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Lincoln LS Steering and Suspension

2

Comments

  • isbv8isbv8 Member Posts: 5
    That doesn't sound like the ball joints. Mine don't rattle when decelerating, just clunk when going over bumps. I would have thought that if they rattled, it would be both under acceleration and deceleration.

    I'm actually in the middle of changing them out currently. I'd like to add to the 'how to' description above that the hub assembly has to be 'slid' out. This is likely to be corroded in and need pressing out also.

    The new ball joints are slightly loose in the arms on mine, so it looks as if I'll need to sleeve the bores. The bores and ball joints appear to have a very fine thread, but mine just slide in.
  • isbv8isbv8 Member Posts: 5
    Update: I thought the ball joints were loose. Actually, I had failed to press the balljoint all the way in - the bore is slightly chamfered. A thorough cleaning of the top recessed area is necessary to ensure proper seating. Also, the balljoints I bought were slightly different in the O.D. as one was much tighter than the other in both bores. I used loctite retainer to be safe.
  • glennls2000glennls2000 Member Posts: 2
    I know your original e-mail is over a year old, but I was wondering where you found bushings for the 200 LS. My mechanic states that I need to buy a complete sway bar from Ford because the bushings are part of the bar and are not replaceable. Something unique to this model?
    Glenn
  • glennls2000glennls2000 Member Posts: 2
    Hello christo1, I hope you are still out there. I would like to buy an aftermarket sway bar with improved bushings for my 200 Linoln LS 6 cyl manual tranny but I can not find a match. I mostly want a third party to stick it to Ford, but I would also like poly bushings instead fo the lousy rubber Ford uses. Can you point me to the supplier you used? Regards, Glenn
  • toomanyfumestoomanyfumes Member Posts: 1,019
    Try www.lincolnvscadillac.com. They have links to aftermarket LS suppliers, a technical section, and forums with folks with a lot of Lincoln and LS experience.
    2012 Mustang Premium, 2013 Lincoln MKX Elite, 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.
  • adam_lsadam_ls Member Posts: 1
    2001 LS V8. If you want to fix the rattle noise at the front end, that happens when you go over any kind of bumps on the road, then get the sway bar bushings from Energy Suspension. Go to http://www.energysuspensionparts.com/ and search part number 9.5171. I got the red once for $17.99 plus Shipping $18.40 (Canada), hence $36.39 in total. The labor that i paid a local tire store(The Tire Warehouse same as Kal-Tire) was $240.00 including tax, again Canadian. And the stupid [non-permissible content removed] noise is no longer present. The mechanic told me that the driver side took him under 30 minutes to do however the passenger side took him close to 2 hours, so in total a 2 and half hours of labor. I hope this helps who ever is suffering from the rattle noise in the front end. Now all i got to get fix is the long cranking, lol.
  • creoleboi05creoleboi05 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 Lincoln LS. My lower control arm for the rear driver side needs replacing. Where can I go to get the best deal on this part and possibly placement?
    i live in Atlanta.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Get prices locally at a couple of dealers and then check with Team Ford of Las Vegas.
  • jmn1964jmn1964 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for posting this info; you have solved the front end rattle problem of all LS owners. I have been trying to locate this noise for years and now its fixed. I replaced the lower ball joints and struts and the noise/rattle was still the same. These cars did have lower ball joint problems and mine ended up being bad so it did not hurt to replace them, but they are not the cause of the rattle noise. I ordered the same sway bar bushings you listed from energy suspension parts; part # 9.5171 and they do fit and the noise is gone! Its strange because the old sway bar bushings will not even look bad. It's a #@$!* to change these bushings but it is the solution to the problem EVERYONE is having. Thanks again, I owe you a Christmas card!
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,498
    You're not a fully-initiated member of the '00-'02 LS club until you've replaced a set of sway bar bushings (or put in the new one-piece replacement bar) and a minimum of two window regulators. Extra credit is awarded for COPs, cooling system "issues" and hot air blowing from one or the other vents when the A/C is on, but first you've got to do the busings and regulators.

