I need some advise on raising up my 1998 Riv... it needs to set 2 or 3 in. higher and the suspension seems too soft.... you feel the bumps too much.... I know absolutely nothing about the air ride suspension system....how do I improve it?????
First make sure the automatic level control is working. If you turn the key to run, but don't start the engine, the compressor (located right rear) will cycle for 3-5 seconds. There is a 35-55 second delay before that happens. Turn the key on, and walk to the back of the car, right side. Listen for the compressor. If it doesn't run, the back of the car will sit low, and the rear tires will have excessive negative camber. I had this problem. It turned out to be a single bad wire. I went through the trouble tree in the factory manual step by step, took me a long time (several days), but it narrowed it down to a single wire between the level sensor and the ALC relay under the rear seat. If the front struts have never been replaced, do them, it makes a world of difference. I used AC Delco replacements, the KYB's are stiffer, I like the Riv ride. Before I replaced the struts, the car wallowed and bounced excessively after dips in the road. Oh, and add the Caddy Seville strut tower brace. For 35-40.00, it's a no brainer. It makes a big difference in the feel of the car. I thought the Riv was a tight car before the brace. It's even better after.
What is a strut tower brace? Also, will that Seville brace work on a 2001 Lesabre the same way as the Riv?
A strut tower brace ties the two strut towers together. It prevents the towers from flexing. Since these cars are a unibody construction, they tend to flex. The brace stiffens up the front structure of the car. Shocks and struts make a huge difference in the ride and handling. You really dont notice the decrease in ride quality because they go bad over a long period of time. Once you put the new stuff in, your shocked at the improvement. If the car has a bit of mileage on it, do the front springs at the same time.
Here's some reading on the brace. It may fit the 2001 LeSabre. I think the 2000 and up LeSabre is a G body like the Riv. Anybody know for sure? http://rivperformance.editboard.com...installing-a-front-strut-tower-brace-t109.htm
Do you have 3 mounting bolts sticking out the top of the strut towers? The STS brace attaches to the 2 inside bolts on each tower. If you can provide the measurements across the engine bay between those bolts, and if you have clearance across as well, I can give you the specs of mine. In general, you need to replace those 4 oem bolts with slightly longer ones. Also, it is common on the Rivs to have to shim the bar up with a washer or 2 on those bolts to clear the brake fluid res. Post a pic of the back of your engine bay too, a good view of your strut towers will give an idea of the fit there, then the length is the question mark, and clearance of course.
Would the brace lessen the bumps being transmitted through the steering wheel on bumpy roads? I noticed that with all these cars I've driven the hood, fenders and steering wheel tend to shake and shudder a lot on bumpy roads. I don't have pic's of my car, but here are some 2000-2001 Lesabres from ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2000...oryZ6138QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem http://fc-kerbeck.ebizautos.com/shared/viewer.aspx?&iid=3047691&src=eBay&pid=3&auctiontype=1
I'm not sure what kind of cars you have been driving, but my Riviera has to be one of the tightest cars I've ever driven. Nothing shakes on my car, and it has 118,000 miles.
Hard to tell from the pics, but the towers look similar, though maybe set too far back in the engine bay? It's going to take some actual measurements by you that I can compare with the bar on my Riv. In fact, I'll go measure the width of the bar from mtg bolt to mtg bolt, and post back.
On the 98 Riv, the width across from bolt hole to bolt hole, is 44". The 2 inside mtg bolts are approx 4 3/8" apart, center to center. That should give you some idea of the possibility.
