You can't have one standard air spring to replace either a Comfort or a Sport one. I think Bilstein are being a bit disingenuous here. If it is a single air spring to replace either of the Jaguar fittings, I would expect a recommendation that they are fitted in pair, otherwise you have one spring rate on one side, and another on the other side.

Of course, Bilstein may be selling a unit where you can set the spring rate when you fit it to the car, but I doubt it.

 

So for me, I'd like to retain the stock Sport air suspension. That seems to rule out the Bilstein aftermarket B4s and the Arnotts.

That leaves me with:

• Jaguar dealer OEM (best price I've found is $1,084)
• A variety of rebuilts (w/prices around $325 each)

Since I have one, occasionally faulty front air spring, my preference would be to replace just that unit initially and see how it goes. (Car is an '04 w/59k miles.)

Regards,
Odysseus

 

Oh my. Life has ended as we know it. Your automobile is absolutely worthless now. No worries though, I'll forward $200 and send the truck to pick it up tomorrow... (grin)

 

I will blaspheme here and say I went through all this a couple years ago, saw most of what's been said here, and bought Motorcars Ltd. coilover kit. Haven't looked back. Can't tell the difference in ride, perfect ride height. And I never have to worry about another suspension fault. After all, the 04 XJR will never be on the lawn at Pebble. Not in my lifetime anyway. Just switch to coilovers, be done with it and enjoy the car. Or buy 2006 or later. I understand they didn't have the suspension curse of the 04. Just my 2 cents.

 

I will blaspheme right along. I am vacillating trying to figure out whether to spend $2K for two Bilistein air shocks or about $1200 on 4 coil overs. This has been my daily driver and will continue to be. My research shows that the clunking is not limited to Arnott's shocks but even the original shocks exhibited similar problems. Here's a couple of interesting threads:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...version-79499/

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...t-away-143111/

 

I really like my coils. I'm happy with the ride, but if you want to go lower, it does sit at stock airbag height. I would have preferred to lower the car, but I think once it gets a couple more years on the coils it may settle a bit lower, but looking stock isn't a real complaint technically.

 

I like the Motorcars LTD, Blackdog if I remember, because it also had the resistor and instructions to install, that fools the suspension computer into thinking all is well and not keeping your dash lit up with an air suspension fault. After reading about Arnott Air shocks, I just decided I'd rather go with another vendor.

 

Strutmasters makes a nice kit:

Jaguar XJR Suspension Parts And Kits - Page 1 - Strutmasters

 

Thanks for that link, Lagonia. I don't think that existed when I did my conversion. Looks like more people are getting in the game. That is a very nice looking kit and a good price. They might have got my vote if they'd been available.

 

Just chiming in on the arnott's. Had them for about 6-8 months, then they completely fell apart ... both sides. Noises, rattles, thumps etc. Rebuilt the whole front-end cause couldn't believe a new pair of shocks would do this. In the end, put in my old shocks and all noises gone.

Arnott of course stated I was the first and only person in the whole world to ever report such problems...right. In the end sent back for full refund. Of course, the shipping, return shipping and import duties cost me another $1,000 for this wasted experience. I live in Thailand.

I've used their rebuilt jag units and these are ok. Just recently have a damaged front-left and ordered a rebuilt jag unit from an eBay seller. He listed the jag unit, part numbers and pictures....what did I receive, the arnott unit.

Have decided to order the bilstein OEM unit, prices on britishparts.co.uk are the cheapest I've seen. About USD $670, and it's cheaper shipping from the UK for me. So orders in, see how we go.

Btw, anybody ever had a the upper front control arm puncture the car's body? On the top of the control arm is a little protruding ball and this actually stabbed straight through the body of my car in the engine bay. I have no idea when or how this happened. At the same time, the left front shock gave up and the windscreen cracked on the same side. I haven't been driving the car, but the driver/owner doesn't remember hitting anything except a large rock ... but on the opposite side of the car.

 

Well, I have to admit Arnott is just about the most customer service oriented company, I have ever dealt with. I just received overnight from FL a brand new rebuilt pair of Bilsteintested and assembled just for my car and my application from Arnott. I will make an appointment today, to have them installed tomorrow morning. I am almost positive this will solve my noise complaint. Since they will have the strutsout I will have them double check to make sure EVERYTHING is as it should be. Seeing how everything is new and has been changed and the noise didn't start until after the were rebuilt ones were installed.


These were built on 1-22-16 (as you can see by the date code) and delivered to me this AM. They didn't even make me pay this new set set. That is insanely honest and trusting of them and I on the other hand be the same way with them and send them back once the new ones are in. They made sure they were tested for noise as well as rebuilding the known defective bladders.


I am thinking that what happens is they just don't usually put new gas cartridges in them or the gas has leaked out if they did. Either way, they stand behind their product. Also note, the ride and handling is exactly as my originals were but now they don't have the exposed bladders. I think everyone is up in arms about nothing over them being comfort or sport struts. The ride and handling were identical to the originals except the bladders went. So, if your worried don't be. Arnott will stand behind their product, just give them a chance.

