92 LX 5.0 Convertible - Suspension/Tire issues.Need help

[MustangLX-5.0]

How stiff should the ride be on a convertible 5.0 LX? The ride in my 92 seems harsh as hell.It has been this way since I bought it in '03.But I've only put about 9000 miles on it.It's been sitting more as I've been doing work to it.When you push down on the front of the car,it barely moves.It's actually very difficult to make it move anybit.Now,on my 96 V6,I can push down on the front of the car somewhat and it'll come back up and not bounce again.Totally different on the 92.The car seems to take a beating when it goes over any kind of bumps.There isn't any fluid seepage coming out the strut cylinders and the car also isn't sagging down any.

Is the suspension on convertibles supposed to be this punishing? The tires on this car are Dayton Daytona HR's.225/55/16 on the front and 245/50/16 on the back.I noticed these damn tires are super stiff.Even with all the air let out of them.It's rock hard allmost.

I'm concerned because I just installed a new rack & pinion plus outer tierods.The old steering rack had excessivly worn out inner tierods.Had so much play in it the tierods would just swing around with ease...and I mean loosely.It tore the hell out of the front tires because it had been shaking so bad.I'm now in the process of replacing all of the brake components on the front.I don't want to drive it in case the damaged rack and pinion was caused by the ride being too punishing.I don't want to risk damaging the new rack.

Could the struts be frozen in place and i'm possibly just compressing the springs a little when I push on it or could it be the tires? Allthough I hardly think that tires of this size would creat such a punishing ride.

Any suggestions would be helpful.I really want to get this car back on the road and I need this issue taken care of.

By the way,it only has 94,000 miles on it and the struts do look a bit old.

Thanks ahead of time...your help is appreciated.

 

[DigitalGhost]

My 5.0 hatchback rides pretty stiff. I can feel EVERY bump and dip in the road, and at times it's a little too much. I've got brand new KYB shocks and struts as of about 10000 miles ago.

You could just have super stiff shocks. Are they stock?

 

[MustangLX-5.0]

Yeah,they are stock struts.I've known many cars to have stiff suspension.I even owned an 89 GT Hatchback and it was NEVER this harsh.Is it just me,or do older convertibles just have the SLAM......BANG...type of feel suspension?

I'm looking to replace these things.I now want to upgrade the suspension to something more sporty,not super stiff.But I don't want the front end bouncing around.Someone has to know something out there that makes the convertible "comfortable" to ride in....I know it's not going to be a Cadillac type of ride...but cripes...I don't want to feel like i'm always being kicked in the damn gut all the time....

 

[MustangLX-5.0]

Bump...

 

[90blacknight]

Have the springs been cut? Is the car lowered?

 

[wazazzle]

my lx rides like crap.. i take it for what it's worth and just curse up a storm when i hit a dip or pothole

 

[sunil6784]

I had stock struts on mine, factory originals from 14 years ago. There was no fluid seepage or anything, in fact, i could bounce the car up and down a little. I put new KYB shocks and struts all around anyways. WOW, what an improvement. Other than wind noise, the car rides REAL nice now.

Does the rear come back up if you push down?