95 Continental Air ride, worth fixing?

[hutch1973]

Here's the scoop.

Thinking of buying a '95 that looks pretty decent, but it needs front struts. I was told I should just rip out the air ride and do a spring conversion, but I don't know if I was told that only because it was the most cost effective item.

I've seen the front struts online for around $650, how hard are they to change? I'd like to know from you, owners, if the air ride is worth saving, or should I go into the purchase planning on scrapping what is there and starting over?

 

[pokeeto2]

Well, the 97 and up runs great with the regular coild spring in the Front, but I have no idea about the back.

My dad did a spring conversion on a Mark 8 that had a totally screwed airride system, where the Compter that controled it was out, the compressor was out and all for Air Springs were broken.

Well the car ran OK with coil springs but it wasn't as stable and was hard as a rock on bumps. But this a diferent car.

I would imagine that it would run OK since the Conti sits higher.
What sucks is that the rear air springs hardly ever fail. It would of been nice to install the spring in the strut, then leave all the sensors in place and block the air tubes. Then with the car all ready leveled in front, the car will only supply air to the rear air springs. It would be like a 97 +.

 

[purelux]

Well you could try www.arnottindustries.com or www.strutmasters.com I know arnott and think strutmasters offers lifetime on the struts, and solenoids if you get them I believe. Getting 2 new struts and maybe a compressor wouild be about the same espically considering r&r of the front & rear vs just front suspension replacement.

Complete Front Air Strut Assemblies. (Sold in pairs)


Price: $595.00


Complete Front Air Strut Assemblies. (Sold in pairs)
These new air struts boast world-class technology and design, and features new heavy-duty air spring bladders, manufactured by Contitech Air Spring. We have designed the hydraulics to give your Lincoln Continental a smooth, comfortable ride with more body control. These new air struts come completely assembled* and ready to bolt in. We have designed them to plug direct to your vehicles electronic dampening system without any alterations. *does not include top bearing assembly


more info about the Complete Front Air Strut Assemblies. (Sold in pairs)

Quantity:

This product has available options.
Selecting an option may alter the product price.
Options: $25.50 for 2 new solenoids

Warranty Information: LIFETIME WARRANTY. (We at Arnott, Inc. are so certain that you will be 100% satisfied with this new product that we offer you a 90-day money back guarantee.)

They also sell just the air spring assembly for $195 each (not pair)

 

[remote1234]

Front suspension fix

Air Struts
I had one side go out in my 96 cont. I replaced both fronts with active coil overs from stutmaster. These struts by pass the load leveling in front, but let you adjust the ride frimness. Thats what strutmaster says. I took me 2 years lots of agrivation to get them to work. If the ride is not exactly the same with the coil overs as the air struts, the computer will throw codes and the car rides very stiff, Every tar line shakes the car and passengers! Lincoln dealers will not look at it, speed shops screw arround for weeks at a time, and give the car back basically telling me the car is F...ed up. Strut master says go look at the trouble codes and fix the problem.
Problem codes were left front time out up, right front time out down. This means the ride height sensors need to be recalibrated. This procedure requires a Star Testor ll. This is an expensive dealer code reader. I located one, and the recalibrate procedure requires the suspension to go into the test mode. This will cause the suspension to raise up and lower to test output of the sensors, pump, lines solinoids. Once this is performed, this star tester will allow the suspension height to be adjusted, saved, and thus calibrated.
With the coil over struts, the up down setup test will not cycle and the calibration is over, no adjusting or calibration will be set. In other words Strutmaster said they cannot help me any more. The car rides like a rock, and the computer keeps throwing a code.
I was able to fix the problem my self. Don't ask me why the engineers at strutmasters could'nt figure it out. I placed the car on a level surface, used a volt meter to monitor the voltage out put of the front ride height sensors, reaching in with a 11mm box wrench, I adjusted the sensors to the correct voltage. Turned the car off, reset the computer, start the car, problem solved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Now the car rides great, I can adjust the ride stiffness, no error codes and the rear leveling works. The bad part is, had I checked the voltage in the first place, I would not have had to replace the air strut with the coil over in the first place, a very expensive mistake.
Some times you just have to tell the EXPERTS, to go jump in the lake, and think for your self. If you have any questions and you think I can help, contact me by e mail.
Christo.
chris.stoffels@comcast.net