Suspension/Handling/Noise Issue ('98 Continental)

[8913SMITHT]

I have a 1998 Continental with 110,000 miles. For the past several months, the car has handled terribly over bumpy roads. The ride is rough and every time it goes over a pothole, a LOUD thumping noise comes from the rear of the vehicle. If I hit potholes or bumps while turning, it almost feels like the car wants to veer off its path and the steering wheel even jerks over slightly.

About a year ago, I replaced on the rear passenger side sway bar link since it had come lose and was just dangling. Today I took both rear wheels off the car and gave everything a good visual, but everything appears to be in place and fastened. I am far from an expert at these things, but any advice would be appreciated. Thanks,

-Tim

[v8_dave]

Is it the rear control arm bushings that are notorious to fail on these cars? I have alot of thumping in the back over bumps/potholes too but no veering.

[CobraConti]

damn, i was saying rear sway bar link all the way up until the last sentence when you said you checked them. :mad: Yeah, check out all the bushings.

[purelux]

1997 continental. Try replacing the small horizontal shocks mounted by each rear wheel. I would check www.fordpartsonline.com i believe $80 a piece but may be wrong. I too had a clunking thumping over bumps etc.. thought it was the 3rd brake light or the rear amp/tuner tray. Eventually talked my dad into replacing the shocks on his car, which i eventually bought. Thats what it was apparently noticed by a mechanic quite a while before but dismissed as a useless item ford had placed on the car. Gotta love when people think for you, anyways he wiped off the oil that leaked out that would have shown me they were blown. They were promptly replaced after I exhausted everything else I could think of and mentioned the shocks. I found out about the shocks, they got replaced and noise and smooth ride was restored. Mechanic even had the nerve to call it a renamed sable. Till he finally had to get under it to change those shocks. Also I would like to note the rear shocks aren't even mounted the same nor are the extra horizontal shocks on the sable. The dealer even told my dad the wrong place to check the rear shock mounts (he told us where they are accessed from inside the car on the sable).

[steevr]

1997 continental. Try replacing the small horizontal shocks mounted by each rear wheel. I would check www.fordpartsonline.com i believe $80 a piece but may be wrong. I too had a clunking thumping over bumps etc.. thought it was the 3rd brake light or the rear amp/tuner tray. Eventually talked my dad into replacing the shocks on his car, which i eventually bought. Thats what it was apparently noticed by a mechanic quite a while before but dismissed as a useless item ford had placed on the car. Gotta love when people think for you, anyways he wiped off the oil that leaked out that would have shown me they were blown. They were promptly replaced after I exhausted everything else I could think of and mentioned the shocks. I found out about the shocks, they got replaced and noise and smooth ride was restored. Mechanic even had the nerve to call it a renamed sable. Till he finally had to get under it to change those shocks. Also I would like to note the rear shocks aren't even mounted the same nor are the extra horizontal shocks on the sable. The dealer even told my dad the wrong place to check the rear shock mounts (he told us where they are accessed from inside the car on the sable).

Purelux, would those little shocks be called the isolation dampers?? The reason I ask is I have the same clunking in the rear suspension over every little bump or imperfection. You only hear it during the non-summer months when the temp drops below 65. I had the car in at the dealer and there is a TSB out for this that replaces the trailing arms, etc. but the car is out of warranty and the kit is $1,000 installed (I already called Lincoln's Customer Service number to see if they would cover it for me....no such luck). One of the items the TSB mentions that gets replaced are some kind of dampers. Last year one member said he replaced them and it took care of the rattling noise.

My car rides fine....I'm just tired of people in the back seat asking what's rattling in the trunk. If those two little shocks do the trick, I'd like to replace them without sinking a grand into the car.

Thanks.