Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting 1999 Ford Contour Suspension Help!

Hey Guys! I am new here and this is my first post:

I own a 1999 Ford Contour SE 2.0 DOHC with 68,000 miles. Previously owned a 1998 Ford Contour SE 2.0 DOHC.

I hope you I can get some help because no one else seems to be able to help me. The Dealer can't even help me with this issue:

My 1999 Ford drives very-very hard/rough. Many of my passengers comment that it rides stiffer than my previous 1998 Ford. I noticed this and am exhausted of that stiff ride - as bad or worse than some pick-up trucks!

Could you please-please-please offer any suggestions? Are there any different kinds suspension, struts, or something to soften the ride?

In addition, can you suggest what kind of spark plugs and wires I should consider to increase gas mileage? Or anything other suggestion for this matter?

Thanks.

Very odd!

Make sure the springs and struts are not stiffer aftermarket ones.

I assume your tire pressures are not too high.

Plugs will not increase gas milage. Bad ones will hurt it. Ford double platinums are reccomended.

Other problems can hurt gas mileage - EGR, O2 sensors, dirty MAF...

Unless you are the original owner of the car you currently own I'd like to suggest that a previous owner may have installed stiffer, aftermarket struts to obtain a firmer, sportier ride.

A quick way to try and tell if there are OEM struts on the car, is to jack the car and look at the strut cylinder under the spring perch. The OEM struts they are painted black and stamped with Ford part numbers as well as the Ford emblem.

If your struts are not black and do not have the Ford emblem stamped into the strut cylinder you can suspect that your car is fitted with aftermarket struts.

Thanks. The struts are the original struts.

I really think that the struts are high performance ones and need to put a lower grade on them. Just today I almost cried going over a long bad road and the car just takes each bump like a horsecarriage! It's worst than a 4x4 truck. My body is taking the load of the shock and am getting a backache from it. I looked at the springs - they are in good shape. So I think all four struts are high performance.

My car is:

My car is an 1999 Ford Contour SE 2.0 DOHC 4 cylinder.

Manufactured: 10/98

The tired I put on are 205/60R15 90T.

I have 68K miles on it.

Exactly what type of struts should I ask the dealer to put on them? Or, should I seek someone else?

Thanks guys!

Mary

Do the struts even feel like they are working? They could be bad, but I doubt all four would be bad. Do they 'give' at all?

BTW, Welcome to the CEG!

Yes, they feel like they are working. Just that they are not working for this car. Put it this way - if part of the cement in the raod has lifted almost like a ramp, my car goes over it and the rear end just *smack* down over it as if there was a metal rod holding the rear up - like a horse carriage that has not shocks!

I swear all the people on the forum experience the exact same problem I have at the exact same time.

My ride is harsh as well.....I must be getting old, because I'm contemplating new struts for a softer ride at the risk losing handling performance....

I will be chatting with my mechanic soon....it will be interesting what, if any, softer struts can fit the 'Tour.

Hey guys.

As you know I am trying to get a softer ride for my car. I just had the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred P205/60R-15 90T VSB. So far so good. BUT, the struts need replacing.....this is my dilemma:

1. Do I go with the OEM standard from the dealer
or
2. Purchase Monroe and have someone put them on

I am not sure if the OEM standard struts will give me a softer ride or the Monroe?


Monroe Sensa-Trac struts-

Front-part numbers
sensatrac struts-71687
boot kit-63973
bearing kit-902953

Rear-part numbers
sensa trac struts-71984
monroe-matic struts-801984
bearing kit-902954

So many times people blame the suspension before they check out their tires...I agree that the Contour rides a bit rough, but I am on the 14" tires so I'm not complaining.