Does anyone know how to properly align a 1996 XJ6. About a year ago I had a issue where my tire was wearing on the passanger side quicker then the rest, and also the car does pull to the right. This was done at minake. After that I took it to a alignment shop and they said they fixed it. After that the tires were fine, about 2 months ago I purchased 2 new tires for the front and they seem fine, but the car does still pull to the right a little. I asked the guy who aligns the car, he siad that there is no way to change the caster and some other stuff, so he set everything to 0. Is there a proper way to align it or anything, or is this just noraml for this car? Please let me know if anyone knows, thank you.

 

Well it has been at least 15 years since I've worked an alignment rack (and even then, it was Mercedes & Porsche), but the only time a modern car "cannot" be aligned properly is if it has been improperly repaired after an accident.

That said, all roads have a crown to them for draining water. If your car still pulls to the right while driving in the left lane, you've got an alignment issue. You should look up the factory alignment specs (your tech should have them in the computer of his rack) and have him print out your current settings, then print everything here.

Also, cars can't be set to "0". Pretty much every sedan runs a bit of negative camber in the front, and some positive caster (a typical Mustang will have 3.0 degrees, a Porsche 8-9, and a W140-chassis S-class Mercedes will have 11.5 degrees). He probably meant that he set everything to within factory tolerances.

Another thing to try is switching the front tires (as long as they're not directional) and see if the car still pulls to the right.

 

On these cars the rear alignment is adjusted using shims that most comercial shops skip over. I had mine done at one of these and only the front end was aligned properly. Take it to a jaguar specialist or a dealer and they will be able to properly do the rear wheels.

 

I've had my MY97 VDP aligned three times in one year and there continues to be a shimmy around 80 MPH. (New Bridgestone Potenza tires in wintertime eliminated that variable.) Yes that's high speed but let's face it, the car is comfortable at high speeds ... at least it SHOULD be. I'm going to bite the bullet and take it to a Jag dealership and get it aligned one more time. If they can't align it correctly (in a car that's never been in a frame-twisting accident), no one can. I'll update the forum on the results.

 

chances are your upper and lower control arm bushings need to be replaced.. over time they deteriorate. and crack.. making your alignment come out and have the car pulling and have vibrations.. take it to a jag dealer and have the foreman or senior tech take a look at them.. have fixed couple and done a alignment and now they all drive great.

 

Nope, bushings were OK. They realigned the fronts and re-centerd my steering wheel. I haven't taken her up to 80 MPH so I don't yet know if she's been "cured" of her shimmy.

What was a surprise was being informed that I had no oil left in the car! I tried to go on the cheap and get the oil/filter changed last weekend at a chain auto shop and they used the wrong filter. So instead of paying only $21 for an oil/filter change, I paid another $114!

Ah, the joys of Jaguar maintenance...

 

UPDATE: Rolling fine above 75 MPH now. Taking it to Jag to align was the solution.

 

Speaking of oil changes, I try to never let anyone change my oil. I just recentlydiscovered the Dealer overfilled my 05 XJ8 by a quart at the regular free warranty check. I checked it before I drove it and read them the riot act, but it probably fell on deaf ears.I should have done that one myself too. It's just not worth it. Many shops get the least capable guys to do this work and they are holding your valuable car in their untrained hands. They wrench off threads in costly cast aluminum sumps, use old gaskets that leak, overfill crankcases and on and on.