What is the effect of the dynamic suspension setting?
I assumed that it made the suspension tighter, and that I could take corners at a higher speed, but I haven't felt that when driving it. I feel like normal suspension allows for faster cornering. If dynamic suspension is supposed to improve handling, what could be the reason why I feel like the car is less stable on the corners?

 

Dynamic mode stiffens the shocks so you get less body roll in corners and less squat/dive under hard braking and acceleration.

Dynamic mode will not create more cornering grip compared to Normal mode.

 

If you have the configurable dynamic you can leave the ride quality on normal. That's my usual practice. I also leave the steering on normal. The car rides plenty firm on the normal setting on our crappy roads.

I think the dynamic mode is more to sell cars than to actually improve handling. The physics of weight and grip certainly don't change when you flick the switch. I do agree that the more supple ride of the normal setting feels more secure at high speeds, especially over 100 mph as well as on rough pavement.

 

Funny, coming from a Nissan 350Z with Eibach and Hotchkis suspension, the F-Type feels like its floating and way too smooth over bumps. It's feels like I am in a Cadillac. I want to firm up the suspension a bit...

 

In track videos, the F-type certainly looks floaty and wobbly, compared to some of the other cars in class. Lowering the cg with heavier shorter springs should address that problem, but at the expense of a "luxury car ride".

 

I have changed my suspension to normal during dynamic mode. I've done it before when I've had other people in the car with me, but since I thought it was actually doing something useful I left it on dynamic when I drove alone.

 

One of the problems with adjustable dampers is that the spring rate doesn't change with the damper settings. Heavier damping is no substitute for a higher spring rate.


Until I get mine, I won't be able to do more than speculate on optimum settings. Probably a couple of months still. I expect that I'll find a setting I think it best of the available choices and leave it that way for almost all conditions. That's been my experience with adjustable damping in the past, whether on motorcycles or cars.

 

In my opinion this car has too much body roll. It needs stiffer anti roll bars. I wish someone made them. It's an obvious upgrade.

 

Surprised to hear this, because with my car i couldn't disagree more. But there may be some major difference for AWD vs. RWD.

 

I'm not sure about sway bars, but the AWD springs are stated to be 10% stiffer.

I don't feel body roll is a problem, I just think the suspension feels like it has a little more "float" or is a bit too "luxury comfortable" that what I'd prefer from a sports car. Of course, my back doesn't ache and my bones don't jar like they did in my previous ride.

 

The F-Type uses the same sway bars as the X350 XJ, S-Type, X150 XK, and it appears there is a crossover with the XF, for the front bar at least.

I did some research on the part numbers, and discovered the interchangeability. https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/w...-f-type-94044/

One forum member had some custom sway bars made for his XF, and is working with the supplier to commercialise these https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...pgrade-141963/

So there is some light at the end of the tunnel...

 

Like you, I couldn't disagree more with the "too much body roll" comment.

 

What body roll? Street or track? On Vegas quality streets a little float is good.

 

I doubt it. I suspect the difference is the driver.

 

Yeah but again, looking at your garage, you don't seem to have a benchmark for stable high speed cornering.

I also found my M5 to have a bit too much body roll, so I upgraded sways with Dinan and now it is very flat. I am used to products like Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control which keeps the car very very flat in cornering. The F-type has a ton of roll compared with almost every $100k+ sports car.

 

I own an XF and was thinking ahead that my next car could be an F type ad I think the XF has too much body roll. I thought the F-type with adjustable settings would give me best of luxury and sport. My alternate thinking was maybe an XFRS or XKRS. Anyone here have any comparative driving experiences with regard to body roll with the S family of cars?

 

Thanks for this. From the first thread i am taking away that there are a few sway bars within the JLR parts locker. Does the f-Type R Coupe use the same one as the XKR-S?

Also do we know any parameters which we can use to set specs of stiffness for the Korean supplier?

 

I believe that that is his current garage and not his historical one, so I don't think you can make that inference. Never assume someone's background.

It kinda sounds like you expect your car to have a ridged suspension. I have not noted significant differences between the F Type and other members of its class when concerning body roll, and deem it well within the acceptable range. But again, I've only spent significant time in the AWD unit with 10% stiffer springs (which I completely forgot about). I don't consider the F Type to even be that far off from the Alfa 4C, which is an excellent suspension setup, and one that I spent a considerable time testing during its development. The F Type is limited by its weight, but this is something you should have known going into things. Its never going to be an all out track monster like some of the lighter Porsches and Corvettes.

 

The issue that bothers me is not to do with weight. My 2014 M5 is considerably heavier. It is to do with body roll. Stiffer springs would help, but I think what it really needs is stiffer anti-roll bars.

The fact that Cambo suggests the anti-roll bars are shared with the S-type blows my mind. Jaguar is clearly relying on the springs to do the job alone. I think they need to improve the anti roll bars, not the springs.

 

I'm sure Foosh has done some drifting in the Winnebago.