Jaguar S-Type coil springs and Bilsteins installed.

[BCA]

2004 Lincoln LSE 3.9L

I installed front and rear springs and O.E. B4 series Bilstein shocks for a 2000 – 02 Jaguar S-Type 4.0L and after about 2 weeks of driving I have some observations.

• Ride quality – Very similar

I would say that the ride quality is very similar to what it was when I first purchased the car in 2009 with 39k miles on it. It currently has 130k and the stock shocks were pretty worn out so to put it mildly, it rode like a Lincoln, or more like what my 88 year old dad would expect a Lincoln to ride like.

• Handling – Better

One thing that I always thought should be better controlled was the initial body roll when entering a turn. I’ve felt that it was a bit excessive and leaned bit too much before settling. I don’t have any specs, but I believe the Jag springs have a higher rate than the LS springs just based on the amount of effort it took with the spring compressor to get them installed on the Bilsteins. I had previously disassembled some take-off LS assemblies and the effort to compress those springs was noticeably less.
The car now has noticeably less body roll when initially entering a turn that it ever has before. I’m sure that a lot of this is due to the gas pressurized mono-tube Bilstein’s over the original twin-tube shocks, but I also think the perceived higher rate springs are helping too so maybe a combination of both.

• Ride height – Possibly lower

I say possibly because both of my original rear coils were broken so I don’t have a good reference of what the true ride height was stock other than pics I took of the car back in ‘09. Plus being a 13 year old car with 130k mile on it now, I wouldn’t be surprised if the fronts weren’t sagging a bit. I did install the rear springs and shocks first and drove on those for a little while before installing the fronts.
Before I installed the front Jag springs, I did do a fender lip measurement before and after and it was within 1/16” of an inch of being the same. With that said, the visible wheel well gap does seem to be less than it was when the car was only a few years old. One thing is for certain; it definitely does not sit any higher than it was with the stock springs so I’m happy with that.

I have put Koni’s and Bilstein’s on previous vehicles and so my desire to put Bilstein’s on the LS is what drove my decision to go this route. I debated for a long time on whether to go with the stock S-Type valved B4 series or the more performance oriented B6 series shocks and so far I am happy with the B4’s and have no desire to go with the B6’s. This car is my daily driver and smooth roads in my area are a rarity so I would rather have a bit of comfort over ultimate handling.

The only downside to this I have noticed is more NVH when going over potholes and large expansion joints. I’m pretty sure that this is again due high pressure mono-tubes responding more instantly to the road as compared to the twin-tube shocks.

I would say that this set-up is very similar to the ride quality that was there when I first bought the car in 2009, if anything maybe a little firmer. Like I said before, my biggest gripe about the stock suspension was the initial body roll on turn-in. That improvement alone has made the effort worth it for me.

 

[RigsLS]

Valuable and precise information, thank you! May have to go this route on my 04 LSE as well.

 

[DeviLSh]

Thanks BCA.

Would it be possible to post where you sourced the parts from, the parts #'s, and pricing?

Good write-up.

 

[BCA]

Shocks are Bilstein B4 OE Replacement series

These are factory replacements for 2002-2002 Jaguar S-Type without CATS (electronic suspension).

Front part # 24-024921
Rear part # 24-026628

Upper spring mounts are from Moog

Part number # K80904

I sourced the shocks and upper mounts through where I work but they can be ordered from several places online.

Springs are OE Jaguar.

Front part # XR835298
Rear part # XR81174

I sourced these from Engel Imports / Terry's Jaguar Parts www.terrysjag.com which happens to me local to me. I have a contact there and I told him my plan and he said I should talk to Zack Maki when ordering.

When ordering parts from Jaguar, they will usually ask for a VIN. This is to ensure that you are getting the right parts for your car. I originally used an S-Type VIN from a local wrecking yard that had black painted Bilsteins on it which non-CATS cars would have had. S-Types with CATS suspension have green painted Bilsteins.

