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Replacing Front struts on a Mark VIII
I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND DRENCHING DOWN THE LOWER BOLT ON BOTH SIDES WITH A GOOD RUST PENETRANT LIKE PB BLASTER OR SOME TYPE OF RUST PENETRANT BEFORE DOING THIS JOB!
Depending on the environment the car has been subjected too, this is the one thing that can stand in between an easy job and a nitemare!!
Order your parts, then while your waiting for your parts to be delivered, soak it down good at least twice a day.
1) Turn off suspension switch!
2) Put vehicle on jackstands and remove both front wheels. Even if your only replacing 1 strut, have both raised on jackstands.If you one side raised and the other on the ground, the sway bar will hold tension and make things difficult.
3) Turn the steering wheel all the way to one side. This will help you later when removing the lower bolt. Remove the 2 pin connector on the solenoid. See red arrow below.
4) Remove the air line from the solenoid.
The air lines are connected by way of a brass collet. To disconnect air line, push in on the orange collar with one hand while pulling on the air line with the other hand. Because the collet has been "dugg-in" for many years, you may need to try this several times before it comes loose.
Having a hard time getting the air line out?
Click HERE for help
5) With a small blade screwdriver, remove thin metal retaining ring around solenoid. Twist solenoid counter-clockwise until it stops or until you hear a sudden burst of air. After air has stopped venting, twist solenoid again until it stops and remove.
If you have one of the few solenoids that don't pop down (it happens) after you twist it, you'll need to pry it down with a screwdriver to break the air seal.
6) Remove the lower 21mm nut on the bolt. Remove bolt.
IF THE BOLT WON'T COME OUT, CLICK HERE.
7) Remove the 2 x 5/16 bolts attaching module. Remove the 3-13mm nuts on top of the strut tower.
8) Push down and compress strut, then pull out strut.
9) Reverse to install.
IMPORTANT NOTES
#1
To properly install a 1st Gen solenoid in our 1st Gen rebuilt struts, install the solenoids where the connector will be farthest away from the rubber air bladder.
In other words, with the strut on its end with the bottom of the strut with the bolt hole facing up and looking down into the solenoid, install the solenoid so that the connector will be on the right side.
Failure to install the solenoid correctly will result in a leaking rubber air bladder, which voids your warranty!
#2
When lowering the vehicle off the jack after strut installation, DO NOT allow the front end to go all the way down with all the weight resting on the bumpstops. This WILL damage the strut and cause an internal binding condition.
We recommend lowering the vehicle just below normal ride height, then turn the suspension switch on, then the ignition. After the compressor has stopped running, then lower the jack the rest of the way down. You will then need to turn the ignition back on to allow it to raise up the rest of the way.
We offer parts for factory air suspension equipped vehicles and/or coil spring conversion kits for these models:
Lincoln Mark VII, Lincoln Mark VIII, Lincoln Town Car, Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Marquis, Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, '88-'94 Lincoln Continental, '95 & '96 Continental, Lexus, Cadillac, Subaru, Chrysler, Jaguar, Range Rover