    Welcome aboard.

    I've done two of the regulators myself (one front, one rear) and had three (one front, two rear) fixed under warranty. Car's still running okay at 128K miles, but the cooling fan runs too fast.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • jmn1964jmn1964 Member Posts: 2
    I've had my LS for 5 years, 126K. I've never had a problem with a window regulator, although I hear owners complaining about this all the time; I'm just lucky I guess. I have the other common LS problems: Front end rattle (now fixed), Air bag light on, Leaky valve cover gaskets (now fixed), and occasional engine miss.....which is my next project. These are the finest cars I've seen in some ways, but they all have the same problems.
  • barnzy416barnzy416 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 V8 ls I just started to notice a whistling noise comming from the motor when i hit about 50 mph at first i thought it was road noise but it definetly isnt..
  • signalman56signalman56 Member Posts: 1
    All 4 regulators done. I think I got the last one done in 45 min. Those bushings really get the tribbling basket ball out of the front end? I did both knuckles (lower ball joint). Now the upper is shot. I thought that was on the knuckle, guess not. Upper control arm time? Or is the the upper ball joint available solo?
    Keep those moonroof drain hole clean!
    And make sure you have enough steering fluid in the fan pump.
    I don't wanna even talk about the COPs
    Thanks,
    Ron
  • mommimommi Member Posts: 5
    I used to own a 2000 Lincoln LS V8. On january 23, 2007 i was going only about 30 mph (thank God!)and my driver side wheel just kinda broke off and wedged under my car as i struggled to maintain control and steer it to the side of the road. People passing were absolutely in awe and were pulling over to take pictures! It freaked me out...i wondered how something like that could even happen. After researching i found out there was a recall on that make and model (ones assembled at the Wixom Assembly Plant). Safety Recall # 00S39 Front Suspension Lower Ball Joints. I bought it from Import One, and therefore didn't own the vehicle at the time the recall was issued but a man at a Lincoln dealership told me something to the effect of the owner of the car at the time brought the car in to a Lincoln dealership in Lake Charles and was told the recall didn't apply to that car...i'm not sure if the vin wasn't included in the recall or if the defect wasn't occuring.
    I wasn't quite sure of exactly what the hell was going on. This all was just insane and hard for me to process. Why did this happen? How could this happen? Wheels aren't supposed to break off cars!!! It was really scary for me to think of what could have possibly happened if i would have been on the interstate going 70 mph...especially with my son in the car with me!
    I no longer have the car but have hired a lawyer and am seeking any information anyone may have regarding this matter. I am not happy and i want answers!
    Thanks for your time!
    Brandy
  • mommimommi Member Posts: 5
    2000-2001 Lincoln LS owners beware...please read my story! 100% TRUE!

