Have any of you guys ever heard of anyone switching out front Sport Air Shocks for Comfort (standard) Air Shocks on an 05 XJR?

It looks like something I would like to do in order to get a better ride but I don't want to run up against "the law of unintended consequences". I think my front shocks are on the way out anyway so what the hell.

 

I believe the difference in Sport to the standard Comfort is the diameter of the air spring, with everything else the same. If one thinks about it, this is logical if the cost of the installation is to be kept reasonable for the manufacturer. So ride height stays the same, and air pressure hardware and software are the same. I am not sure about the shock absorber though, this might also be different, but I suspect not.

Of course the cost to replace may be daunting, unless you can find an aftermarket supply of rebuilt components sold on an exchange basis.

Please note I am not totally sure about the above statement, so if any Jag Tech knows could he/they please advise.

 

Thanks for your focused thoughts Fraser. My instincts are the same and I too would like to hear from a knowledgeable Jag tech. I suspect also there are owners out there who have made the switch. Be great to get some input from one of them as well.

 

Yeah, I'd like to know too, but the other way around, in the event that I ever get an SV8 to replace the XJR in 4 years time (we have a 10 year life on our cars after which we lose a whole lot of tax money to the Government....)

 

Don't know if this is helpful, but I inquired about this going the other way around (non-sport to sport) with the dealer here in Pinellas and was told that it would be very involved and included replacing not just suspension components but the electronics too since the springs operate differently.

 

Judging by the parts manual, apart from the air spring unit itself, all the other components look to be common, even the electronic control module, the gaiter, the fitting bolts and bushes.

The difference between the two is the size of the air bag:

Comfort - higher volume = softer
Sport - lower volume = stiffer

I would have thought that the worst case would be that you would need to get the system recalibrated.

I believe that the air spring is made by Bilstein and I see that they list front and rear springs for the X350 in their online catalogue. Has anyone enquired as to what the cost would be?