2004 Lincoln Navigator suspension

Low miles. Runs great. I really want to keep it. I do not like the air suspension system. Too many alarms and vehicle sits really low when not in use. I was told the original air suspension system can be replaced with a normal one and keep the vehicle raised all the time. How big is this job ? Can a regular mechanic do it or should I go to the dealer ? What price should I expect to have this done ? Thanks.

 

its a simple job. i have done many. they are sold as kits. replaces front struts and rear shocks, rear air bags. the technical part might be keeping the suspension light off. but it two will have instructions
for that.

 

I hope my experience will help someone.....

A local mechanic replaced the air suspension with a coil/strut kit. Vehicle looks and rides much nicer BUT....when he tried to deactivate the air suspension system, he messed up because he had no clue ! He grounded the module that controls the air suspension not knowing that this module controls several other functions. Consequently I lost my lift gate function, power running boards, interior delay light, even my power steering became harder to operate !! I took the vehicle to a local Lincoln dealer where they basically reversed the work of that mechanic and somehow were able to deactivate the air suspension only. Why do some mechanics take on jobs they clearly can not handle ?

 

I'm sure the mechanic thought he wouldn't have any problems doing the work. We all take on jobs/projects from time to time that are outside our scope of knowledge but that is how we learn. Remember it was just one small portion of the work [even though it had big consequences] that he failed on.

What was his response to his failure?

 

The mechanic didn't think he would run into trouble ... until he ran into trouble.

 

Look into Strut Masters. They make conversion kits to replace air ride suspensions.

 

Marksr, I respectfully disagree with you. When someone opens a big shop and advertises for his service, we have the right to expect he can deliver. At the very least, he should ask for help from more experienced techs or be honest and say the work is beyond his scope. A shop is a place to deliver service not to learn using other peoples' valuables and take chances- AND charge them for it. Imagine if there was a safety issue with the vehicle and I was driving down the highway at 70 mph ! There is a place to learn and a place to serve the public responsibly. Oh, he never returned my calls ! Feeling of guilt maybe ?

 

You won't find a mechanic that has worked on every type of vehicle. There are differences and nuances that a mechanic will come across for the first time. Normally his experience will guide him thru the repair. Dealership mechanics tend to focus on one brand usually know that brand intimately but not so much with other brands. A general shop knows a good bit about all vehicles but will routinely run into things they haven't done before.

The only fault I see with your mechanic was his avoidance of taking responsibility to see the fix thru. Part of any shop's reputation is doing the occasional job at a loss to insure the customer got what he paid for and will help keep the shop's reputation good. Obviously your mechanic isn't overly concerned with his reputation

 

here is where being a parts changer and a certified mechanic comes into play. like i said in my first post, the kits come with detailed instructions with pictures. if you can't follow that then there is way more issues here.