Hello,
I just purchased a 2004 XJR, one owner, 16,000 miles.....yes true mileage. My second day of ownership and I had to call the flatbed, car dropped in front. I'm not new to this problem as I also have a 2004 XJ with 172,000 miles.
I've read these air shocks have a life expectancy of 100,000 miles with no mention of time. Is it reasonable for a factory spring to fail with 16,000 miles? Is this air spring system really that flawed?
I'm feeling a little DEFLATED
Mike

 

16k but 7 yrs old, and rubber seals and orings care more about age than mileage. They dry out and loose their "sealing" abilty. 2 things that kill cars and parts.
1)lotsa use
2)little use
#2 is much harder on rubber. This is why tires dry rot more sitting around, as thyere used the rubber "lubricates" itself and retains pliabilty longer. Buy some arnot shocks for the front, theyre $400, lifetime warranty.
Or call motorcarsltd and replace the entire system with coil over springs and eliminate the air suspension system altogether

 

The driver side front spring had been replaced 6 months ago at the Jag dealer, I replaced the passenger side with an Arnott, installed by jag dealer.
Two weeks later on a short trip the back got bouncy, dropped on passenger rear, seems obvious back springs now out.
Arnott has no sport/rear in stock and has no idea when they will. I've purchased from them in the past and had no problems, but this has me worried. They state "cores coming in are so bad they can't rebuild". I'm thinking more about replacing the system with coil/spring from motorcarsltd. The cost of parts and labor will run $3,400. Anyone here have any experience with this system? ride, comfort, performance? Dealer wants $1,000 each for rear and $500 labor. I could sell the two front with less than 2,000 miles along with all the other air system that now has a total of 18,000 miles.
Thanks for your help.
Mike

 

They are NOT air shocks but actually AIR SPRINGS with dampers.

bob gauff

 

I stand corrected, thank you.
The question is "has a member here replaced the AIR SPRING system with coil/shock from motorcarsltd, I think it's also called bulldog industries. I a member here says the ride is as was or better I cant wait to rid the car of air suspension.
Air suspension is like a swimming pool on the roof, sooner or later it WILL leak.
Mike

 

Everytime I order parts from Whit at BPI he asks if I need to install the kit into a customer car. I don't have many customers with the X350 (mostly XKs and older XJs with a few X and S_types) so I have not done this conversion yet.

P.S. it's BLACKDOG MANUFACTURING

bob gauff