I've been told that the reviews on the Car Talk website can be trusted.

try to find a suspension place by you, most likely one of the leafs snapped, It should be an easy fix and I got them done on my truck for around 200 (its the same type of suspension)

Good luck and keep us updated

What kind of suspension problems are you having? Bad shocks? I had good luck with KYB. Their price are reasonable and works better than stock ones. Or does your Town car have air bags? Those I heard are a real pain to deal with.

air bags. car looks like one of those beaner lowriders now.

Ah, my neighbor had a Lincoln that the bags leaked. I don't remember if he fixed it before getting rid of it. My brother also has a Lincoln (see a pattern here) that had a problem with the air pump. Ford offer a replacement but he had to buy the whole thing, not just the part he needed. Of course they wanted way too much for it (well over a thousand). I think he found a rebuilt one far cheaper somewhere off the web. Been quite a few years ago that.

lol, beaner lowriders. x3

I suggest you go to Angie's List or the Car Talk mechanic listing and then find a reliable mechanic.

This shit won't be cheap (hundreds to do it right) but it'll be cheaper than the dealership. If you can't afford it, call your bank and tell them you need a personal loan for car repairs. They'll put a lien on your car, but your interest rate will be lower than your credit card. If your bank doesn't offer personal loans, get a new bank, preferably a local credit union. Any bank that doesn't offer that kind of service is not worth your business and is invariably a feeder bank for Wall Street anyway.

Going forward, find a mechanic you can trust, build a relationship with him, and get your car checked out regularly. These things are usually cheaper to fix the sooner you get 'em.

Also when you get money, replace your Lincoln Town Car with something Japanese. Not only will it be smaller and more fuel efficient, it'll have a higher build quality. Slow and boring is best (Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, etc.) and never, EVER buy anything with aftermarket modifications on anything other than the stereo.

If you have the time and money, learning how to inspect your car for common wear defects (failing shocks, bald tires, frayed belts, etc.) is a worthwhile effort. You don't need to learn how to fix it, just to identify it when it's happening.

The whole "Build a relationship with the mechanic" line is oldschool 1950s bullshit. Unless you own a large amount of really unique cars, are personal friends with the mechanic outside of fixing your shit, or live in a town with only 1000 people, most mechanics are too busy to even remember the name of anyone anymore... Usually you will be known as that guy with the whatever type of car you drive. You will not get a discount for "Knowing a guy" most shops are already competing with all the other shops for business, so they are pretty close to their bottom line to begin with... Though anyone is cheaper than a dealership.

Not all Japanese cars are as reliable as people claim they are. ^_^ I had a 1994 Nissan Infinity G20 that was in the shop more than my current German VW has ever been. Also... Most new Japanese cars are no longer made in Japan, they are made in Mexico, Canada, and sometimes the USA. Though I cannot knock Toyotas up to the mid 2000s, those things are bulletproof, boring as hell, but bulletproof.

I don't mean you should "know a guy," I mean you should "trust a guy." And be ready to drop his ass the moment he fucks you over. You don't hire the man, you hire the shop. I don't know the guy who works on my car. But I know his boss, and his boss has an excellent reputation.

And not all Japanese cars are reliable - ESPECIALLY their sportscars. But their "boring as fuck" commuter vehicles are engineered to be easy to build and have few moving parts, so they are somewhat reliable.

You can always just go to a normal shock and spring setup lot cheaper then air less problems think the kits are around 200$ for the rear. just do a search on google for the conversion
done a few at the shop

forgot to say have some one look under there and see if the air line broke there good for that

Well bugger... afraid I don't know anything that could help, good luck fixing it.

I have owned and driven and fixed countless Town cars and Continentals and Mark series Lincolns... If it is a newer Lincoln 1995 and up, it is most likely the airbags you are talking about. If it is 1995 or older it will likely just need new shocks.

Hit up a few junk yards and pull the airbags or struts/shocks out of any that you find. Those damn things can cost over $500 to replace... But you can do-it-yourself with a Hanes Repair manual and some simple SAE tools.

I've done it so many times on the rear suspension that I can replace a side in less than 30 minutes.

Personally I would rather just spend the money and get a coilover or shock and spring conversion and just ditch the airbags. Though I don't know if they make them for the town cars... I know with the Mark series you can just swap parts with a mustang.

they do make springs for town cars.

You can get the airbags out of a town car at a junkyard for less than $50 bucks if it is a pick your part type place... But there is a good chance they will be in the same or worse condition as the ones on the car already. Personally I would say just get a spring and strut/shock setup if at all possible... Other than that annoyance those damn Lincolns will run for all eternity without problems, especially if you have an oil cooler and secondary oil filter and keep the transmission fluid clean. We have a 1996 Town car with 250,000 miles on it and have not had to do any major engine work at all. Just basic maintenance like plugs and wires and oil and fluid changes.

this is great to hear. I don't think I have the know how or the time/luck to hit the junkyard for airbags like that XD so springs look like the way to go. Seems like most people are happy with the springs. I just need to find some for cheap, and get em installed.

I can help you with this- Pick'n'Pull is the way to go for used car parts, and I'm pretty sure I've got all the tools you'll need. If you want to go this route, make sure you pick up a service/shop manual for the car's year make and model- that'll have step by step instructions for how to get the shocks in and out.

(I'm the giant woman that lives down Payne from you. :3)

this sounds ideal :o that's really kind of you. I just got the springs tonight, and I'll be looking for that manual. ^^ thanks for offering usage of the tools. Let me know when a good time for this would be.

I'm free most weekends! Let me know when you're ready to rock.

Saturday afternoon sound good? :3 pretty much free all weekend too.

Sunday would work better for me, actually. Also, looks like the original air shocks would cost $18.99 each. :3
http://www.picknpull.com/part_prici.....p;#partpricing

only problem is that Noah needs to go to work on Sunday, and he cant use the train. also, I already have the springs. and I hear they're far more reliable. This is more of a time issue since in addition, my car is incapable of driving long distances without overheating. (otherwise I'd pick him up and drop him off myself. )

Oh, you already have the springs? Is that all you need to fix the issue? Did you pick up the service manual to make sure?

If your car is having overheating problems, that could be a couple of very easy things to fix. :3

yeah, the springs are all we need I think. I do also have the service manual

I would much rather get airbags at that price though. would I be able to just pick those up today?

You'd have to walk in and take a junked car apart to get the shocks at that price, but if you're comfortable doing that, it's only $2 to get in with tools to make it happen.

ahh, yeah. x3 that seems like a bit much to do...which is great if you have some time and experience , and i'm not sure I have the proper know how to take out the part that I need without totally damaging it by mistake. x3

Can you drive the towncar over here in its present state? I'd like to get it off the street to work on it. :3

certainly. we can head over there now if you'd like. :D

err. can ya note me your address? I may have forgotten where it's at exactly xP

I've got plans for this evening unfortunately, but I'm keeping tomorrow wide open for you. :3 I'll note you my address. ^^

well as long as we can finish before noon tomorrow. which i hope isn't too inconvenient :( otherwise this could be difficult (boyfriend works at 2 pm)

Ooh, site unseen I cannot make any promises. :x There's a good chance it'll be easier to fix your car's overheating problems than his suspension, though. We also have a car that could take him to work if need be.