Is this something that a good mechanic can do or only a specialist? Any special tools required? I am thinking of going with Arnott unless someone here prefers a different brand. And I am replacing them in pairs. Also approximate labor time would be appreciated. Thanks

 

EZ-peasey. One big bolt at the bottom, you'll need a Torx T60 for it, and four nuts under the hood on the wheel well, plus the electrical connector. Arnott may supply a conventional hex-head to replace that bolt, I know they did with my coilovers. The video below shows the T60 being reused, though. You also have to disconnect the sway bar link, and let the upper ball joint out of the top of the spindle, to allow the suspension to drop out of the way.

When I installed my coilovers in my driveway, there was more time spent raising and supporting the car and removing the wheels than actually changing out the struts.

Arnott has a video .

 

It's something you can do yourself if you are comfortable working on your own vehicles. Here is a good detailed step-by-step for the DIY'er. Just be careful with the ride height sensor.

 

ok. Thanks for the advice guys. I am going to take my car to my mechanic and see his comfort level and monitor the work myself. I am very mechanically inclined but just don't want to get my hands dirty. and I already have a new ride sensor incase I break the old one.

 

Well, it's EZ Peasy , bob's your uncle, walk in the park until... you come to find that the metal sleeves in the bushings in the lower arms have sized to the T-60 mounting bolt. If you apply enough torque you will twist the rubber bushing until it is destroyed. You will need a new lower control arm or at least the bushing. If you apply enough heat you will melt the rubber bushing and once again you will need a new bushing or control arm. I eventually tossed both of my struts in the bin with the lower control arms STILL ATTACHED and replaced both parts with OEM.

All that said, any competent mechanic deals with this sort of problem all the time and will do what ever it takes. Just be prepared to replace the lower arms as part of strut replacement if it comes to that. Also, while you are at it, I advise to dive into the vortex of "might as wells" and do the upper wishbones / ball joints. When they put it on the alignment rack they will point out that the front lower control arm bushing have also perished so.....you'll want to swap those out... Hopefully the sway bar links still have some life left...

Hopefully you don't run into any of this and it's really as simple as it should be!

Jeff

 

Southern cars come apart much easier, than the northern ones do, with its salted roads

 

Stupid question: Can I replace the OEM airshocks with "sport" Arnott unit on XJ8 if I want a sportier ride? Bear in mind that my rears are still OEM from the factory.

Another question: What is the life expectancy and mileage of the rear air shocks?

Should I just remove the whole air suspension thing and go with the conversion kit? Last summer; I rebuilt the air compressor and I have a new OEM front ride sensor (not installed yet). Car has less than 110K mi.

 

Don't see why the sport shocks would be an issue.
But you could always call and ask them.
Rears seem to last longer than the fronts.
Fronts take a beating, as braking shifts the weight forward

 

Sport units will fit, but I'm not sure what the result of mixing front to rear would be.

 

It's up to you but after a long fight with many repairs and failure's I just replaced it all with the spring kit from Arnott's on my friends 2006 XJ. I also went thru strut replacement, air compressor rebuild, fixing leaks and repairing the "Olives". Plus many unhappy hours running SDD and the horrible "Implausibility" errors the system throws regularly.

This model of XJ is very reliable and durable after the air suspension is removed. Yes I felt the car rode a bit rougher on springs compared to the air suspension.
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