    On january 23, 2007 i was the owner of what i thought was a very safe and reliable 2000 Lincoln LS V8. I was driving only about 30 mph (thank God!)and all of a sudden with no warning my driver side wheel broke off! It wedged under my car as i struggled to maintain control and steer it to the side of the road. People passing were absolutely in awe and were pulling over to take pictures! It freaked me out...i wondered how something like that could even happen. After researching i found out there was a recall on that make and model (ones assembled at the Wixom Assembly Plant). SAFETY RECALL # 00S39 FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS. I bought the car from Import One and didn't own the vehicle at the time the recall was issued but a man at a Lincoln dealership told me something to the effect of the owner of the car at the time brought the car in to a Lincoln dealership in Lake Charles and was told the recall didn't apply to that car...i'm not sure if the vin wasn't included in the recall or if the defect wasn't occuring.
    I wasn't quite sure of exactly what the hell was going on. This all was just insane and hard for me to process. Why did this happen? How could this happen? Wheels aren't supposed to break off cars!!! It was really scary for me to think of what could have possibly happened if i would have been on the interstate going 70+ mph...especially with my son (who was 1 yr old at the time) in the car with me!
    I no longer have the car but have hired a lawyer and am seeking any information anyone may have regarding this matter. I am not happy and i want answers! I also want to make others aware so this doesn't happen to anyone else with possibly much worse consequences!
    Brandy
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    This happened 2.5 years ago and you're just now following up on it? Yes, there was a recall for a potential loose nut or bolt IIRC. Was that the cause of your wheel failure? No way to know for sure. 7 years is a long time. Who are you going to sue? Not sure you'd be able to prove liability and even then you'd only get the amount of the repairs.
  • mommimommi Member Posts: 5
    thanks for your reply!
    No...i sought immediate legal advice. It has been filed but it has jus taken the lawyer this long to research everything and rule out the possibility of a class action suit. All the automotive experts that examined it told me that yes that surely did seem to be the cause. The actual print out of the recall from Ford Motor Company states this: Some of the affected vehicles may have an under-torque condition of the front suspension lower ball joint attaching nut. An under-torque condition may result in loosening of the attaching nut. In some cases this can result in a fracture of the ball stud, which may lead to a separation of the lower control arm from the steering knuckle.
    i assure you that even to see pictures of it would bother you and give you quite disturbing thoughts!
    My lawyer is deciding who is fully responsible...or whether it is two parties responsible... 1 being the Lincoln dealership who declined to fix the problem at the time of the recall, 2 being the other reputable dealership i bought the car from in the summer of 2006 (not a Lincoln dealership but possibly should examined the car better for problems before selling it!)
    We definitely are doing what we can to get to the bottom of exactly happened!
  • 252hpls8252hpls8 Member Posts: 7
    My aligment is bad and is eating my front tires like crazy!! they told me that they need to change my upper ball joint first and then do the aligment. Anybody knows where i could find the upper ball joint a lot chiper than buying it from the dealer?
    would it be smart buying it from a junk jard?
  • toomanyfumestoomanyfumes Member Posts: 1,019
    Buying from a junkyard is a bad idea. Check parts suppliers online, that might save you some money. I think the ball joint is part of the upper control arm on this car, that might be why it's expensive.
    2012 Mustang Premium, 2013 Lincoln MKX Elite, 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.
  • 252hpls8252hpls8 Member Posts: 7
    i was going to buy the upper control arm and the ball joint because they come together for $253 and i found the control arm, ball joint, and bushing everything for $88 dollars! :shades:
    check it out

    www.bobutterfordparts.com
  • 252hpls8252hpls8 Member Posts: 7
    Hello jmn1964, my Air bag light its on all the time how did you fix it?
  • 252hpls8252hpls8 Member Posts: 7
    My freaking ls just broke down AGAIN!!!! I had already changed the timing chain like about a year ago, I end up paying $650 to get it fixed. Now last week the car just died on me while driving and it didn't start after that till next day with this huge nasty noise and shaking from the motor then I knew it was done!! Mechanic tolm me it's the timing chain and that is better just to get a new motor than to fix it because it probably damage the motor but i don't have the money right now for it so i dont know wath to do!!!!!!
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    A timing chain that breaks after 1 year is either a defective timing chain or a defective repair. How is that Lincoln's fault?
  • derrickburnsderrickburns Member Posts: 1
    Like other 2000 LS V8 owners, I have been plagued with the thunking front end sound for years. I ordered the energy suspension part # 9.5171. They fit and the noise is gone! As others have reported, the old sway bar bushings don't even look bad. AllData quotes 1.2 hours to replace both bushings. It took my mechanic 1.5 hours. Total charge (pre-negotiated): $120 for labor.

    Incidentally, I also fixed the airbag wiring under the driver seat. It took 20 minutes and $24 in parts. I did not have to remove the driver seat at all.
  • japan1911japan1911 Member Posts: 2
    I recently had my brakes done and now there's a squell , but the promblm is the clanking noise that i'm hearing on that side when i hit anthing other than smooth pavement. Any help on what this sound is?
  • toomanyfumestoomanyfumes Member Posts: 1,019
    When I bought my LS from a Toyota dealer, they replaced the pads before I picked the car up. I had squeeling and a rattle in the front end. I took it to the Lincoln dealer because it was still under the factory warranty, and they said the other dealer used cheapo pads that didn't fit right and had improper anti-rattle clips.

