Posi traction

[Mr. Upholster]

Living up a big hill in PA has me concerned about the winter ahead. Just purchased a 1990 Mark VII LSC. I saw a big lincoln slide off the side of the hill last year. He didn't have a chance. My little front wheel drive car went right up. Maybe I should Keep my Mark in my garage for the winter months?? Does this car have Posi-traction?? At least I would have a chance then. Was Posi ever offered as an option? I know some cars shipped to Canada have a posi as standard equiptment and a higher rear gearing than US cars. I had an Astro Van and that was a joke in the snow. No weight in the rear on that. Anybody with experiance with snow/hills and Marks??

[BLUECOLLAR]

Hey Mr, I'm gonna send you to the "PRO" in this area. I would be just guessing.

"OFF WE GOOOOOO"

[BigDon]

Mr. Upholster,
Look for your (Vehicle Certification Lable) on the drivers side door pillar. On the bottom line you should find a section marked "AX" directly under that you will find either a number or a letter most likely being an LSC it would be an "E". Meaning it's an 8.8" trac-lock with 3.27:1 raito.

Have Fun
BigDon

[pro-five-oh]

Look for what Big Don said and look for that "E" or a "5." "5" means you need to make your Mark a garage queen.

I have this wacky theory that, here in the south, only the LSC's with the adjustable "sport" buckets had the trak-lok axle.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ya! :P

[Charlie]

Well, I've never owned a front drive car. I can't afford the maintance on one. I know that they are better on ice. I've learned how to drive on one of these RWD cars and do not know what I should do on a FWD in case of a skid or something. I usually get by on days most people can't but, That is probley due to my experance. Of corse now that I'm older and slightly better off I just drive my 700 dollar 4 wheel drive when it gets bad. I guess I shouldn't talk I've gotten spoiled.

[Mr. Upholster]

Guys, Thanks a million for the info. It is an LSC and it does have the sport buckets, so maybe, just maybe I can sell my Honda Civic and get to strech out again . Use to drive a Mark IV 1974, that was a real tank, Saved my life though, thats another story.

[Lscman]

A Mark VII with all season 225/60-16 tires is a poor snow vehicle because the rear is light compared to the nose and the tires are wide. Snow capability in any vehicle is a function of tire width and tread design and rubber compliance (softness). A Mark VII can be optimized for snow by installing 15"x6" Crown Vic wheels and skinny 70 series quality snow tires. I bought the salvage wheels for $10 ea and four $60 BFG 215/70-15 snow tires designed for a front wheel drive vehicle. They have rounded tread edges for good cornering in the dry. With this setup, my Mark VII acceleration and hill climbing traction (with posi) in snow is approximately equal to a fwd car with average all season tires. However, it will stop and corner better due to the better tires. If you want optimum traction to rival front drive, install Bridgestone Blizzaks. If you want to pass 4WD vehicles, throw two 100lb sandbags in the trunk. Don't fret, that's what air suspension is for.

[Charlie]

Yea for Lscman. He sounds like he got it all figured out to me.

[Mr. Upholster]

LSCman, thanks for the info, sounds like a plan. I was riding through 2 foot snow in a old landscaping truck, it never got stuck, the driver told me the whole trick was to get really good snow tires with aggressive treads. Your right, these tires were skinny, this truck was used in a big junkyard to hunt for parts. How about those chains that the troopers use. Ever see them. its like there is a steel hoop on the outside of the tire to keep the chains lined up, supposedly you can go pretty fast in them.

[sotexlscman]

WHAT IS SNOW???? Sorry guys, we hardly ever have a snow or ice problem down here in South Texas. I couldn't resist, that is one of the few advantages of living down here in the oven of the U.S.

I have a question about the rear end? Does the "5" code on the pillar mean that I do not have a trac-lok??? I have those flat buckets that have no support, and the car was sold in Oklahoma. Does this add to your theory Pro-Five? If I don't have the trak-lok, why can't I get the rears to spin on launch. Is the car that heavy that it won't spin? Since I have been buying my own tires for quite some time, I don't spin the tires much anyway. I just assumed that the LSC had a limited slip rear end of some sort.

