Did this end up dropping any more after driving a bit? Still looks a bit high, but I assumed it dropped a bit more. Currently agonizing over the decisions to swap or not. My air still works well but I need to replace every single control arm under there so figured it would be a good time to do the conversion and save me future headaches. Really tough decision with a currently working air system, I love how the car rides (except for the horrible sequaks from the perished control arm bushings, ball joints...).

 

Hi 87LC2,

My gut says that you don't need to rush to convert to coils just because you need to replace control arms. Yes, you would save some labor, such as removing the front air spring/dampers in order to replace the upper control arms and then having to do it again if you ever convert to coils. But in the grand scheme of things, you won't save that much labor. If you're careful with things like the ride height sensors and air hose fittings, you should be able to swap control arms and continue to enjoy your working air suspension.

I have converted more than a dozen X350s & X358s to coils, and the latest Arnott coil kits with Eibach springs and shocks are really very good, and the Suncore kit is good as well, though I have only installed one. But I still prefer the better-controlled ride, self-leveling and adaptive damping of the air suspension when it's healthy.

Cheers,

Don

 

I have had two 2004 XJ8 - first one I had the coilovers (arnott) and the second has the OEM air. Nothing rides like the original setup and it looks better. I think it is worth the headache IMO. Looks better too.

 

It has settled a bit more in the months since installation, but from what you're saying, I wouldn't get rid of the air just yet, but certainly do the stuff for new bushings. As already stated, the work to swap the struts is not that much, and you're not saving an awful lot of time or labor doing coilovers "just because you're in there."

 

The *** end of mine never dropped like it should - it always rode high. Stick with the air. I notice about a 30% difference in ride smoothness. I want to float.

 

Replacing the air struts is not difficult, just expensive for the parts (and Rock Auto is still under $500 per strut with reasonable international shipping). It also is not going to make much difference if done alone rather than do it whilst replacing bushings, etc. (and when you do have them replaced, make sure they are properly lubricated so the car does not sound like bed springs over bumps). The only labour charges you will save is getting it on the car lift.

The defining feature of the top-of-the-line Jaguar is its ride. On the highway, it rides like a plush American barge of the 1960's, but as soon as you hit the hills on a two-lane road with curves, the car feels like it has shrunk to a sports car, or at least a GT. That is due to the brilliant engineering that gave the XJ its air suspension. Yes, it can be replaced with a conventional spring/shock system, but in doing so you have turned it into a Ford Crown Victoria - nice, but not a Jag anymore.

There are two approaches to older car ownership, well three actually
.

1. Every ten years or so replace everything that is known to go wrong with the car, regardless of whether it needs it or not. Even a 1960's Alfa will become rock solid reliable. Benefit - save labour costs with all apart, and you don't need roadside assistance
2. When something begins to need attention, replace it. If there is a scarcity of a particular part, order it when it is in stock and keep it on the shelf
3. Keep driving, put up with the bits that are not working, let the upholstery tear and expose the foam beneath, bog the corrosion, ignore the dents and finally sell it to someone who restores it to glory, or to a breaker

Best to stop agonising, fix the bushes, etc and if you have the funds, order the air struts from Rock Auto and the rebuild kit from Banjo Andy and put them on the top shelf in your garage.

 

I know this will generate hate mail from people with a lot of money to waste on air suspension. I ordered a spring strut kit the day I bought my 05 VDP five years ago for less than the price of one air strut. I'm happy with the ride. May ride slightly higher although I didn't measure. Haven't spent a dime on suspension since. When these cars sit on the ground it stresses and tears the bushings. I just cannot understand why anyone would keep pouring money into air suspension on a 5,000 dollar car. Sorry if I hurt anyones feelings. Tom.

 

No one hates you. The point of a forum is for people who have experience to communicate with people who are looking for advice from those who have experience.

In the case of the X350/X358, the car is in that period where for some it is an old car and for others a soon-to-be classic. How the owner views their car has a direct bearing on these questions.

For the person who spends $5,000 on an old car, I fully agree, it makes no sense to spend $2,000 on four air struts if half that will keep the car going in comfort. For the person who spends $5,000 on a classic, it's a different proposition. They are not thinking about selling.

I have an Alfa I bought for $4,000 back in 1990. It's now worth $40,000. Yet when it was worth $4,000, I spent a proportionately large amount of money on things like an Ingram Spica rebuild rather than slapping on some Webers I had in the shed. Why? Because it was a keeper. Now, as a proper 54 year old classic, collectors are favouring the original cars with the Spica. Things like matching numbers in cars means something, whereas when it was just an old car, anything that works was the sensible approach. I'm happy about the value increase, especially as I am getting to the age where it may be time to sell, but money was never a consideration. I bought the car because I love the ride, especially on club track days; I loved the design especially the boat tail; indeed everything about it suited me, including owning a car I only drove on sunny days and never in winter. For me it was a luxury, not a waste of money. I convinced my wife it was better than gambling or bingeing, and since I always bought her a sexy convertible (Alfa then SLK) in addition to her shopping cart (currently a Nissan Leaf) I ensured domestic tranquillity.

