Evening all, i have a 1998 xj8. I am replacing all 4 road springs, any suggestions on the best way to do it and any pitfalls i should look out for?
Thanks ☺

 

Be sure to follow the procedures here....JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource ....I built my own spring compressor for the front, cost me $28 vs $225 for the tool. Also, being that deep, be prepared to replace some other items, like maybe a ball joint or two and/or perhaps some bushings.

 

got pics/instructions to make compressor?
Wanna sell it?

 

Being a contractor I'm not home right now, I'm actually in Columbus as of today, I was in Ironton the other day Col Sandurz.
This pic is not mine, but very similar, so its obviously not hard to build:



This description is so you can compress both front spring sides at the same time or just 1/2 it to do one.
But what I did was get 2 20"ish+ 3/4" all thread rods (I have an overage place I got mine from for $8) course thread being the easiest to find a nut for and quicker compressing/uncompressing. You want to be sure the thread is long enough so when uncompressing that the spring has no tension on it and doesn't tag you. Then 1 3" grade 8 bolt from ACE (1/4" if I recall properly?). That bolt will be cut in half and cut the head off. Drill a 1/4" hole about an inch from the end of the all thread, keep the hole as tight as possible for the bolt, you'll see why.
In order to make the compression, you'll need a 3/4" nut for each all thread, a 2-3" long piece of pipe to just fit over the all thread (get one in plumbing if you don't have one) and 2 thick washers (they will have pressure on them) that just fit the all thread and are wider than the pipe. This is to get you out of the cup of the spring to be able to turn the nut. You may say you have a deep well socket that works, well unless that socket is 6" deep, you'll be better this way.
So why the bolt and the hole in the thread? If you look at the top of your spring, there is a cradle for the tool to sit in. You'll need to cut and file the bolt to fit, but its not hard. You'll also may need to file/grind flat the ears sticking out of either side of the all thread so is sits in the cradle easily, but not loosely. I didn't get one of mine filed down quite enough and it wedged and I had to fight to get it out. To get your tool in the cradle you slide it up from the bottom center of the spring and the bolt opposite the cradle then rotate it 90 degrees and it seat it in. I probably didn't need to say that, but I did.
So now you have a piece of all thread hanging you take one of the washers and slide it on, putting the pipe behind it and the other washer and then the nut. This is what gets you out of the well so you can put a wrench on it to crank down the spring. Have at it...