2000 Ford Windstar rides poorly

[Windstartled]

Originally Posted by mtsav8or

I can't figure out if I'd see any benefit from replacing the engine cradle to frame bushings but I'm considering them too.

I read that those are often overlooked when troubleshooting a harsh ride and yet they -along with the other front-end rubber bushings- may account for the major part of the problem.

Apparently shocks (and struts), as the name imply, damper slower large-amplitude shock waves generated by road bumps and thus prevent shock damage to the vehicle, but do little to diminish the faster low-amplitude vibrations that cause most of the harshness and cabin noise that is often associated with the "old car ride",

Urethane insulators (bushings) flatten, harden and eventually disintegrate with time, in order to restore a vehicule's original ride those parts must be replaced after 8 to 10 years, including engine and transmission mounts. Supposedly doing this will have a more dramatic effect on ride quality than replacing struts/shocks when those are not really terminally shot.

Unfortunately although the cost for those parts is low, replacing some of them doesn't appear to be an easy job and likely involves lifts, cradles and hydraulic jacks. I heard that some people simply inject urethane where the frame and sub-frame are joined but that sounds a little botchy to me.