Okay, just what on earth am I even driving here?

[ootdega]

I have started to gather suspension parts recently, because let's face it, the whole thing is trashed.

I started under the assumption I had a plain-jane 89 Grand Marquis GS, so I bought 1" sway bar bushings (Mevotech blue polyurethane, because blue).

Well, then I tried to test-fit them...and there's exactly a quarter-inch gap. That means I have the 1 1/8" sway bar.

...What?

This doesn't make any sense. It doesn't have a police package, because it has 10-inch drums, no rear bar, and it's not a Crown Victoria. It doesn't have the towing package, because it has no tow hitch. So...just what the hell is this thing?

I've done all the research I possibly can, and this is what I've learned so far:
-The towing package came with adjustable rear air shocks, which this had when I got it.
-Changing to adjustable air shocks from factory air springs requires a conversion kit. It's highly unlikely this was converted, because the whole system fell apart from age shortly after I got it.
-It's also unlikely that the sway bar was swapped on, because the bushings are so old that they're completely useless.
-There apparently was also a hauling package, which came with the police heavy duty suspension.
-If I have this suspension, I can probably kiss any chances of replacing the upper control arm bushings goodbye.


Does anyone have any more information about this? I'm still a bit lost here, and I need to know what I have if I'm going to replace anything.

[sly]

If you have a gap, that means you have the thinner bar, not the fatter bar. backwards math is backwards. You have the 19mm bar like I have on my GS.

[ootdega]

If you have a gap, that means you have the thinner bar, not the fatter bar. backwards math is backwards. You have the 19mm bar like I have on my GS.

No, the bushing is too small. The gap I'm talking about is the cut on the side of the bushing. I measured it. One quarter inch. I knew I should have taken a picture.

I was under the impression 1 inch is the smallest bar these ever had, which is why I didn't say that.

[jaywish]

It came with air shocks. Not Air springs. To convert from air shocks you just replace the shocks with regular shocks.

[Tiggie]

Could be a factory oops. My '82 had the fat bar up front but was a medium duty tow package car.

Are your upper control arms greasable?

[HiFiMerc]

My 90 and my dad's 91 are both LS models, but his has a fatter bar. The only difference is his had rear air shocks, and no premium sound. Mine has standard shocks and premium sound.

Must be the air shocks.

[ootdega]

It came with air shocks. Not Air springs. To convert from air shocks you just replace the shocks with regular shocks.

Maybe I'm reading something wrong, but I know the difference between the two is the base package is self-leveling and the towing one is adjustable.

Could be a factory oops. My '82 had the fat bar up front but was a medium duty tow package car.

Are your upper control arms greasable?

I'll have to check when I have daylight in a couple hours. I'll gather any relevant photos I can, which I probably should have done in the first place.

[gadget73]

The 80s system came with automatic self-leveling air shocks. The only other option was standard shocks. It wasn't two different things, though you might see it called by several names. They all had conventional coil springs.

Tow package cars also had an extra set of coolers in front of the radiator. If you have a long U shape steel tube behind the grille, thats a tow package car.

Possible someone whacked something and had the front bar replaced. Or they ran out of whatever normally went on and put that size on that day. My tow package car came with a 7/8" front bar, which is the smallest one that was available.

The greasable upper arms are only found on police models as far as I know. It wasn't a tow package thing.


Lesson here, size it before you buy.

[ootdega]

Well, here's what I could get:


The bushing vs. the bar:




Every angle I could manage of the arm:




I hate these annoying cardboard flaps, by the way. They like to catch on the tire lettering at full lock and make wonderful noises. I also cannot for the life of me imagine how people take pictures with this thing one-handed on a regular basis.

[ootdega]

Sorry for the double post, it wouldn't let me upload anything else on that post.

The 80s system came with automatic self-leveling air shocks. The only other option was standard shocks. It wasn't two different things, though you might see it called by several names. They all had conventional coil springs.

Tow package cars also had an extra set of coolers in front of the radiator. If you have a long U shape steel tube behind the grille, thats a tow package car.

Possible someone whacked something and had the front bar replaced. Or they ran out of whatever normally went on and put that size on that day.

Does that mean I have a FACTORY FREAK? OH BOY!

Jokes aside, this thing doesn't really fit that description, but it's a cooler for something...



...and it's in front of the radiator.




This is probably the part where my knowledge runs out and I start to look like an idiot.


As for the shocks, I'm really not sure what to tell you...

Lesson here, size it before you buy.

Well, the good news is, since I already have the police bar, that means I can just slap a rear bar on and be good. The reproduction rear bar from Addco is 1 inch...but it doesn't even use bushings. So yeah, these are useless to me. If anyone wants them, you can have them. Save you 10 bucks.

On the other hand, I tried getting the RED bushings that are for THIS bar, part number MK80094, which are listed as red polyurethane on literally every single listing I can find for them, and I got rubber instead. From two different places. So I guess I'm using rubber on the front. I'll just keep both and have a spare set.

[gadget73]

Thats the AC condensor. The factory trans and power steering coolers look like this:



Upper arms are the standard rubber bushing type. Your bushings are about hosed BTW.

Those are not factory shocks. Someone put those in there. The factory system involves an air compressor under the hood.

I think you do not have a tow package car.


The flaps should lay on top of the frame rail, tucked towards the engine compartment. They won't hit the tire if they are in there right. It does a lot to keep dirt out of the engine bay too.

[ootdega]

Okay, noted. Thanks.

And believe me, those aren't the only bushings that are trashed... at least I'll actually be able to replace them though. These are made of enough unobtanium as it is.

I'll have to get someone to work the steering wheel so I can figure out how to put those flaps back, then. Thanks for that, now I know what to do with them.



...That's three things that were driving me nuts squared away in a single thread. You guys are great.

[87gtVIC]

Push the flaps on top of the upper control arm.

[gadget73]

yeah, just push them in and let them fall back. They should lay on the control arm and frame and stay out of the way.

[sly]

yeah... you have the fat bar. Kinda sucks that there were 3 different bars. I measured mine before ordering. This time for my 93. Currently collecting parts for all poly on the 93.