is now half the fun!

    Maybe look into poly bushings?

    -JD
    Currently Marauderless but looking

  14. #14
    TripleTransAm Guest
    Good point... I forgot about the bushings, soft ones will definitely soak up a lot of road feel!

  15. #15
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    Thanks all, I'll definitely be looking around.

    As for highway stuff...I'm scared *****less on many sections of I-85 and all of I-385 because they're all cut up and even at the speed limit, I don't know what's going to happen next. I'll look into a few of those things.

    Would it be easy to get springs from say a wrecked Marauder and have them installed? I have to look around at a thing or three.
    2007 Honda Accord V6. Fit for a father of two. 5% tint all around.

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