How to lift a Taurus?

[92TaurusGL]

I'm moving cross country and will be carrying a heavy payload of personal effects (~1000 lbs) with me. When fully loaded, my '92 Taurus GL (3.8L) sits very low in the rear...I'm a bit worried. Unloaded, the car sits level (frame parallel with ground), so I don't think the coil springs are "sagging" yet. Does anyone know how I might add some ride height to the rear? Ideally, I'd love to be able to stick in some coil spring spacers to give a firmer ride in the rear, but I don't think anyone makes anything that would be compatible with these sedan coil springs/struts. I don't know if having custom coil springs made and installed is a reasonable option either...I'm willing to spend up to $300 or so to avoid any problems on this trip.

I don't know of any other options...obviously can't use airbags, due to the strut configuration, and I don't know of any available replacement struts/springs that would provide more ride height or a firmer suspension in the back. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Also, the linkages to the rear stabilizer bar have rusted through, so now the rear stabilizer is dangling freely in its mounts. Can anyone advise whether it's worth it to try to find replacement linkages to fix it?

[92TaurusGL]

Never mind...a little more research, a little footwork, and a few lucky references and I have my own answer.

Picked me up two replacement stabilizer linkage kits from the local Ford dealer for $25 apiece. The Ford parts guy referred me to a local spring specialty shop, which sold me a pair of Moog cargo coils (variable rate springs) that will work on the Taurus (these heavy duty coil springs are also available on carparts.com as part number CC859 for sedan at $64, CC857 for wagon at $95). Since I don't have a lot of free time (or a spring compressor), I'll have the local CarX shop install the new coils (their estimate was $185.)

Total price for the new heavy duty rear springs is about $250 for parts and labor... right inside my price range.

[ford_boy_1984]

Lets reopean this thread. Im looking to do some modifications to ma taurus. I'm looking to do a lift roughly an inch maby 2 inches. If anyone has advice abouth this please reply

[Millermagic]

Well, you could try spring spacers. But if the springs are overloaded, that might be bad.

[92TaurusGL]

Hey, I just wanted to post an update--the reason I'd had the cargo springs installed was to be able to fully load up the car with the things I was moving across the country, from Chicago to San Diego. The Taurus broke down at a gas station about 100 miles north of San Diego, a few hours after an interesting 30-mile detour on a particularly steep and windy part of route 66. It was leaking transmission fluid all over and first gear was pretty much gone. I'm guessing it was probably the heavy load combined with the steep terrain that did it in, though maybe it was just regular wear and tear. It was the second time the car had broken down during a move (it blew a head gasket about 3 hours into my trip from CT to Chicago a few years earlier, while I was attempting to tow a half-filled 5'x8' U-haul trailer with it.) The car seems to have some serious qualms about carrying loads, so be careful, if you're planning on that sort of thing!

[Millermagic]

If a transmission line falls off ... you're most likely not going anywhere. I don't think it's the car's fault.

[92TaurusGL]

Originally Posted by Millermagic

If a transmission line falls off ... you're most likely not going anywhere. I don't think it's the car's fault.

Fair enough, I never did identify exactly where it was leaking from or what truly caused it. I did refill the fluid at the gas station, and it only started leaking again once the car was started, though I suppose that may have indicated a transmission line failure? Given that the first gear was shot and rebuilding the transmission was more than the car was worth, I just donated it to charity right there, with an extra bottle of fluid in the passenger seat.

[Millermagic]

Trans fluid is one thing I keep my eye on ... I have a seeping leak somewhere by where the halfshaft comes out. I check it more than the oil.

[Dave_s]

Originally Posted by Millermagic

Trans fluid is one thing I keep my eye on ... I have a seeping leak somewhere by where the halfshaft comes out. I check it more than the oil.

There is a seal where the halfshaft connects to the transmition. It is likely leaking from there. You can buy a new one for about five bucks.

[Millermagic]

How hard is it to install one of these seals?