Struts

[ShoNice]

I've owned my 98 stock SHO for 2 years now and I can't say that it has been great. A/C Compressor, window motors, inner tie rods and door seals have gone bad so far. But for some reason I'm deciding to keep it. My question is: I think the struts are bad because the ride is absolutely brutal and are there any aftermarket struts that will provide a comfortable ride and last for a long time? Also, I was told by Firestone that my outer tie rods need to be replaced along with a ball joint. Is the part for the SHO the same as for a regular Taurus. This is me introducing myself to the website so I apologize for the lengthy message. All help is greatly appreciated.

1998 Red SHO
Stock
47,000 miles

 

[jedhead]

I would pull the fuse for the SARC and see if the ride changes. If you have no change maybe the SARC controller is keeping the struts at full hard all the time. A picture of the fuse location is here:

http://www.v8sho.com/SHO/sarc.html

 

[ShoNice]

I removed the fuse and the only difference I noticed is that the steering was stiffer. Car still didn't take the bumps well at all.

 

[ShoNice]

Are there any aftermarket struts for a GEN III?

 

[mholhut]

ShoNice:
I removed the fuse and the only difference I noticed is that the steering was stiffer. Car still didn't take the bumps well at all.

I'd guess that either the SARC unit is bad, or one of the hight sensors is faulty. The '98's have only two sensors (look like mini shock absorbers) attached near the struts. If the mounting bolt(s) to one of these has failed, it could also wreak havoc with the SARC, but would probably be too soft of a ride.

I believe that the SARC senses change in road conditions and adjusts the struts' firmness accordingly. So if you're going over rough surfaces, then the ride will be rough regardless.

ShoNice:
Are there any aftermarket struts for a GEN III?

Nope, but you can go with the non-SARC '99 struts as a cheaper alternative...

 

[SHOZ123]

At 80K if I pulled the SARC fuse I could not tell the difference in the shocks. When you get new ones you will be able to tell the difference.

 

[ShoNice]

OK, I think I got this straight. I can get struts for a '99 (KYB) and install the sarc controller from ShoShop and I'll just have to work a little harder to turn the steering wheel.

 

[SHOZ123]

If you are going to not use Ford struts don't bother with the SHO Shop controler. Just pull the fuse on the SARC.

 

[Tacmedic]

Pulling the fuse on the SARC increases steering effort quite a bit more than using the switch. Can you use aftermarket struts without pulling the fuse?