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Ford Crown Victoria/Mercury Grand Marquis: Transmission/Suspension

87 messages,  Last post on May 18, 2009 at 10:29 PM

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What is this discussion about? Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, Suspension, Transmission, Sedan

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#23 of 87 Re: Stiff ride in a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis [galeinaz] by jsylvester Jun 08, 2006 (7:20 pm)
Replying to: galeinaz (Jun 08, 2006 9:03 am) You are not the first one to complain about the ride on the 03 Grand Marquis. There is some speculation that Ford tuned the ride and handling up too much on the 03, but had softened it up a bit later.   My only suggestion is to possibly swap out the rear air bags with those that go on the Town Car - any year should work. Or, I would see if the dealer has a different part number for a new model Grand Marquis - maybe they have softened the settings in later model years.
#24 of 87 Re: Stiff ride in a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis [galeinaz] by brucelinc Jun 09, 2006 (4:56 am)
Replying to: galeinaz (Jun 08, 2006 9:03 am) If you have the single exhaust you do not have the handling package. Jsylvester is right. The 2003 models had a revised suspension setup designed to provide better road feel and better handling. Many complained about the stiffer ride. I recall renting a 2003 Town Car and being shocked at how stiff it was - not as smooth as my Lincoln LS.   I think the problem was addressed in later years. I am not sure if they used softer suspension bushings, different shocks, or what. I have rented newer GMs and TCs and found the ride much better than the 03's. You might want to explore this with a high volume dealer. I guarantee you they had some buyer reluctance to the ride of the 03's and they might have suggestions regarding shocks or other fairly simple modifications. Replies to this message: g45 (Jun 09, 2006 6:41 am) turbo301 (Jun 13, 2006 7:36 pm) brucelinc (Jun 15, 2006 12:37 pm) and 1 more... fordenvy (Mar 20, 2007 8:18 pm)
#25 of 87 Re: Stiff ride in a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis [brucelinc] by g45 Jun 09, 2006 (6:41 am)
Replying to: brucelinc (Jun 09, 2006 4:56 am) I can't address the 2003 cars because I never have driven one. But I do own a 2005 MGM LS with south of 13,000 miles on the clock. It has the Michelin tires.   The car rides like a truck but it corners like a sports car. In addition to my MGM I own three British classic sports cars, all now antiques, as well as a Ford F350 mason dump with the dual rear wheels. So I speak with some experience on this.   I can live with the stiff 2005 MGM ride because of my sports car background. But I am very sympathetic to those who bought an MGM expecting a softer, big car, ride. What a surprise for them!   Really when I bought my car earlier this year I was attracted by the O/D, the rack-and-pinion steering, the Michelins, the V-8, and the leather. I settled for the watts-linkage rear; what I really wanted was IRS. But the MGM did seem like sort of a sports car, cloaked as a big fat hunk of "Detroit Iron".   Little did I realize the (relatively) hard seats and tight suspension would give my MGM more of a sports car feel than I ever anticipated.   Folks who like the MGM but want the traditional softer ride need to locate and purchase a low mileage example of a 2002 model year MGM. I'm pretty sure the 2002 cars are free of the dreaded intake manifold problem found in 2001 cars all the way back through 1996. If I have the years wrong somebody here will correct me. But I never would buy a car having a coolant crossover made of plastic (this was part of the intake manifold); not unless the seller gave me a $750 discount so I could have that problem fixed. Replies to this message: turbo301 (Jun 13, 2006 7:36 pm) brucelinc (Jun 15, 2006 12:37 pm) turbo301 (Jun 15, 2006 7:27 pm)
#26 of 87 Re: Stiff ride in a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis [g45] by turbo301 Jun 13, 2006 (7:36 pm)
Replying to: g45 (Jun 09, 2006 6:41 am) Wow, I never thought that I'd read the statement, "Rides like a truck but corners like a sports car" in relation to the Panther platform! There is no doubt that the 2003+ CV/GM are a bit tighter than the previous cars, but they are hardly hard-riding cars, and they still exhibit considerable lean in corners and axle hop when pushed hard. Take a spin in my classic Trans Am if you need a refresher on what a hard ride really is . Don't confuse wallowy isolation for a good-quality ride; a '73 New Yorker could give you the former, but would almost be dangerous in hard maneuvering or an emergency stop, not to mention putting your rear to sleep. The modern Panther strikes an excellent balance, IMO.   BTW my 91 year old grandmother thought the ride of my '04 CV was exemplary - I don't even want to guess how old you guys must be LOL! Replies to this message: brucelinc (Jun 15, 2006 12:37 pm) turbo301 (Jun 15, 2006 7:27 pm)
