I'm starting to do some research into potential suspension upgrades to one of my MK2's that I will be restomodding.


Will be restoring an original numbers matching manual 3.4. but I also have a 3.8 auto, that's a bit rusty and not original at all, and I'm planning on going all out on that one, sort of pro touring style.


I came across this website while having a look at possible front end suspension swaps as a viable solution.


They have made a direct bolt in solution for the Volvo P1800 and Amazon, but it appears to be a straight forward setup, and I could design a setup the same as that pretty easily.


Swedish Ops


Can anyone point me in the right direction as to potential suppliers or the arms, hubs etc, or what you think might be a good factory car I could retrofit the parts from, such as a corvette setup or an MX5.


I'll even look at options to go a 4 link suspension setup in the rear as well. Just want to start designing the front end first.

 

That link is pretty cool, very nice work they have done to old Volvo's.


I have not seen any kits and know what you mean as I own several very fast modified Datsun 240Z's and that is a car that can out handle most cars due to the very good double A -arm design front and back. I would make sure you really think of the total build and make sure you have enough cash to finish the car. The reason why I say that is you can make these old Jags handle pretty well. They may never be sports cars like a 240Z but I think good enough for a reasonably balanced four door sports sedan without going to that expense. My car is a 3.8s which is very close to a MKII but has the IRS in the rear which you might think of swapping. I installed coil overs all the way around, changed the springs, and welded some extra bracing to the rear arms, etc. This car has an aluminum block LS1 with about 450-460HP and it runs fine with this setup and will do 0-60 in the high three's. I would have loved to have a suspension like my Z cars on a Jag but that to me is a huge cost and massive custom work beyond what I already did and not sure a sedan is worth that expense?


For me I built a perfect performance sedan that is a comfortable cruiser yet has enough performance to hold its own against modern sedans plus enough acceleration to embarrass many sports cars. Check out my car as it might give you ideas
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/m...st-done-73952/


Also Doug has a great custom Jag on this forum that you might also get ideas on...
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/m...ark-2-a-94824/

 

I've browsed both threads a few times, some great info in both.


There just doesn't seem to be the aftermarket support that deviates away from upgrading the stock stuff to an extent, unlike a lot of other brands have.


I'd much rather build it myself anyway.


I figure, if I plan on an engine conversion, upgrading brakes, fitting a steering rack, coilovers, the option of designing a complete modern setup will yield much better results than upgrading the stock setup.


Being a mechanic, i'll be doing everything myself, so the only labour outsourcing will be any engineering solutions I require, hence why I was hoping to find a "universal kit" that might supply unequal arms, and a hub kit as a whole unit, along with measurements.


I guess i'll just source some other cars arm setup and make a crossmember to suit

 

Tubular Wishbones


Seems like what I'm after.

 

I'm a bit puzzled here, because a Mark 2 already has double-wishbone front suspension ! Rear is a live axle, and converting this would be a major work item. There is nothing on the body shell to attach the Jaguar IRS subframe to.

 

What I mean to ask for which I have found from a few places, is a modern setup, one with unequal length arms that provides a much better suspension geometry, not like the factory stuff that comes with positive camber and weighs a ton.


Something that has a modern lightweight spindle design that can take sealed hubs and a multitude of brake options, properly designed to incorporate a coilover setup, and a steering rack.


By the time I factor in a steering rack and brake upgrade to the stock setup, the cost of doing that, I could source a much more modern setup and adapt it to suit.

 

If you are really that ambitious you might want to check out this guys MK2. It has the rear end modified to accept a Jaguar IRS from a v12 Jag, custom suspension, wide body, and a crazy amount of modifications.




Here is his custom suspension set up. This is exactly what I think you are dreaming of but this is a LOT of work. He fabricated the adjustable suspension and is very well done. You might want to contact him to see if he would make and sell you the parts?




Now you better be willing to shell out some money for these custom parts and put a ton of time or pay someone a lot of labor to duplicate this but this is one of the best Jaguar classic sedans I have ever seen. The other Jag company making restomods is Beecham, they take a MK2 and restomod it wth all new Jag V8, suspension, etc. and sell for over $100K. Many of us have been inspired by that to make our own take on something similar.

 

be good to see how you fit the wish bones to the mk2 rails,
I would like to do the same sort of things,
but maybe use the mk2 uprights still,as I have some xjs ones,

 

My initial thinking of this is to design a bolt in subframe pretty much the same as the standard setup, keeping the wishbone setup attached to the subframe, but with the use of modern lightweight parts, that are readily accessible, cheap and have a lot of aftermarket support, something like the C5 corvette assembly. I've even considered just sourcing a complete unit from a modern car, and modding the jags rails and width of it crossmember to suit, I've read about the early 2000 ford Lincoln setup being a complete enclosed independent aluminium unit, and cheap because it was mass produced. Wheel base would be an issue with grafting another models crossmember under there, which can be rectified by shortening the centre of it, or modifying the guards to be wider.