I gave this VIN to Zack however he said it came back as a CATS equipped car. Thankfully Zack understood what I was trying to do and he found the correct non-CATS springs. In my research though the S-Type forums, I did find that some owners choose to replace the more expensive CATS shocks with non-CATS shocks and apparently that had happened to the car I found that I pulled the VIN from.

As for the lower spring isolators, I used a combination of Jaguar and Lincoln. Back last summer when I started collecting parts for this swap, I found a used set of rear springs from a California car on eBay at a price that was too good to pass up. My initial plan was to use just the springs. When they arrived, they were in such nice condition that I decided to use the upper mounts and lower isolators too. So I currently have OE Jaguar spring mounts and isolators on the rear of the car.

For the front, I used the Moog upper mounts K80904 and I re-used the rear LS lower spring isolators from my original shocks as they are the same size as the front and rear on S-Types.

I went this route because the original style factory lower spring isolators are not available separately from Ford or Jaguar.

One more note for those that are considering this swap. If your LS rear springs are in good condition, you can re-use them as they are the same diameter as the rear Jaguar springs and there is no need to purchase them.

The front LS springs are the issue as they taper down at the bottom and are too small to fit the lower spring mount on the Jaguar Bilstein shock.

 

[DeviLSh]

Thank you - I used Terry's jag as well for brake/diff project parts. They know their stuff for sure.

My front shocks are starting to feel tired, and ESP care put monroes on my rear. I am starting to look into options now.

Thanks again for the write-up

 

[jvillefinest]

This is great info...I have had bilstein shocks/struts on several vehicles over the years and they have always be fantastic!

What was the total cost for this project? I am in a similar spot with my struts being on their last leg and needing replacement and currently I am weighing my options on the different possible route.

 

[nghtshd88]

Are there any other springs that will work with them? Only came across used 3.0 springs and not sure if they are the same. Dont want to spend 250 on new ones and dont want to be lowered either.

 

[BCA]

This is great info...I have had bilstein shocks/struts on several vehicles over the years and they have always be fantastic!

What was the total cost for this project? I am in a similar spot with my struts being on their last leg and needing replacement and currently I am weighing my options on the different possible route.

Agreed. This is the 3rd vehicle that I have put Bilsteins on and I've very happy with results on each one.

To do this conversion with new parts, at the minimum you are looking at about $625.00. Shocks are about $400 a set, front springs are $220 a pair and lower spring isolators $6.00 a pair from Jaguar. This scenario are able to re-use your rear springs, rear upper mounts and lower isolators, and also re-using your front upper mounts.

The problem I think that most people will face is that some of the original components will be at or near the end of their usable life. I recently had to replace the lower left rear control arm and once I got into installing the Jaguar components I found that my rear toe-links were in need of replacing as well. My car is a daily driver that is 13-1/2 years old with 130k miles on it so having worn out suspension parts shouldn’t be a surprise.

Member 04_Sport_LS has a nicely detailed thread here:
04_Sport_LS's Suspension thread
In it he has a breakdown of all the part numbers and prices he paid for the individual parts as he does his suspension rebuild utilizing the S-Type springs and shocks.

 

[BCA]

Are there any other springs that will work with them? Only came across used 3.0 springs and not sure if they are the same. Dont want to spend 250 on new ones and dont want to be lowered either.

If you are shopping for used rear springs, I believe that you will be safe with 3.0L rear springs. I don’t know this for sure, but I would be surprised is the rear springs were different between the 3.0L and the 4.0L on early first gen S-types.
I still wouldn’t take a chance with putting 3.0L front S-type springs on a 3.9L LS though. The other thing you should be careful with in shopping for used S-Type springs is making sure the donor car did not have the electronic CATS suspension (green painted Bilsteins) option. If it had black painted Bilsteins, you are good. The issue I have found when shopping for used springs on places like eBay is that many times the seller can’t verify exactly which car the springs are from option or engine wise.

I was fortunate to find rear used springs from a low mileage car from a forgiving climate (California) at a price that I felt was too good to pass up and not to take a chance with them. I had originally purchased them for experimentation reasons, but they were in such nice condition I decided to use them. But in reality, it only saved me about $100 or so vs. buying new springs.

