Adjustable rear shocks on a 1993

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Lunar

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Around a year ago I bought and installed original Motorcraft shocks that should be automatically adjusted somehow. I just put it in the car but nothing was attached to them. Can anybody explain me what should I do with them, are there some kind of solenoids should be put on to control them?..

I did it not by myself, it was done in a shop, they said they didn't found any controllers or wires in the trunk.
 
From what I understand, some early GEN1's had automatic adjustable rear shocks and some didn't. If you don't have the solenoids in your trunk, then either your car didn't have them or they have been removed by a previous owner.

The whole purpose of the adjustable shocks in the Mark VIII was to reduce dive on braking and squat on acceleration. The shocks would automatically switch to a "firm" setting upon hard braking or hard acceleration to reduce dive and/or squat. Under normal driving conditions the shocks would remain in the "normal" setting. This was only on the rear shocks. Mark VIII's never got the electronically adjusting front shocks like T-Bird Super Coupes or Cougar XR-7's, unfortunately.
 
Most of people here swap to TBird shocks or aftermarket Bilsteins / Monroes / etc.

Then... should I recover the system or it is not worth it? This Motorcraft shocks (made in Japan btw) were pretty expensive in comparsion with aftermarket.
 
Yours may not even have that system installed. If you don't have the solenoids in your trunk and there are not any connectors for them, then your car probably didn't come with them. But if you paid a pretty penny for the shocks and they are basically new, just leave them in. They'll work just fine. Why change them out if they're new and you've already paid for them? If they are the electronic adjustable shocks, and if they look anything like the ones that were on my old '88 T-Bird Turbo Coupe, you can take a pair of needle nose pliars and twist the little adjuster on top of the shock and switch it from soft to firm and leave it like that. It should ride fine and also keep the dive/squat to a minimum. Or you can set it ot soft. Whatever floats yer boat:) It won't say which way to turn it for soft or firm. You'll have to twist it one way and push on the rear end to see which setting is soft or firm.
 
Its an anti-dive shock...and they worked..in theory ...which is why if you think about it, they stopped using them

Just leave the shock in there if its good. Solenoids can be removed since they don't really do anything
 
Sapperfire said:
Its an anti-dive shock...and they worked..in theory ...which is why if you think about it, they stopped using them

Just leave the shock in there if its good. Solenoids can be removed since they don't really do anything
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I think he said that he bought new OEM adjustable shocks and that his car didn't have the solenoids. That's why he'd have to manually adjust the shocks to soft or firm. The solenoids are there to adjust the valving of the shocks. However, if the OEM shocks have been replaced with non-adjustable aftermarket versions, the solenoids are useless. But since his car didn't have the solenoids, he can still use the OEM adjustable shocks. They just won't adjust automatically.

If he could find a set of the solenoids it would be possible to wire them into a rocker or toggle switch on the dash or console to manually switch them from soft to firm at will:) That's what I did with my '87 Mustang when I put the '88 T-Bird TC ARC shocks/struts in it.
 
If you have this junction block in the rear brake line, along with the attached pressure sensor and wiring in your car, then it was originally equipped with the adjustable shocks.

HPIM4740.jpg
 
if you really want to , you can turn the little stem on the top a quarter turn to change the dampening, i have a set of these not attached to the car and i was just messing with them last weekend.

i compress the shock and it rebounds quickly, i then turned the stem and the rebound was about 3 times slower.plus the compression was a little firmer as well.
i am thinking of putting thee on my car and seeing if i can keep them locked in the firm setting.
 
Also, if the solenoids are there, which they should be unless someone before you removed them, when you turn the key on, you will hear 2 clicking sounds from the rear. It sounds like something is engaging in the rear brakes or something. Do you remember this sound I describe? The 93 and 94 I had both done it and had those shocks. The current 95 does not and I see no difference in the two and I'm glad I don't have to hear that sound every time I start the cars. Someone was always asking what the sound was and I had to say "it's the shocks":rolleyes:

Anyway, if you want manually adjustable, you might want to check into the Koni's before they're gone. Part# 8041-1202Sport $122.00 each. Google the part number for the best price if you want to swap shocks. I have some coming because the Monroe Sensatracs I have now seem a bit soft to me.
 