    They replaced them with OEM parts (at the Toyota dealer's expense) and have been trouble free since.
    2012 Mustang Premium, 2013 Lincoln MKX Elite, 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.
  • 252hpls8252hpls8 Member Posts: 7
    that's what i was thinking too man, I should of known and took it to somebody that would have gave me warranty on it!!!! sucks :sick:
  • 252hpls8252hpls8 Member Posts: 7
    Does anybody knows where i could buy a good engie and cheap for my ls. Any websites or companies you know please thanks..
  • rup1crup1c Member Posts: 1
    Hi I;m actually going through that same thing where they are saying I need the whole control arm with the knuckle to fix my lower ball joint. What exactly did you buy for $88 from that website. I looked but I couldn't find exactly what i needed. I need a passenger side lower ball joint and a driver side upper ball joint.
  • lskccclskccc Member Posts: 1
    I've had my Lincoln LS for almost 2 years now and I love it. I know its time for some suspension work because its riding pretty rough now. I am trying to figure oout the cheapest route to go as far as my suspension. I was trying to figure out if an aftermarket full suspesnion kit with all new bushings or OEM would be cheaper.
  • bluedevil42bluedevil42 Member Posts: 1
    what did you have to do to fix the airbag wiring under the seat?
  • dsaperndsapern Member Posts: 6
    I know there was a recall on the front lower ball joints for improper torque, does anyone know the proper torque? Also I purchased lower ball joints separately from the knuckle, and one of my local machine shops can't press the old one out or the new one in. Any ideas. I'm going to another machine shop later to see if maybe they can. Has anyone had any luck pressing out the old ball joints and pressing in new ones?
  • expoliceexpolice Member Posts: 6
    Mommi,
    Just because the ball joint failed doesn't mean it was because the ball joint nut was loose! Ball joints fail everyday. A ball joint failure at 50-60,000 miles or more is not uncommon. If the telltale signs are ignored long enough, the failure can be catastrophic, as was your experience. If you were to provide the VIN, I could tell you when/where/mileage the recall was completed, provided your vehicle was included in the original recall.

    That's all I know for now...
  • expoliceexpolice Member Posts: 6
    Per the recall bulletin, the ball joint nut should be torqued to 150 Nm (111 lb-ft).

    That's all I know for now...
  • ruckus02140ruckus02140 Member Posts: 3
    Is a LS a good car to buy? I was thinking of buying a used 2000-01.Does it have air suspension or springs and struts? thanks
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Springs and shocks. The 03-06 models are better. Expect to replace the COPs and possibly do a tranny repair (usually just replacing the valve body). They're great cars to drive and a great value.
  • pops61pops61 Member Posts: 1
    J C Whitney has generic sway bar bushings they say will fit my 2001 LS. Has anyone changed any lately and do you have a " how to " to pass along. For $14 they sure are tempting and if they DO work what a savings.
  • chollybchollyb Member Posts: 5
    Hello all... Looks like sway bar bushings are a common LS problem. I've recently had knuckles/ball joints replaced by a pro, but would like to tackle the bushings myself, if possible. Have the Lincoln service CD, and there seems to be a lot more to this than meets the eye (control arm/strut disassembly, etc.). I have the Energy Suspension bushings mentioned elsewhere in this forum, but I did not see how much was actually required to mount them. Do the old bushings slip off the end(s) of the bar, and the new ones go on the same way? Or does the whole bar have to come out to make it happen? (I hope not) I will be replacing the links as well, if that makes a difference. Do the new brackets bolt right in where the old ones came out? How much of the engine compartment and front end do I REALLY have to dismantle to do this job?

    Thanks for any help you can give. Like I said, I do have the Ford-issued SM disk, and have done a lot of work on the car myself, so I will try to be helpful and contribute here when I can.