#27 of 87 Re: Stiff ride in a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis [turbo301] by brucelinc Jun 15, 2006 (12:37 pm)
Replying to: turbo301 (Jun 13, 2006 7:36 pm) Wow, I never thought that I'd read the statement, "Rides like a truck but corners like a sports car" in relation to the Panther platform!   Yes, that one took me by surprise, too. Not sure if he was serious or kidding. By the way, your Grandmother is just a kid. When she gets a little older, she might find your CV a bit rough for her tastes.   Seriously, I know the '03s were firmed up but I think I read somewhere that later models had some retuning done on shocks, swaybars, and bushings to soften things up a bit. That change (unless I dreamed it) may have been on the '04 and newer ones. I recall chatting with my Lincoln dealer after driving the '03 TC and he told me that they were getting a lot of complaints about the '03 TC and GM ride. Replies to this message: turbo301 (Jun 15, 2006 7:27 pm)
#28 of 87 Re: Stiff ride in a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis [brucelinc] by turbo301 Jun 15, 2006 (7:27 pm)
Replying to: brucelinc (Jun 15, 2006 12:37 pm) That may be, I have never driven a 2003 Panther. My 2004 has a noticeably stiffer ride and more handling prowess than my friend's 2002; although probably not as noticeable on the handling package cars, the presence of the Watts linkage on the rear end really helps to keep the axle in line. That's a big part of the problem on the older ones without a sway bar: no lateral support for the differential. A sway bar on the rear still wouldn't go amiss, though, but us Canadians can't even buy Crown Vics new up here, and the ones sold to fleets are never Sports .   More bad news for Canadian consumers: starting in 2007, even Grand Marquis are fleet-only!
#29 of 87 1985 Crown Vic Question by joe110 Jul 30, 2006 (11:52 am)
I just bought an 1985 CV with 105000 miles on it. Its family owned and I know for a fact the tranny fluid has never been changed. I have heard horror stories of guys changing the fluid and filter on a perfectly working tranny only for the car to not even leave the driveway. Burned up. Is there a trick to changing the fluid without problems? I appreciate the input! Replies to this message: euphonium (Jul 30, 2006 3:36 pm)
#30 of 87 Re: 1985 Crown Vic Question [joe110] by euphonium Jul 30, 2006 (3:36 pm)
Replying to: joe110 (Jul 30, 2006 11:52 am) Change not only the tranny and converter fluid, but every other fluid of all kind in that car. For instance, how black is the brake fluid? Has the fluid in the rear axle turned to foam yet? Change all hoses under the hood, wires, and plugs. Locate the Owners Manual and see what needs to be done at 100,000 miles. I've only scratched the surface. The 302 V8 and AOD in the 1985 CV was a horse, but care is needed for it to last. Good Luck.
#31 of 87 What to do about stiff 1999 Marquis ride? by mlowner Oct 08, 2006 (5:21 pm)
What can I do about the stiff ride on a 1999 Marquis? Can I change the shocks to a different type? I am not happy.   I just bought a 1999 Marquis. I test drove around a little and it was fine, but after I bought it, driving has revealed a stiff ride. I have had several Lincoln/Mercurys and the the ride was outstanding. The bumps are like jolts in this car. I have read the suspension was changed in 1998, but I am wondering if there are different softer shocks I can buy. Help. Replies to this message: galeinaz (Oct 08, 2006 8:32 pm) euphonium (Oct 08, 2006 9:28 pm) mlowner (Oct 09, 2006 12:12 am) mlowner (Oct 11, 2006 2:49 pm) euphonium (Oct 11, 2006 3:32 pm) turbo301 (Oct 16, 2006 2:40 pm)
#32 of 87 Re: What to do about stiff 1999 Marquis ride? [mlowner] by galeinaz Oct 08, 2006 (8:32 pm)
Replying to: mlowner (Oct 08, 2006 5:21 pm) I am surprised to hear of the stiff ride in the 1999 Grand Marquis. I recently purchased a low-miles 2003 GM and discovered after purchase the same stiff ride--almost uncomfortable--for a supposedly luxury car. Doing research I found that Ford stiffened the suspension with the 2003 model. Taking it in to a Mercury dealer for service, I asked the service manager if there was anything I could do to ease this. Shocks, etc. He just shook his head and said no. He said his father had the same problem with his 2003. Some advice I received in this forum was to run the tires at 30 psi instead of the 35 recommended on the Michelins. Also to replace the tires with Goodyear Comfort Treads. I was seriously considering getting rid of this 2003, getting a year older model, because I really like the digital dashboard and steering wheel controls the GM LS model has. And now you say you have the same problem with the 1999 model? Can anyone here enlighten both of us on this? Replies to this message: euphonium (Oct 08, 2006 9:28 pm) mlowner (Oct 09, 2006 12:12 am) mlowner (Oct 11, 2006 2:49 pm) euphonium (Oct 11, 2006 3:32 pm) turbo301 (Oct 16, 2006 2:40 pm)

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