Everytime I hit a little pothole in my 97 xj6 I hear a loud bang like I bottom out. I'm not going fast maybe 20 if that. is that part of the level ride system?

 

Guessing again. Not sure on what spec car we are trying to sort out???.

NO, there should be NO banging from a Jag over bumps. That consistancy is for "normal" cars.

Soooo depending on whether the noise is front or rear??.

Front is more than likely shocker bushes. The tops are more of a "rattle" than a bang. Lower bushes are supposedly "knocky".

The rears are generally the top shocker bushes (fun job, NOT). Lower is spherical bearing, and also prone to a "knocking" with age.

Exhaust banging on the body work, although rare on an X300, not improbable.

Then comes the more obscure items, and that would depend on the response as to where the bang "appears" to be coming from.

 

Please put your car details in your signature so that experts like Grant can best help you.
If, after the bang, there's a large rectangular lump of metal in the road behind you then the engine's fallen out.

 

Excellent observation steve.

 

Yep, you meet the real experts here !!!

 

I think you should jack up your front end, USE JACK STANDS BEFORE GOING UNDER. Check out all of your ball joints and bushings. Sometimes banging or clunking is something simple to fix.

 

I had simular problem when I first bought my 95 XJ6. It was the front upper shock mounts. Took it to the dealer (last time I did that) and $600 later all quite up front. About a year later same thing in rear and same problem, upper shock mounts. Car had about 70K to 75K miles on it.

 

It sounds like its coming from the front passenger side wheel

 

OK, no self levelling up the pointy end of that model Jag.

My list in order of any Jag I have had with that scenario.

Top shocker bushes
Lower shocker bush
Top ball joint
Lower ball joint.

Simple fix whichever of the 4 it will be.

The lower ball joint is last, as I have always had a wierd squark noise from that joint, whereas the top just knocks.

 

Had a similar sound with my 1995 XJ6 at around 200K miles. It turned out to be the two sub-frame mounts.

bliving7

 

Mine thump came from a spent lower shock mount.

 

If its from the front end, there is a very sensible chance that it is from the upper front shock bushes, at 20 MPH I would be very surpised if it were from the lower shock mounts.

How loud are the said "Clunks"?

The rear end has a fair few bushes to play with so a few more details would be handy.

Cheers

 

I have the same issue with my recently acquired 97 XJ6.
I was hoping it was the upper shock mounts but an inspection this past Saturday showed the left upper ball joint and lower right ball joint are both in very bad shape so I have some work ahead of me
Ordered a pair of uppers and a pair of lowers lowers and track rod ends - might as well do them all at once!

Best advice is to put the front up on jack stands and take a flashlight underneath.

 

Mine made awful clunks at all speeds - lower shock mount rubber as completely gone.