2004 XJ8 shocks - how much, which ones?
 

04 XJ8 air suspension. A friend said $2500 for shocks? I need one (or 2) now. Fault light and audible leak/blown out bellows on right rear. Googling it, I found aftermarket shocks for $104 and it's the only one that came up. KYB brand sold at Auto Parts Warehouse. Is this the right one? Is the factory one real expensive? Is the KYB any good? Also does the car have to come apart to replace it or is it pretty straightforward?

One other thing.... What other parts do you replace? Obviously bellows but gaskets, seals, air hoses...? What's the normal list?

OK maybe it's the air spring. I thought that the shock was the whole shameel. Can anyone tell me about what's there and what's broke? The bellows is below the shock or spring or whatever. That's where the tear is and it's leaking.

shock absorbers
 

Hi, I had some problems and had to have a new rear air suspension shock absorber unit, it was about £400 from the main dealer before discount, have a look at this link for a pair of used ones on ebay over here in the Uk, if they are that much dearer in USA then you could consider inporting them from here, good luck ,
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2004-JAGUAR-XJ...d=p3286.c0.m14

info from my mechanic
 

I was talking with my jag mechanic about the costs of maintaning a XJR. He told me each shock absorber is over $1000. Sometimes after fixing, they also have to replace the air compressor in the rear under the trunk.

Hi Erik, just had my compressor changed, it is actually sited behind the front bumper panel or up through one of the wheel arches,main Jaguar dealer cost for the part over here was about £300 plus an hour or so to fit.
The unit under the boot floor is actually a central valve unit linking the shocks, I had that replaced as well, the part was about £320 , not sure on the labour time as they actually changed the shock absober unit at the came time and charged a total of 3 hours for both units.
I got some discount off these prices as I have been going to them for about 20 years or so, also, over here in the UK, if you have a car that is 4 years or older you get a special discount as well, it helps to keep older cars in the main dealer "loop" for service work etc.

i seen the air springs on ebay for around $300. let me search for a link for you




his the ebaystore link, the springs are on one of the eight pages.

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/useparts...68?_nkw=jaguar


credit to MarlboroLTS, this info was found on his informationg found here

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=20150

$330 USD shipped for a rear shock, his store also has many other parts that you may need to overhaul your suspension. cheers and goodluck


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2004-...Q5fAccessories

Nice work, and the KYB shocks previously mentioned can't possibly be for an XJ equipped with active suspension (CATS). That is a replacement for the comfort or sport suspension regular telescoping or tube shocks.

If someone has a Jag XJR equipped with CATS and the shocks go bad, can these shocks be exchanged with the less expensive non-CAT shocks? I understand you would loose the leveling component. Has anyone try this?

Its been done on RangeRovers for years.

Im sure if an XJ comes with both cats and non cats suspension they can be interchanged seeing as how they are on the same chassis. Whats needed as far as suspension componants and ecu's and how technical it gets is the question. Are US-spec cars offered without the CATS suspension anyway ? I thought all USDM Xj"s came with cats, and the sportier suspension on the XJR was just a software tweak

I did not know newer Jags were available without CATS, in USA or anywhere else?

Let us know how you come out on this. I've heard rumor of aftermarket shocks, but haven't seen any yet. The KYB shock must be for an earlier car. JTO is dead right on that one.

The shock comes with the air springs. There is a sport and comfort suspension. Most XJR models come with the sport suspension, but not all of them.

We are stuck going through Jaguar to get them. I don't know about the cost hitting $1000, but I can tell you that you will knock a big whole in a $1000 bill picking up just one.

No conversion kits for the Jaguars yet.

H.E.L.P. please.
I got a used shock but I don't think it's the right one. It says its from a serial # car G24118, my ser # is G19038 and the parts cutoff I see online is G29244. That should mean it's the right one. But.....

I went to jagtech site for the factory manual for my car. Their repair procedure definitely says to disconnect an electrical plug from the air spring unit. The unit I got has no elec connector. Just an air fitting & 4 bolts on top. Can someone who knows these cars tell me if this is right or wrong. I don't have the car with me righ tnow but I think I remember from memory that the spring on my car is a different shape, not a 10" long taper on the bellows but a more cylindrical bottom. When I diagnosed the leak I only saw the bottom of the spring.

I read that the correct spring for my G19038 car is # C2C23697, not C2C28531. This by another used parts dealer. Online I also found a replacement ? spring # C2C20164.
There is no number on the used unit I got that's anything like these numbers. There's a UPC sticker with: F308609101/f/02. Please help

thats alot of numbers. have you tried swapping the units ? take a photo of the replacement spring that should help yield you more information

No I haven't. When I do I'll know the answer. My problem is I don't have the car with me and can only go from memory and what I hear/read. If I have the wrong part I want to order the right one immediately before I wind up having to replace an overworked compressor along with it. Does anyone know if the 04 pre G29244 has electrical connections or not? I don't know who to believe.

my 2004 has electrical connectors. right between the bolts on the struts towers. there is also an air supply.

my car is G19627

maybe the electrical unit is something that can be swapped over from one shock to the other.

Thx. Your car was apprently made about 4 minutes after mine (G19036). If you have electric air springs then I have electric air springs.

hey brother i have good news for you.

i replaced my brake fluid and oil just right now and while i was under the hood i thought of you. i checked my strut tower for the electrical connection and gave it the one two.

turns out the electrical connector clipps onto the stud that is smack center of the shock on top, in between the bolts that secure it into place.

i removed it and theres no evidence of it looking like an electrical connector and there are no pins of anything that it attachs too. just clips into place so the shock you have shood work. as long as there is a stud on top in the center of the shock,spring. let me know and i hope that helps.

According to my parts list for 04 XJ8 rear struts:

To vin G29244 = C2C023697 $590
From vin G29245 = C2C028531 $468

You may also need to replace the strut seal = C2C018729 $2.20
and the strut boot C2C012560 $34.00

Don't know why the price difference is so much. I just missed the lower cost strut by a few cars!