I'm well aware of the engineering required, and the time and money, I have a lot of mechanical knowledge, Ive built a 500hp R34 skyline, granted a lot of that is just bolt on parts, I've built a drift car and modified suspension for greater steering lock, restored old cars before, and have these mk2's I'm planning on working on soon, once my workload lessens, plus I have a lot of friends in the right places (except a CNC machine)


I don't pay other people to do work I can do, unless it requires specialty parts/machine work, and for my previous cars I've always dealt with an engineer to keep it road legal, this wont be some pieced together backyard hack.


As of now, I'm just seeing what is out there and if it has been done before, compared to a lot of other models, it seems no one really deviates too much from the norm with the Jaguars, granted you have beecham and a few individuals out there - Primaz included.

 

I would check out some of the "American" car aftermarket suspension systems that are available. With the current popularity of "resto-mods" & "pro-touring" cars there are many parts & kits available.(see; Speedway, Heidts, Art Morrison, etc.) Besides the Corvette f/susp., one other popular choice is using a Ford Crown Vic. unit.

 

I was thinking the size of a subframe but welding it to the rails as I was going to do solid mounts anyway,
so would be about the same,
beeches only upgrade the mk2,and the guy doing the wide body mk2 if you look he has only made some fixings to take the bottom of the coilovers its still the same as mk2,

 

I had mentioned the ford unit previously to Primaz, it seems like a readily accessible complete piece of gear.


I was watching part of a wheeler dealer episode last night, I cannot stand that sales guy, such a knob, but Edd was retrofitting a modern jaguar front end into a Ford Modular kit car/hot rod.
Any idea what that setup was from? Its also a complete independent setup that can be altered to suit anything

 

Since Ford and Jaguar interchanged platforms during their "relationship" it could very well be a Ford unit. (putting in a "Jag" part would sound better then saying its a Ford!!!!) see:https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-built-121654/

 

To me the Jaguar suspension overall is a good quality design but what was missing in the MKII is the rear being non independent suspension. That is why the wide body videos I posted is one of the ideal ways to get really good handling. That way you are putting the 3.8S IRS or some other Jaguar IRS in the rear with the inboard brakes then with modifications to the stock front you end up getting a good design.


Doug grafted a newer Jag front end for his V8 swap which to me is also a great upgrade for the front end.


One other way to do the rear upgrade to IRS is what the new restomod by Callum has done which is to put in an IRS with outboard brakes. I can see why the wide body did the inboard now. The reason to me is that you can put larger tires in the rear besides inboard brakes look cool.


Now most American suspensions from other cars are not the greatest for handling to me. If you want something better than the above grafting is not the road to take but rather a completely new frame similar to this thread on this forum
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/m...s-trap-129320/


He is putting a well known frame/suspension firm Art Morrison. Now to me the only drawback again is these were cars with reasonably good handling so I would want to make them great handling and to me that means IRS in the rear and NOT make it a hot rod straight line car. I would go with a full Art Morrison frame but have him set it up with an IRS. Putting a four link rear is to me a straight line hot rod setup and to me you devalue these sedans as they handled good for their era and can still handle good in today with modifications to their design.


The stock front can be modified with coil overs, better springs, adjustable shocks and just using different combos of the shims which is what these cars have for adjustment will yield a good handling front setup. The rears ideally should be IRS that is what they found when they made the 3.8s version that it handled better. That stock 3.8s IRS will also handle good with just the addition of coil overs and different springs, shocks, and combos of the stock shims. You might not think these Jags have adjustments compared to more modern sports cars with custom camber plates, camber adjustments via bolts, etc. but their old school shims with other mods will make these cars handle good. For great you need more custom parts like the wide body person did or go for a full frame with suspension designed on the frame but make the rear IRS. Remember putting adjustable front suspension is great but if you do not make the rear the same which is IRS fully adjustable then you have not gained that much. The only more bolt on direct swap is getting the Art Morrison frame and having the rear IRS to me. You might try to find out how the Callum did the rear outboard brake IRS to see if it is easier than the custom cutting and welding of the wide body otherwise there is no bolt on suspension other than a complete bolt on frame with suspension. Great handling cars like Datsun Z cars, Ferrari, etc. are four wheel IRS well balanced and yes adjustable but remember unless you race you only need some of the adjustability not every item is required for great street handling.

 

The car already has the unequal a-arms. There are videos of V-8 installs with rear IRS being switched from the newer cars. Jags already come balanced and really the only improvement per se would be totally modern. Rails have to be reinforced as the single body platform is weak in itself. The suspensions front and rear are a critical piece of car when installed and care to precision installing of custom mod pieces is critical.