 

Let us know of your impressions once you have them on your car!

 

Funny...I just emailed them yesterday about rebuilding a factory jaguar shock. Was told the only option now available is to order their inhouse design. Of course, politely refused and ordered a new bilstein elsewhere.

Wait, that is the arnott unit you have ... not a bilstein. AS-2710 is their inhouse design. Hope it works out better for you, both of mine fell apart in under a year ... not to mention the constant air suspension warnings due to numerous faulty capacitors (or whatever it is you have inside the pointy cone on the top).

 

OK, update. New rebuilt Bilstein from Arnott are in and no more noise. The car does ride stiffer but I will get used to it. I actually like the smoother ride of the original Arnott's but these will do. It is just a matter of getting used to them. Good luck guys. I'm happy! Arnott came through!

 

FYI, it took them 30 minutes per side to R/R them.

 

You don't want the original bags system rebuilt. You want the newer ones that are used on all the MBZ, Jaguar, BMW, Bentley and Range Rover and every other high end manufacturer. You cant get the exposed bags originally made my Goodyear. They are all made by Continental and the construction is night and day. You will be more pleased with the rebuilds than you were with your original old fashioned ones. Plus, they are more protected and will last twice as long if not longer.

 

Bit confused ... you have AS-2710? Do these have the module on the top of the shock to delete the CATS? From my understanding, this is arnott's design and not the original jaguar shock or the OEM bilstein. I had these units about 3-4 years ago and they made all the same noises you originally described. I sent them back and had my original jaguar shocks rebuilt instead. About 100,000 km since then (lots of driving) and they're still perfect.

The left front blew out recently, but there must have been some catastrophic damage as the windscreen and body were damaged as well. So can't blame the shock for that.

I've ordered the bilstein OEM unit as a replacement. My experience with Arnott was quite different, though polite, some people were friendly and helpful while others just couldn't be bothered. But in the end, their inhouse product failed me.

 

Bit confused ... you have AS-2710? Do these have the module on the top of the shock to delete the CATS? No, mine have the CATS connection on top of the tower and seem to work well. They from what I know, never had a delete on them. The 2710 units are very nice. I do think they are making rolling upgrades as time passes and will keep doing so. I am sure they don't want to keep losing money by making defective products and having to keep replacing them. I think they are trying to learn as they progress as a company and give you excellent value for your money.

 

That's very strange, as I also have a brand new AS-2710 sitting next to me and it surely has CATS deleted. The pyramid shaped dome on the top of the strut houses a capacitor which fakes the ECU into thinking CATS is still available; when it is not. The OE and OEM units do not have this pyramid.

I think you might be a bit confused. The connector on the top doesn't really do anything but keep the ECU happy. Arnott inhouse units have never had CATS, they have no adaptive suspension capabilities.

From my understanding, this is completely designed inhouse and has nothing to do with the original jaguar or bilstein strut (as in, it's not a remanufactured core). It's brand new.

Have a look at the pictures I've attached below (apologies for odd colors). This is the identical strut to what you have and as you can see, it has a bypass unit in the pyramid to disable CATS.

In fact, straight off Arnott's website: "The Arnott designed Jaguar replacement shock has internal dampening and will come with a bypass sensor built in to bypass the Jaguar CATS and message on your dash. This shock can replace both the Sport and Comfort OE shocks with a ride that is neutral."

I've also attached the Arnott technical spec. for the coil sensor, it just dummies a signal.

This is the same strut I had 3-4 years ago which fell apart on me. I don't know if they've improved the design, but I won't trust it again ... hence why I've ordered the bilstein. Also nice to retain CATS.

Just clarifying what the products are so that anyone who reads this thread later won't get the wrong idea about what these really are.

 

. You might be right I just know mine are Bilstein units, they are thinner tubes than the ones you have pictured and have a different covering than the last set up that they sent me and from the ones you are showing. They have on my invoice as being remanufactured Bilstein strut assemblies. I can tell you they ride differently than the ones before and I ccouldnt give two shakes about the CATS working or not working. As long as the car is quiet and rides and handles well, that is all I care about. It not my Bentley GT Speed or my new CL 600 with hydraulic fully active suspension. It's an older nice high quality driver. So as long as it gets me from point A to point B with a touch of distinction, it's all good. Unless you specify you want a Bilstein rebuilt strut you will only get an Arnott version. I didn't realize that the used a dummy chip but hey what you don't know won't hurt you right? What did I know, I didn't know the difference between the way it rode with the Jaguar strut or the Arnott ones. I do know it is a much stiffer ride now, that is for sure. Anyway, it cost me nothing so why do I care what they put in as long as they do what they are supposed to! People can make up their own minds. For me it in unimportant.