    Guess I should've mentioned that mine is an '01 LS8 Sport with 87K...
  • azlsazls Member Posts: 4
    Dealer says that the steering 'rack' is leaking; however, no evidence of low fluids or fluids on garage floor. Steering is good, no noise, etc. Should I believe them?
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    If it's not causing noticeable problems and you don't see fluid then I wouldn't worry about it right now at least. Could be a small leak leaving residue on the hoses.
  • azlsazls Member Posts: 4
    Since dealer estimate was $800 for the repair, I'll continue to monitor the situation. BTW, this is a '01 w/ about 76k miles. Thanks for your response.
  • socalrccprixsocalrccprix Member Posts: 6
    QUOTE:
    -----------------------2001 LS V8. If you want to fix the rattle noise at the front end, that happens when you go over any kind of bumps on the road, then get the sway bar bushings from Energy Suspension. Go to Energy Suspension and search part number 9.5171. I got the red once for $17.99 plus Shipping $18.40 (Canada), hence $36.39 in total. The labor that i paid a local tire store(The Tire Warehouse same as Kal-Tire) was $240.00 including tax, again Canadian. And the stupid [non-permissible content removed] noise is no longer present. The mechanic told me that the driver side took him under 30 minutes to do however the passenger side took him close to 2 hours, so in total a 2 and half hours of labor. I hope this helps who ever is suffering from the rattle noise in the front end. Now all i got to get fix is the long cranking, lol.

    ---------------------------------------------

    thanks for the tip it was exactly what I needed to reduce my wobble
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    That only fixes the noise, not a wobble. If you have a wobble then it's probably the ball joint.
  • lincolnls05lincolnls05 Member Posts: 2
    I believe this is what is wrong with my car. Bent spindle. spun it out the other night, car became stuck, had to be towed. I retrieved the car from the wrecker co. and discovered the steering was out of wack pulling hard to the right, steering wheel is vertical rather than horizontal (wheels straight), the right pass. side wheel looks toed in and something is making screechiing sounds almost constantly now, I imagine it's grooving the rotor. Does this sound like a bent spindle or possibly something else?? thank you for anhy help. Tracey.
  • lincolnls05lincolnls05 Member Posts: 2
    as a quick fix, due to lack of money im wondering if a wheel spacer would help, it jujst sounds like something is not clearing, not sure, i've felt the inside of the tires and it doesnt feel like its rubbing, i might need to take the wheel off again, and i did hit a curb, it probably pushed everything towards the brake cal.,rotors etc..
  • tecillotecillo Member Posts: 5
    hi,

    Stumbled upon your thread. i will be taking on the bushing job soon. I also do have the airbag light on. Do you mind letting me know how you fixed it in your case? thank you
  • dsaperndsapern Member Posts: 6
    It depends on the code that your car gives you. The code is determined by the number of times your air bag light flashes. Mine was a clockspring. I can't remember what code that was. I got the tutorial on-line on how to replace the clockspring, here is the shortcut http://clockspringremoval.blogspot.com/ It was quit easy though. Let me know if the code is for a clockspring and I will help out. I know that the Lincoln LS also has issues with wires being pinched under the driver side seat, but the first thing to do is get the codes.
  • tecillotecillo Member Posts: 5
    thanks, i seem to be having the common 32 code currently flashed. i would like to rule out the driver seat wiring before jumping into the clockspring. Any help would be appreciated.
  • dsaperndsapern Member Posts: 6
    I also totally ruled out the wiring under the seat first. The way in which I did that was to inspect each of the wires very closely. In order to do that you need to take the front seat completely out. I think the connector was yellow, but I may be wrong. Do a close inspection and if that all checks out good chances are it's the clockspring. The clockspring is a dealer item, and mine had it in stock. This usually means that they sell alot of them.
  • toomanyfumestoomanyfumes Member Posts: 1,019
    Clockspring is a common repair item in the LS. Airbag light on usually means clockspring.
    2012 Mustang Premium, 2013 Lincoln MKX Elite, 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.
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