 

I think you can see there is no simple swap but on the other hand by modifying the stock these sedans can handle quite good. Again to help better clarify that good to me is likely to be great for most here as my other car is a highly modified Datsun 240Z running fully adjustable suspension, coil overs, 345 wide rear tires and 285 front tires which easily out handling the majority of the supercars today as it pulls well over 1 G, taking a typical freeway cloverleaf at over 80 mph with ease without any traction loss so if I push it to the point of mild drift the car would go well in excess of 80 mph.


My Jaguar 3.8s is running 245 wide 40 series tires on all four corners (the width & quality of your tires can be a huge % of handling and these wider tires make a huge difference compared to skinny stock tires), fully adjustable coil overs with better quality stiffer springs this enables me to lower the car and not reduce spring travel, fully adjustable shocks are on all four corners, sway bars, new bushings, and the camber has been improved with just additional shims. I did beef up some of the suspension supports but that is because I am running a 450-460 HP V8. Yes my car is a 3.8s so it has IRS in the rear so I do have that advantage over a MKII. The brakes are upgraded to Wilwood 4 piston in the front, rears are stock disc with better pads and all four corners have braided lines. This setup is night and day compared to a stock Jaguar and definitely handles good to me and for most here they would likely say great. My Jag can handle better than most modern stock cars and way better than a stock Jag. I know that the IRS helps but a MKII with what I did without the IRS to me would likely handle pretty decent.


I doubt no matter what mods you do that a heavy sedan like these would be great handling like a sports car but how far you take the importance of increase handling is up to you. I think it is well worth modifying the stock setup and most would be pretty pleased with the handling performance.

 

I've got an S type as well sitting there with a 4.2L and manual overdrive in it, but like all the cars I purchased, requires a bit of work to get drivable, they've all sat for at least 10years.


I purchased two MK2 Jaguars, one a 2.4 auto, not matching numbers, and the other, fully rust repaired, laser aligned panels etc, in primer, matching numbers rebuilt 3 1/2 litre manual and an S type for a price I would rather not say, plus I already have a 3.8 auto (not numbers matching)


So I have options on which car I want to play with, personally I'm not a fan of the S type at all, the rear end is too long.


If I plan on putting a modern driveline/suspension setup under one, chassis mods are most likely inevitable, problem being an IRS setup will be more work than a 4 link, but nothing is ruled out yet.


Going widebody also isn't ruled out, if it means again I can fit a setup that doesn't require cutting or adjusting its track width to suit.


Just going of the racing class solely for the mk2, its evident they can be made to handle utilising the stock stuff being modified, but that's not what I want to do here, I want to change the stuff to a modern setup.


Once I get a hoist setup in the shed, i'll start having a poke around the cars, measuring, researching etc.


Need to rebuild my RB26 though, unfortunately I cracked a piston ringland recently.

 

anything you put under back or front you will have to cut and chop up,
stype irs will fit ok,you will need to make up some mounts,
you will need to make something for back and front,

 

Stoney85,


He is right the S type IRS can be installed into a MK II as well as other Jaguar IRS setups. As an example you can see what JD Classics like Beecham has done which is a Jaguar IRS into a MKII

Why would you ever want a 4 link? To me you are going backwards, why go thru all that work and still have a solid axle? It is not that more work to get a fully independent suspension. You may not be a welder but just pay a shop and get it done right. If you talk to a fabrication shop they will tell you it is not that difficult for them to modify the car to accept a IRS.


A four link is really for more of a hot rod straight line car and the classic Jaguar sedans are really more handling sedans so if you want to improve it as you say with a modern suspension then IRS is the way to go; otherwise leave the back stock and just improve the parts.


I have seen many MK II's that put either the 3.8s IRS into the rear or more modern versions of that Jag IRS into the rear. Also he Callam Jaguar went with outboard disc brakes in the rear with an IRS.


To me either modify the rear to accept an IRS in the rear or upgrade stock setup in the rears. The other option is to go with a full custom frame with modern suspension. It does not make sense to me to even consider any solid axle design and the modifications needed as you are not improving the rear to a true modern IRS and you are greatly devaluing the car and it's potential, why? Modern handling cars DO NOT use 4 links they are fully independent rear suspensions and NOT straight axle cars.

 

I've got an 85 XJ6 I picked up for free, which i'm getting mechanically sorted, it's too rusty to bother saving other than for a parts car, with the possibility of using the setup front and rear from that. seeing as its what a lot of kit cars and hot rodders use for suspension setups.


I only mentioned 4 link, as its an upgrade from the stock setup that wouldn't require too much work in comparison to cutting everything out and going IRS setup, front leaf spring mounts could be utilised as mounting points for the 4 link arms. It would be a much more feasible/easy option to get engineered compared to a lot of chassis rail modifications to fit IRS.


And a tubbed rear end on 4 link shortened live axle setup would look pretty good, sure it wont handle the corners as well as a modern IRS setup though.