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CAT TRACKS by Dick Martin Technical Director Q; How can I tell where my car made and what it originally came equipped with? Q; I have a big block (428) 70 Cougar with F-78 x 14 tires on the front. They are wearing really bad on the edges, Why? Q; What is the difference between a 6.5 litre and a G.T. Cougar? Q; I own a 1970 Cougar with a 351 V-8. How do I tell if its a Cleveland or a Windsor engine? Q; My car has developed a snapping noise underneath, but it only happens when the car is moving.What is it? Many people have written to me asking for advice on what to do about their Cats "lack of spring in its paws". They complain of excessive swaying, plowing around corners and bottoming out. Your Cougar is no different suspension wise than the backbone on an older person or a jogger. After many years of constant pounding on our wonderful highways and roads, things tend to settle and weaken or in some cases break loose. To restore your Cougar to its original youthfull self, there are many ways to go,depending on what your monetary wealth is and or how much you value your life. The cheapest and by far the most dangerous way to go is by installing metal raising blocks between the front coils. This use creates uneven tension on the coils and could break a coil if a hard bump is hit. They also have a tendancy to fall out at the wrong times. Using raiser blocks employs about the same belief as having temporary plastic fillings in your teeth. The next type people use are the coil over the shock variety. These are better than usuing blocks by far, but they like the blocks don't cure the problem. Coil-shocks on occasions have been known to break loose at the top when installed in Big Block cars. No doubt this would be detramental to a persons health if you were on a mountain road and this happened, and no doubt your Cougar wound up in the big sand box in the sky, before this time. The best way for you to help your Cougar to regain its former majestic stature is to in stall new coil springs. A person can use blocks/coil-shocks and many other aftermarket junk, all these won't cure the main problem. Lincoln-Mercury parts still offer most of the stock coils that were made for your car. The dealer can advise you on which coil to get, or send me a note and maybe I can be of some help. There are roughly 10 different load weight springs available and its best to get the one made for your car at present. If for some reason you want to raise your car up more than stock, just go to the next higher weight limit. If you really want to raise your Cougar, order a set of High-Lift springs through J.C. Whitney. These springs will raise your car 3-4" and are excelent for $45.00 a pair. Remember though your center of gravity is calibrated in reference to your car's weight etc. So if you raise the height above stock you will affect the stability accordingly. While you have the front end apart, it should be totally inspected for wear. Ball joints, idler arm, tie rod ends, etc. should be replaced even if slightly worn, especially on cars with Big Blocks. How much you replace that needs replacing can only be judged on the value you place on your life. Rear springs are a different matter, they can either be replaced with new leafs or the use of coil/shocks or air lifts may be used. All work just as well. It just depends on whar purpose your car serves. If you pull a heavy trailer or carry cement blocks in the trunk, you'd better use air shocks. I hope this comes in handy to you. Remember the better your suspension, brakes, and tires are the safer you are and your passengers. Anyone can paint a car to look good, its whats underneath that counts also. Dick |