Thanks everyone for the answer!

I still didn't found a time to check if I have rear brake pressure sensors, but I was riding for a three years without it, i'm not sure it's worth to search and buy controlling solenoids, assembling everything and then after some years buy this $180 each shocks again...
 
I removed my solenoid's a couple weeks ago when I went with after market shocks. I still hear clicking sound when I close/lock doors....unless it's the car venting down?
 
Spree said:
I removed my solenoid's a couple weeks ago when I went with after market shocks. I still hear clicking sound when I close/lock doors....unless it's the car venting down?
Click to expand...

The solenoid noise will only happen when the key is turned on and or started. It can happen also if the brake pedal is pressed all the way down too.
 
NoLimit95 said:
Anyway, if you want manually adjustable, you might want to check into the Koni's before they're gone. Part# 8041-1202Sport $122.00 each. Google the part number for the best price if you want to swap shocks. I have some coming because the Monroe Sensatracs I have now seem a bit soft to me.
Click to expand...

+1 You won't be replacing a set of Konis any time soon. Those shocks last forever I hear. I have them in my car now.

NoLimit, let me know how that goes. I love my Konis. :cool:
 
KStromberg said:
+1 You won't be replacing a set of Konis any time soon. Those shocks last forever I hear. I have them in my car now.

NoLimit, let me know how that goes. I love my Konis. :cool:
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lol, I'm in the process of it all. I have appointments left and right and a 10 year old to deal with and things I need to ship out, well, 4 wheels and it's 105 during the day. The Koni's have to be better than the Sensatrac's I have now with the squeaking bushings but anything beats the clunking sound I dealt with for a few months. The squeak only happens when I'm backing in the driveway but I still have those Energy Suspension bushings I haven't had time to mess with yet. I have two packs so I can cut on two of them.
 
Thanks for posting that pic Chris. My 94 and the 93 both had those shocks in them when I got them. Always wondered exactly what that part looked like out in the open. I saved it for future reference. Seems this question comes up every so often.

I was glad to not hear the clicking sound in the 95 when I bought it and that's when I found out that during the 94 year of production, they stopped putting them in the Mark VIII. Some people will argue till they're blue in the face that this was a 93 only thing but they were also in 94's for the most part. Not sure what month they were taken off the production line and not installed anymore but 94's did have them. I for one am glad they stopped using them. I hated that damn sound.
 
I remember hearing the clicking sound on my '87 and '88 Turbo 'Birds too. But only at idle when I manually flipped the Firm/Auto selector. I couldn't hear them working while the car was moving. I could "feel" them, but I couldn't hear them. It was amazing. I used to love just flipping the switch back and forth while driving down the interstate just to feel the difference in ride quality. In Auto it would be nice and smooth. Switch to Firm and I could feel every...single...bump in the road:lol: But it handled like a go-kart in Firm mode:D Wish I could get a set of those for the Mark VIII with a switch on the dash. Chris2523, when are you gonna convert the Cougie to standard shocks and sell me your adjustables super cheap??????? :)
 
thaywood;2037210272Switch to Firm and I could feel every...single...bump in the road:lol: But it handled like a go-kart in Firm mode:D)[/QUOTE said:
+1 Thaywood, to this day i have not owned another car that had such extreme dampening as my 88 turbocoupe , that car was fun, wish i still had it.
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thaywood said:
As soon as I win the damn lottery:D

They cost too damn much:(

Besides, I'm too damn lazy to open the hood and trunk and...manually...adjust all...four...shocks with my hands when I could just flick a switch on the dash;)
Click to expand...

I knew you would say that! LOL A switch would be nice for the Konis. I'll give ya that. ;)
 
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