Jaguar epitomises aesthetic enjoyment. A old Jag that rides like new is like a fine wine - appreciated by those with an educated palate. Toyota, for example, sells to the masses, people who want to get from A to B and not spend time in the shop because their car broke down. Then there are buyers of many Mercedes who are like Rolex buyers - they see the status symbol but have little appreciation of the qualities that made the Mercedes name. Indeed, many newer Mercedes are riding on a reputation long gone... and I speak as one who has owned 11 over the years and still owns 2.

Jaguar was always different. In the early days, they were not particularly outstanding in the mechanical end, but visually were works of art. When Ford took over, they raised the mechanical and electrical standard, and made amazing investments in the aluminium body, but the people at Jaguar ensured the Jag qualities, including the ride and clubroom interior were maintained. The visual distinction was retained as well, although under the skin it was a radically-positive change.

As for "people with a lot of money to waste", I think you are being a bit harsh. That category would include everyone who buys a new car that suffers significant depreciation in the first two years, except someone has to buy new in order to supply the used car market. Buying a new car is a waste of money, but people who buy a new car do not consider it a waste because they like new. Collectors go to extreme ends to restore an old car, whereas anyone can walk into a dealer, plunk down the dosh and drive out with a perfect 'restoration' where everything is brand new (ignoring for a moment the warranty repairs due to defects). If life were solely measured by cost, then we would have no fashion industry and our cars would resemble Cuba's cars or George Washington's axe.

In this web site Jaguar was considered one of the marques that suffered the least depreciation, but it still suffers 86.7% depreciation over ten years.



And it reaches its lowest value in 17 years



So your car, a 2005 has just hit its bottom value, and now the survivors will begin to appreciate - with the collector market looking for the best, most original cars.

That puts you in an interesting position. Five years ago, you bought an old car. Now, it is at the turning point. If you keep it original and maintain it in excellent condition, it will increase in value... or at least it would have prior to climate change. There now is a big question among classic collectors if there will be affordable fuel in 20 years. We may need to set up distilleries and convert our cars to alcohol, or have to pull out the ICE and replace it with a motor and batteries.

 

What about those who have air suspension without spending a dime?
Which I cleverly manage by...err...not driving much.

 

X350; Thanks for your polite reply. I have owned a number of Jags over the years. Love them and especially the bargain prices. 75 XJL 85 XJS V12 Coupe 95 XJS Conv. four 6cyl VDPs two XJ8s XJR and this VDP. Still have the pristene 98 XJ8. I also appreciate collector cars which yes are appreciating. Orignal 1955 ****** Aero 2dr HT. 1957 Ford E code (2 4bbls from factory) 1963 Buick Riveria ,These are fully restored. And a pristine 1999 Ford LIGHTNING pickup. I would like to have the 75 XJL back and my beloved 928 Porsche back, both are available. Currently have 9 vehicles all licensed and insured But alas I am too damn old to do any more cars.

 

Thank you all for the replies. Just got back to this as the wife and I have been sick the past couple of days - daughter brought home a bug from school. The joys of having a 2 1/2 year old...

Anyway - Sounds like I should try to keep the air, even though my gut is telling me its just going to cause me issues down the road. The car does ride great and I'd hate to give that up, but its also my primary driver and don't really need any headaches. The car does sag when it gets really cold out, but other than that has been trouble free. I guess I could just move forward with the other suspension work and let the air stay at least for the upcoming warmer months. I have not heard great things about the Arnott replacement air dampers and also beleive they do not keep the OE CATs system functioning properly. I think before I replaced any of the dampers with Arnott I'd do a conversion so my thought was to just do it now and be done with it. If the OE units were more readily available I'd be more apt to keep the original system, but they don't seem so easy to find these days and when you do they're very expensive.

 

Hello Everyone:
Current update on my 2005 VDP restoration. I have completed all the front and back suspension replacement. I replaced every thing front and back and have changed the brake pads, rotors, tires and transmission mount. Taken all the dents out and repainted all panels that had problems. Car looks and drives like new. I had to replace all the Strutmaster shocks as they were all bad. The bad shocks were causing all the front and rear noises. One thing I learned after shock replacement. I noticed several Jag people have used the BC Racing coil overs. I am old and want a soft ride and the BC racing coil overs are all adjustable. If I have trouble with the shocks I purchased,( Rock Auto generic) this is a no brainer with the BC coil overs. Adjust the softest of the ride to your liking. I have read several jag owners loved the adjustability of these BC shocks. If the ride is too firm just get out and adjust them with a screw driver. My car already had the Strutmaster conversion kit installed. So I did not get to replace the old air suspension. Personally I would keep the air suspension as long as I could. I did have a 04 VDP with air suspension and I loved the ride. The new suspension on my 05 rides not harsh but I would call semi-firm. Nice handling around corners and I don't loose a kidney on bumpy roads. You may want to look at the BC Racing coil overs because of the adjustability. The price is less than the Arnotts and you can adjust them to your kind of ride.