Dean

[pro-five-oh]

Originally posted by sotexlscman:
I have a question about the rear end? Does the "5" code on the pillar mean that I do not have a trac-lok??? I have those flat buckets that have no support, and the car was sold in Oklahoma. Does this add to your theory Pro-Five?

Sure sounds like it. I do not understand why your car won't burn rubber...my 83 Conti lights up its single whitewall tire almost everywhere...try punching it while taking a hard right turn. Just don't lose control!

[Mr. Upholster]

Pro-five, Your theory on an LSC having sport bucket seats and a posi just went out the window. I just picked up my 90 LSC and it had a 5 on the door pillar under AX. So I must garage it for the winter you say>> What about the chains the troopers use with a big steel hoop on the outside of their tires so they can reall make those chains tight??? I remember once about this small unit that replaces your spider gears in the rear and makes the unit work almost as a Detriot Locker. It works with some kind of a ratcheting effect so you can still go around corners. I saw one in the Summit Catalog yesterday and it was around $4oo.oo. I would just go to the Junkie and replace the whole Pumpkin before I paid that kind of money.
Anybody know where I can get an owner's manual for this car? I dont have a clue as to what this trip indicator is doing. A bell in always start rinning and I hit reset and it goes off. It looks like some body put all the keys of a typewriter in one long line under it. Do you have be a engineer to figure out how to use this. My gas milage stinks on this car. Upon examanition the pulgs, wires, cap and rotor was shot., so I am changing them soon, ... Tormorrow . Just one more question for you guys. When I hit a bump, its a hard hit, and it sounds like I hear a piece of metal loose rattling, like behind the front wheel, on both sides. I am thinking all shocks or struts or whatever is in there is shot. I downloaded the info on how to change these when that same question was asked a little while back. OK one more. Does this car have a light to show if the compressor is still running to pump up the air suspension. I looked all over I could not find one... Thanks ahead of time.....

[TW/92LSC/SE]

Your rattle on big bumps may be a loose air bag retainer clip under the lower control arm. I had a similar rattle and just squeased some silicone sealant between the clip and the control arm then let it set up. I haven't had a rattle since. I don't know if the clip originally came with a damper of some sort or if vibrations just wear them loose. My LSC/SE also has no posi with 3.27 gearing and it was made in Canada. Iv'e only driven it in the snow a few times and its a handfull with oem tires and a torque'y engine. Think I'll stick with my old icebox Civic for the winter ride.

[Charlie]

Try keeping a eye on e-bay for a owners manual. If I had a scanner I would scan you the pages you need. But' I never got my used free scanner to work. Maybe that is why it was free.

[Bomoe1]

I read on the peak.net forum last year that someone put snow tire all the way around on his mark, weight in the trunk and drove around like he was on dry pavement.I do not know how true this is. But last year in Bethlehem,PA I didn't have a whole lot of problems going through the snow but sometime a lot of trouble stopping.It sure is a heavy car!

[Guido]

I've driven my one-wheel-peel Cutlass Supreme for many winters and found that with about 100lbs in the trunk on the nasty days it would go fine. Just have to take it easy. Sometimes it's actually safer than the LSC because when it loses traction it just spins a tire, but the LSC (with posi) just starts fish-tailing all over the place. With the Cutlass I keep my foot on the gas and plow my way through, with the LSC I'm constantly easing up on the gas to keep it in my lane. I'm using the stock 16" tires.

Just get good tires and drive carefully. And be glad it's not a Mustang!

Just make

[xx_jack]

Originally posted by TW/92LSC/SE:
Your rattle on big bumps may be a loose air bag retainer clip under the lower control arm. I had a similar rattle and just squeased some silicone sealant between the clip and the control arm then let it set up. I haven't had a rattle since. I don't know if the clip originally came with a damper of some sort or if vibrations just wear them loose. My LSC/SE also has no posi with 3.27 gearing and it was made in Canada. Iv'e only driven it in the snow a few times and its a handfull with oem tires and a torque'y engine. Think I'll stick with my old icebox Civic for the winter ride.

that "rattle" for me was the baffels in the muffler/s----------loose an mufflers needed replacing.......