Ride characteristics
 

Bit of a complaint here. Hope to get some input.

1996 XJ6. Garaged car with 47 k miles. Mostly open road country side miles. All original.

I feel like the suspension is very unsettles at times especially over small bumps in the road. Especially the rear. Some of the behavior is very unfitting to the car of this nature. Not sure if there is something wrong or its just the old design of the chassis. By comparison, my w126 Mercedes 420SEL 1990 with 117k miles rides with a lot more confidence, like a tank.

Could the shocks struts be worn out at 47 k miles? Am I missing something?
Alignment is fine. No clunks. No uneven wear.

Also transmission gear change could be a bit harsh in between gear changes, feels very much like a worn out transmission mount, but there are no vibrations at high speeds of any sorts. Fluid is full and in good color.

Thank you in advance.

How old are the tyres?
That can make a huge difference to the ride.

Failry new Pirelli P4000

The replacement bushings come in different densities to give a softer ride on the VDP and the harder on the supercharger model

You are looking at the Shore A number in ordering
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...0ad0443fcc.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...44be7a73b1.jpg




XJ6, X300 & X308 (94-02) : Suspension Bushes, Online Store for Polyurethane Bushings. Powerflex Distributor! :icon_dance-disco:

https://www.jaguarclassicparts.com/u...-xj-x300-parts :icon_pala:

In my opinion the suspension can be broke down in 4 ways :

Tires / shocks

Component bushing levels A , B , and C being all including the engine mount and X mount not shown in above pic

Modifications from the original design

Front links from Andy and X308 rear suspension components

Trouble spots

An example would be the front shock upper and lower bushings that are common to be worn out and can be easily visually observed and replace as a A level repair

Editing

Thank you for chiming in.

My question is, can a 45 k mile car that was driven on occasion have mad shocks or any other bushings???

The shocks have a fluid and air charge level that can leak off giving a harder fluid only shock dampening

There is a Shrader valve on top ( supposedly ) on the original Bilstein's that take a 180 - 200 PSI air/nitrogen service charge with no weight on the wheels

The servicing shrader valve fitting can be found at motorcycle shops

The shocks can be overhauled yourself with new internal parts , but is dangerous without precautions

Hi Tbilisi79,

One thing a Jaguar suspension should never feel is unsettled, so your issues are not a problem with the design. Jaguar suspensions are world famous for their refinement, smooth ride and surefooted handling. The suspension bushings and shock absorbers deteriorate with age, so even at your very low mileage I would suspect some of the bushings have softened and/or torn.

All of the bushings are important, but in my experience the front subframe pivot bushings and the large rear subframe bushings allow excessive play that significantly affects steering precision and contributes to tramlining on some road surfaces. The front control arm bushings also affect stability and steering precision. And check your wheel bearings too.

Here's the diagram showing the front subframe pivot bushings, part 2:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...a02db257da.png
The rear subframe mounting bushings are part 14:

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...aacabd09ca.png

The front control arm bushes are parts 3, 11 and 12, and the shock lower bushing is part 13:

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...bcbd695a50.png
When the front or rear top shock absorber bushings deteriorate, you will usually hear knocking sounds. The same with the anti-sway bar links.

Personally, I am not a fan of polyurethane bushings in Jaguar saloons. I tried the hard rubber front shock top bushings on our '93 XJ40, which is the same chassis as an X300, and I found those bushings too harsh and switched back to the OE yellow foam rubber style.

Regarding your transmission, the trans mount/rear engine mount can develop excessive play. The ZF 4HP24 transmission has proven to be virtually bulletproof when correct fluid is used. The original specification was Dexron III, but since that hasn't been available for several years the three fluids I personally know work well in this gearbox are Redline Oil D4 ATF, Mobil 1 ATF, and Valvoline Dex/Merc (the conventional type in the blue bottle, not the synthetic version in the red bottle). Other more modern fluids, including Dexron VI, have significantly lower viscosities compared to Dexron III, which can lead to performance issues in the 4HP24.

Clean the electrical connector at the gearbox, which can become contaminated with oil. Do you have any Diagnostic Trouble Codes stored? Smooth gearshifts depend on communication between the ECM and TCM, and if there are any problems with, for example, the engine load signal, which originates with the MAFS, or the vehicle speed signal, which originates from a rear wheel speed sensor via the ABS Control Module, you may experience harsh shifts. Let us know if any DTCs are stored.

Cheers,

Don

my 96 xj6 road a little hard,it was a true road car,it cornered like a cat,{no pun intended}.my 01 xj8 had more power has more power but is a little sloppy on handling,so the ride is good to be stiff