Well....Had a squeeky sound....Then the suspension felt like it was binding.......Then all that "fixed" Itself..And turned into a muffled banging around....YET my suspension felt tight whenever I checked on it.

So today I decided it would be a good day to install my R1 concept rotors and ceramic pads. Do 1 side...literally 10 minutes..DONE..Get to second side...as I lift car up (mind you I had just refinished my wheels last week) I hear a gurgeling sound followed by a hissing sound and well....IT WAS MY STRUT! Starting to make sense now. Binding, sqeeking, muffed rattling. I guess something inside must have came loose and me jacking the car up was the final straw. This past week the front end did also start dropping on me. I would have fixed it right away if I KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG!!!!! Anyways..There is a bit more

Before buying the car a few years back the owner had replaced both front struts with Arnotts....And it wasnt even the struts that was an issue but a leaky line to boot...So here is my Dilemma. The struts were replaced in 2013 and the car barely has any miles on it since. Im not so sure I want to go with an Arnott replacement (also sure there is no warrentee anymore). My concern is that not only do these not match the original dampening and rates as the original xjr setups but likely a replacement strut may be different then the arnott in their even if bought from Arnott. What are your experiences? Advice? Oh and check out the photos!!!!!! The base actually is bent. I can now wiggle the strut as it appears thee is nothing holding it together inside..Ugg!

 

You could always fit the OEM Bilsteins, but they are expensive, no doubt about that. However if you buy on the aftermarket, they are cheaper than trotting off to a Jaguar dealer.

This is a UK supplier

https://www.britishparts.co.uk/produ...pring-C2C41347

They may ship to the US, or there may be US suppliers selling the Bilsteins. Don't forget your car, (an XJR) will have the 'Sport' air springs, not the 'Comfort' ones. On the originals it was indicated by a Red or Green spot, (red for Sport)

 

I doubt you will have a problem replacing just the one Arnott given the low miles on the pair .


Call em direct and be sure to specify the exact number of the bad shock. The counter guy I dealt with a few years ago was most cooperative.


If you have 12,000 miles or less on the shocks you should be okay. Even Jag changed their policy a few years back on always replacing OEM shocks in pairs. Not many dealers are aware of this or at least they profess not to be aware.

 

slowpoke, arnott are warrantied for life, you just need the paperwork. Contact the original owner if he didn't give it to you, or the shop that did it, they should have it. You have to go through the original vendor if he didn't purchase it directly thru arnott.
And yes, as tarhealcracker says, they are pretty good to work with.

*and bent? did it look like it got hit or did you take on a big pothole?

 

I just replaced my leaking passenger side air strut with an oem rebuilt one from rebuildmastertech.com only cost me 275 after sending in the old one and it rides like a dream now! also warrantied for life! I may have to buy another one from them because after replacing the passenger side, the car still sinks overnight which i am told may be the drivers side shock going. Anyone know anything about this?

 

I didn't get the receipt. Its a shame being the serial number bar code and date is on the shock. Maybe I can get in touch with him. What it appears to be is that the strut was coming apart inside thus the rattling. Then eventually it broke. I was actually jacking up the car to do the brakes when I heard the hissing fluid running out and the actual bend in the base of the strut You can see it in the photo. No real pothole involved. I put a bend in my rim awhile back but it wasn't a huge hit. Maybe I can see what they will do anyway. Unless I can find a factory strut. Or two actually!

 

I didn't buy my car new. And just noticed while doing the rear brakes that my rear shocks have the yellow dot. Isnt that the comfort bags? Both rears are yellow dots and my car most definitely is an R model and not a super 8. Was that an option? They are factory jaguar and appear aged and not relatively new as is they were changed..Unless someone thought the ride too stiff and did at some point! It never ends!!!

 

Red for Sport, and Green for Comfort. Maybe that yellow spot started off Red all those years ago !

 

Or green.....Ahhhh I LOVE THIS CAR! haha

 

My 2003 SV8 has original yellow dotted. Air bags are big, ie Comfort ones.