You have an early SE... yes, the suspension is rather tough on those years. Your springs and struts would make a nice upgrade for a GL owner of the same year, or even an SE or LX owner of a '98+ if you're after a more cushy ride. So long as the springs and struts are swapped as a set, you will be able to swap with any year Contour/Cougar. If you change only the springs or struts individually, you have to keep consistant with your model year because the '95-'97 front springs are different from '98+.
Tires will do little to your ride going from 15 to a 16.