 

[jvillefinest]

To do this conversion with new parts, at the minimum you are looking at about $625.00. Shocks are about $400 a set, front springs are $220 a pair and lower spring isolators $6.00 a pair from Jaguar. This scenario are able to re-use your rear springs, rear upper mounts and lower isolators, and also re-using your front upper mounts.

Thanks for the reply.

I REALLY want to do this as the strut options on the market are very slim for the LS. Most of which I wouldn't chose if there were other options.

Id also like to throw it out there for anyone like me that is a junkyard parts lover :HEHE: you can go to car-part.com and pick up springs from used jags for your project.

I'm thinking I am going to start collecting parts in the coming months to allow for the Bilsteins.

Thanks for spending my $ for me

 

[J patterson]

Great info, new to LS world but not to building cars, I replaced all control arms with moog sure I'm not the only one who finds the cost very steep, and factory or moog seemed to be only quality options. Anyone ever heard of anyone building custom arms? In the racing world nothing new, also have options for high quality ball joints and highly adjustable. Looking into now, will have to be a side job since race season is here.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

BCA,

Somehow I missed this thread til now. Very good and accurate info you give !!! I have experienced the EXACT same results with the rear rebuild on my LS. Per your last question in my thread... yes,,, the backend did eventually settle slightly.

I have all front end parts here ready to install... but only one of the front coil springs came with a bottom isolator. Do you have a part # for the front bottom S-Type isolator??? And I'm not speaking of the [flat] MJA2162AA,,, but instead the tapered one. This is the only thing holding me up right now... from doing the front rebuild.

and lower spring isolators $6.00 a pair from Jaguar.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

See here please.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

Nevermind... went back and re-read [better],,, your post.

and I re-used the rear LS lower spring isolators from my original shocks as they are the same size as the front and rear on S-Types.

Time for a trip to the local boneyard... or call and e-mail [with pics] the place I purchased parts from,,, and give them a hard time.

 

[SeaPro]

I found that my rear toe-links were in need of replacing as well.

Awesome post, thanks for the awesome detail. Out of curiosity, which toe links did you end up going with?

 

[BCA]

Awesome post, thanks for the awesome detail. Out of curiosity, which toe links did you end up going with?

I still need to replace them actually. I'm planning on going with O.E Motorcrafts.

 

[SeaPro]

Same. I wish we had a cheaper option. $500 CAD for me.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

BCA,

What-color-coding-is-on-your-front-springs???--Blue-stripes-with-what-other-color???

my biggest gripe about the stock suspension was the initial body roll on turn-in. That improvement alone has made the effort worth it for me.

+100!!!

 

[BCA]

BCA,

What-color-coding-is-on-your-front-springs???--Blue-stripes-with-what-other-color???

I don't recall, I'll crawl under it tonight and see.

Here is a pic I took of them, but no stripe is visible so it may be on the bottom side of them in this pic.

 

[AmsterDutch]

Thanks for the info it was very helpful I myself am still going With the Strutmasters ready-mount shocks I came across which is based out of North Carolina they cost around $638 with tax and shipping because I can't find any other product out there that are ready-mount for the Lincoln LS and I'm doing the job myself and don't trust those rental coil compression tools I want to keep my head for awhile lol Thanks again for the update and enjoy the new shocks!

 

[BCA]

The only visible paint mark that I can see is a light blue one that is the same color as the one on your springs. There could also be another color somewhere on them as well, but I would have to remove them from the car to find it (if there is one).

The blue paint mark on mine is very small, this horizontal line of paint and it's only on two coils. Nothing at all like what your pic is showing. The only similarities is the color.

If you look closely, it's just visible in that last pic I posted.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

BCA,

Yeah,,,mine-had-2-blue-stripes-down-the-coils...with-a-white-dash-of-paint-in-the-middle-of-one,,,and-the-other-had-an-orange-dash-in-the-middle.

There-is-a-reason-for-my-asking,,,partly-due-to-your-NVH-descriptions.