JDog

 

The only issues with going BC Coilovers with an 06+ car is getting the dash lights off. I looked into these after the good reviews on the site but couldnt find an answer to turning the warning lights off with a newer model. For 04-05 cars you can just unplug the module, but 06+ requires the bypass which I have not seen available separately.

 

Hi 87LC2,

The '04 cars will definitely trigger the various suspension warning lamps if the ASM is unplugged (I owned one so I know firsthand).

I seem to remember discussions that for cars made after some point in 2005 the module could be unplugged without triggering the warnings. You may find the discussions by searching the forum. I believe a representative of Arnott participate in the discussion.

For a period of time, Arnott Industries did supply its Electronic Bypass Module only for cars made prior to a certain month and year, but they now provide the EBM with their kits for every model year from 2004 to 2009. I have installed coil conversion kits in every year of X350 and a couple of X358s, and I have installed the EBM in every one of them. Unfortunately (and not surprisingly), Arnott will not sell its EBM separately.

Cheers,

Don

 

Hi JDog,

Congratulations on completing all of that work on your VDP! Any chance you could post some photos for the rest of us to enjoy?

Regarding the BC Racing coilovers, I have to wonder how "soft" the "softest" setting of a "racing" shock would be...

Cheers,

Don

 

Perhaps I have that backwards? I could have sworn reading through threads that the 04-05 cars could simply leave the module unplugged and all was well. Is it actually the 06+ cars that just need the module unplugged? If that's the case the BC looks like a more intriguing option. I know Arnott (and others) include the module for all 04-09 cars but could have sworn I read that only the later cars really needed it.

My main issue with the suspension at this point is the awful creaking/squeaking its making. I fear that it may be the damper units themselves making the noise as I've tried to temporarily "lube" the control arms, ball joints, etc. to see if I could find the source and noises are still there. The car has just under 50k miles on it now (I've put just over 8k since I purchased in September '22) but all of the suspension wear items need to be replaced. I'd hate to replace everything, leave the air, and not get rid of the noise but can't isolate it at this point to be 100% sure. It sure is embarrassing though driving such a beauiful car and having it make noises like that, very annoying.

 

all pre-356 cars can be unplugged or fuse pulled he just forgot to reset the battery

 

Don: I will post some pics of the completed 05 VDP adventure soon.

87LC2: You are experiencing the same thing I encountered. I would fix one thing and the noise would still be there. So I said to hell with it and fixed EVERYTHING. Every suspension part was replaced. I did not use all Jaguar parts or it would have cost double what it cost me. I still have one small squeak in the left front when I go over bumps. The steering wheel squeaks when I turn sharply to the left or right. I lubed the small wheel in the steering column but to no avail. I purchased the power steering fluid additive but have not put in yet since it is still cold outside. Still have to address these items. BUT these cars are 18 years old. Even with low mileage ALL of the suspension has to be addressed. I even put new shocks. (generic from Rock Auto) until I decide which shocks to replace with. The RA shocks are really pretty good. I hope someone will come forward that have the BC adjustable coil overs. I would like to see how soft the ride is without bottoming out. I am still trying to find the softest ride without going to the air suspension as my VDP already had the conversion done.

 

Yes, exactly. My car had 41k miles when I bought it a few months back and the first time I got it in the air and removed the wheels I was pretty horrified by what I saw bushing & dust boot-wise. Pretty much everything under there is perished. I was a bit discouraged at first, but after reading realized its just inherent with these cars. It's funny because even now the car rides beautifully with no clunks or awkward handling, just the squeaking. Already have most of the parts ordered (not OE for the most part), just a few more pieces to get. Going to replace all control arms, tie rods, and stabilizer links.

Which generic shocks did you buy from RA for yours? Would be interested to know which will fit other than the "conversion kits".

I don't have much experience with the x350 yet and only limited experience with Jags (mostly x308 XJRs), but I am in love with my 06 and can't imagine driving anything else. I love it so much I've been looking for another and have come across a very nice one with only 51k miles but will go into that purchase a lot differently that this one. Luckily (for buyers) these cars aren't too expensive even with lower mileage, but I'll be sure to check everything under there and unless it has documented replacement will assume it needs doing. I doubt it will help much in negotiation but couldnt hurt. It's funny, my car was dead silent at 41k, but after being driven daily for the past 6 months and 7-8k miles it has developed all of the noises I described. Maybe I'll get lucky and this one will be a squeaker too and can get it even cheaper...

 

On one of the early cars ('04 or '05) that I converted to coils, multiple suspension DTCs were present after the conversion and the DTCs would not clear. After a close look at the EBM wiring connections, I found that one of the wire-tap connectors had not pierced the harness wire insulation, so the EBM was not fully connected to the circuit. I used pliers to carefully squeeze the tap into the harness wire, and that resolved the DTCs.