Anyone lowered X350 XJR?
 

Love the car but if I could lower it for 1"-1.25", I think I would have loved it even more. Too high for my preference.

Has anyone lowered X350? I know that Arden makes piggyback suspension modules but the cost is around 1K plus, I believe.

Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks.

I have heard that you can do it by recalibrating the height sensors, but telling them that the car is at the correct height when it's actually lower than that, i.e., the car should be set to 386mm but you set it to 348 instead. The car then saves that height as normal, which is an inch and a half lower. I'm new to the XJR and I read this on another forum - I can't vouch for the accuracy.

You probably can get short (adjustable) links for the 4 height sensors, that way you don't need to reprogram at all, and its cheap.

Drive it at 100mph - it lowers itself! Not by that much tho' only about 3/4 inch.

This is how they do it with the Mercedes air ride cars. Matter of fact they shim the factory sensors with washers.

The MB has one rear sensor and two front ones. I wonder if this will wreak havoc on the jag computer though.

Food for thought.

Take care,

George

Thanks, guys, for all responses!


Can you explain a little bit more? What do you mean by getting short links to the sensors?

I've heard this as well. Can you post the link? Also, does anybody have an idea what tool I need to use to re-calibrate the suspension height: is it a standard OBD-II or something Jaguar-specific?

Here an example on Ebay for a RRS:
RANGE ROVER SPORT LOWERING LINKS KIT AIR LOWERING | eBay

I assume the XJ has similar type of sensors at the 4 wheels, with a link to the suspension, and that is the one that should be shortened.

I looked around the internet for a kit for the XJs last month, currently none exists. Someone could fabricate a kit using turnbuckles, with the proper machine tools available? Hint, Hint?:icon_jammin:

:icon_qtank:

That's absolutely true. There is an Air Suspension Calibration application in IDS/SDD. It has you measure the four corners and input the measurement you get and levels to specs accordingly. If you lie to it and input 20mm higher than it really is, it will lower the suspension by that amount and that becomes the new 'normal'. It has to be measured by the proper tool though, or you'll get into trouble.

Cheers,

I came to this thread to see what you guys were doing to lower your cars. I JUST got my XJR and when I saw the set-up I knew something could be done. I had a lincoln mark viii with similar air-ride suspension and I was able to just move the sensors a bit and the car lowered itself. It took a little trial and error to get it just right but it rode, handled and looked great by the end of the morning. It looks like I'll be doing the XJR the same way. I'll let you know how it turtns out, maybe post a pic or two.

I have spoken with the owner of adjustable air ride and no such kit exists...

The benz guys all shim their air sensors with washers to accomplish what you are describing. I'm very curious as to what you find and if you suceed, WITHOUT air ride system warnings.

I've contemplated adding after market components to the system. Specifically using the factory air compressor, bags, and tank, and distribution valve, coupled with an aftermarket air ride controller, and adding a purge valve, and probably pressure sensors at each line (whereby you can release air as well). I know there is a way to bypass the system from the jag PCM side, because they include the bypass when you buy the coil spring conversion kit.

If you can rig the sensors to accomplish the same thing, please let me know.

Take care,

George

I've run into a snag or two in lowering my '05 XJR. First of all, all my left side lug nuts are seized to the wheel (not the threads). I broke one. The hex part snapped off the lugnut leaving the protion that actually holds the wheel on tightly installed. Epic lug nut fail. I'll be drilling the stud out this weekend I suppose. Anyway - before I got that far I decided to measure the height and try to decide how much lower to go. My left side is clearly sitting much higher than the right side. It rides and handles good. I can push the lower side down and get a little bounce back. The higher side won't budge (except when driving). I don't have any suspension related warning messages. This morning on my way into work, I drove it hard into a very sharp left hand turn. A little orange oval light came on on the dash and a "Restricted Performance" message appeared just below it on the odometer. This thing is still a rocket fo being in restricted performance. I tried to cycle the key at the next intersection but it came right back. No check engine light though. When I got to the shop (I work on Chryslers) I hooked up my generic scan tool and pulled several codes out of the engine computer. P0102 - MAF sensor related (low voltage I think), 2 egr codes, an evap system code (not a leak) and P1000. Remember that my check engine light was and is NOT on. I cleared the codes figuring them to be left-overs from a previous repair and they came right back as pending. So now I'm totally boggled. Do I pursue what appears to be erroneous emissions related DTC's or my weird suspension situation to correct the restricted performance message? Is there any way to know what caused that mode of operation to become activated? When I say I drove hard into a turn, I mean tires squealing, lateral acceleration (this thing pushes like no other RWD cr I've ever driven), 50-60% throttle. That's how I roll. A $75K car should be able to handle that, right?
I don't know. Tell me what you think. Also, where do I go to start a new thread? I looked everywhere but I'm very new this forum so I'm probly missing something obvious.

Do NOT drill out the stud. You will ruin the rotor.

I had this same thing happen a while back on my s-type with the POS jaguar lug nuts. Here's what you have to do (or get someone to do). Take a small drill bit. and drill a small divot hole into the nut (next to the stud). Then take an air hammer / chisel, with the pointy bit and put it in the hole and hit it. The nut will spin right off trust me.

I hope this explains it, but if u need to PM me and i'll explain it further.

Take care,

George

Robert,

Go get a NEW hole saw that has an OD as close to the diameter of the shank on one of your good lug nuts as you can make it. Drill a good, square 1/8" pilot hole in the stud that broke off. The hole saw will drill nicely down to the washer that is against the wheel; basically using the stud as a guide. Once there the wheel will come over it without damage. At lease you can save the wheel that way. Then you can have the stud dealt with.

On the restricted performance, there is a good possibility there may be a code your generic tool can't see. Something like P2135 maybe. That is a fault with the throttle position sensor and could be the Restricted Performance issue. Be careful looking that code up, for 2006 the same code has an entirely different meaning.

Good luck!

I was talking to a jag mechanic you can trick the computer but this will take about 3 -4 hrs trouble is what damage will it do