"White"-spring-was-a-bit-thicker-than-the-"orange"-spring.--I-took-measurements-with-dial-calipers-but-didn't-record-them.--IIRC,,,th-difference-in-wire-diameter-between-the-"white"-and-"orange"-spring...was-roughly-.035-.040.

I-installed-anyway...putting-the-thicker-"white"-spring-on-the-drivers-side,,,thinking-my-185lbs-would-offset-the-difference.

Nah!!!

What-I-can-say-I-have-noticed,,,is-that-the-drivers-side-of-my-LS..."rides-on-rails"-through-right-turns,-(virtually-no-body-lean-during-turn-in).--Right-side-suspension-seems-a-bit-weaker...with-some-body-lean-at-turn-in.

What-else-I-have-noticed...is-a-bit-of-"float/flutter"-on-the-right-front-corner,,,over-certain-road-conditions...as-if-the-spring-doesn't-have-control-of-that-corner-of-the-suspension.--Most-noticable-over-manhole-covers-on-city-streets,,,and-on-rural-state-routes-that-big-trucks-tend-to-drive.

Also...the-"orange"-right-front-seems-to-have-already-settled...while-the-"white"-left-front,,,hasn't-yet.--Difference-is-about-1/2-inch.--So...the-"white"-springs-seem-to-work-best-on-the-V8-LS,,,with-rear-"orange"springs.

Clarification!!!!------

The-rear-"orange"-springs-I-have-on-my-LS...are-thicker-than-either-of-the-front-springs-I-installed....either-"white-or-orange"-front-springs.--I'll-take-measurements-on-the-rear-and-both-fronts...in-the-next-couple-days-or-so,,,and-report-back.

On-another-note...the-"non-passive"-rear-"toe-links",,,seem-to-be-the="cats-ass"!!!--Makes-for-a-very-solid-and-predictable-rear-end-on-the-LS.--I-know-you-said-you-were-going-to-get-the-Ford/Motorcraft-
"passive"-rear-to-links...but-you-might-want-to-think-about-"non-passive"-links-instead.--Just-giving-my-input.--Take-it-for-what-it's-worth.

As-far-as-the-"non-passive"-toe-links"...the-Lemforders-I-installed-during-the-rear-suspension-rebuild,,,are-holding-up-well...and-are-factory-Jag-replacements,,,and-are-cheaper-than-the-"passive"-Motorcrafts.

Sooo....IMHO,,,the-Jag-"white"-front-springs,,,with-Jag-"orange"-rear-springs...along-with-the-Lemforder-"non-passive"-rear-toe-links...is-the-suspension-the-LS-...SHOULD-have-had.--Yeah...it's-definitely-firmer-than-even-the-"sport"-LS-suspension,,,and-can-be-a-bit-harsh-at-times...but-it-handles-extremely-well,,,(and-is-well-"balanced"-front-to-rear)-using-the-Bilstein-B4-shocks.--No-need-for-B6's-at-this-point.

 

[DGBohr]

Just to clarify...Lincoln LS' can only use the springs from a 2002 Jaguar S-Type, right?

I have a 2006 LS Sport that has a creaky front end. New struts and strut mounts are en route. Since the car is 13 years old and has 160k miles on it, changing springs won't hurt anything. Getting new front springs for an LS is nearly impossible--unless you go with the Eibach lowering kit (not gonna happen).

Before I go any further I need to verify the springs cited above will work and play well with my Lincoln. Are those the only ones that work? Will springs for a 2006 Jaguar work or should I stick with the 2002's?

 

[04_Sport_LS]

It is safest to order parts for a 2002 S Type... Because earlier years may have some differences... And the 2003 and up S Types definitely made design changes in the front suspension. If you order the front Jag springs... You will also need to order front Jag shocks, because the bottom plate that supports the spring on the shock is a different size. Rear shocks and springs on the S Type are the same setup as the LS... So they are a non issue and are interchangeable...but I would still order them for a 2002. Reason is because in 2003 Jag offered an option for an electronic suspension that will not work on the LS. It just saves confusion when ordering parts.

 

[nghtshd88]

I got the 02 s type springs with shocks and the spring looked as little too big for the bottom plate.