does the xjr have rock hard suspension? why is mines so hard? can i soften them?

 

xjr's are not that hard...check your bushes are they poly or normal rubber...are your shocks and springs stock?

 

Rock hard is subjective. I would not call it rock hard, but it is stiff. It is a combination of sport suspension and low profile tires. The low profile tires transmit every little bit of road imperfection as there is so little sidewall to absorb the shock. The rest of the suspension is stiffer than the comfort suspension, but again, I wouldn't call it rock hard. If you aren't sure if yours is right, just go test drive some other XJR's somewhere to be sure.

 

hmmm, when i drive over the pothole the whole car drops in, and its not poly bushing, oh also this has the R package can that be the reson?

 

does it have Cats suspension and are you running it in sport mode? The cats setting alters the suspension setting from normal to sport, i.e. firmer ride if driven hard.
Also check tire pressures, these cars are sensitive to tire pressure.

 

yeah it is cats suspension the car is in sports mode, but i was told that wont make a difference its on how you drive it, im being light foot on this

 

the cats suspension will be firmer when the car is in sport mode

 

The sport mode has no effect on the CATS suspension. The suspension stays in the comfort setting except when the accelerometers mounted to the body switch the shocks to the firm setting during spirited driving.

If you want to test the CATS system in the firm setting then unplug one of the connectors on top of the front shocks. This will put the system in "fault" and the shocks will default to the firm setting. The "Suspension Fault" message will appear on the instrument panel when the shock is unplugged. If you don't feel any difference from your usual ride while in the "suspension fault setting" then 1 of the shocks may be bad. You should clearly feel a much stiffer ride with the system in fault.

Be careful with the connector when re-installing and don't force it, just turn it until it drops onto the electrical connector pins.

 

the R1 package has no difference from a regular XJR suspension, only 2 piece wheels, brembo brakes, and stainless brake lines all around...

 

Nope, that's just the way it is. You want to feel what really hard suspension feels like? Try a bimmer. I rode in a friends 2007 3 series and that thing made my teeth rattle!

 

I'm used to my Porsche 993 Turbo, to call the X308 XJR as rock hard is comical. It feels roly poly, like a Lincoln Towncar.
I'm wondering if the German market cars had different suspension dampers and springs...If so I'd love to change

 

teeth rattles are better than butt pain from getting a lift in an Audi S3 ... front seats as hard as a wooden kitchen chair.

 

My 2000 XJR is like driving a lumber truck with wooden tires. I feel every groove and imperfection in the road. For such a heavy car, you'd think that it would drive like a Lincoln, but to the contrary. It's such a beautiful car, but I'm debating keeping it.
I cringe every time I see a manhole or pothole in my path....... ouch

 

Although mine is the older model my XJR I can tell you that the suspension is undeniably firmer than my previous Jags, as Jaguar intended. And, as mentioned, the lower profile tires play a big part in ride quality as well. I went from 45-series tires to 60-series tires on mine (for reasons not related to comfort) and there was a marked difference in ride quality.

Personally, I prefer the firmer ride and better cornering feel. To be honest I would've thought that anyone buying the "R" model would've *expected* a less luxurious ride. The firm suspension and performance tires are a big part of what make the "R" an "R" !

One downside, though, is that over the years my XJR has developed far more squeeks and rattles than my older Jags. I am certain the firmerer suspension is a major contributing factor.

Cheers
DD

 

I have all kinds of squeaks too. The foam under the dash and the leather seats and console chirp like a bunch of crickets. lol....I guess I'm going to have to get used to the rough suspension. I'm a Jag newbie. Did'nt know anything about them prior to buying. Seen the car, my eyes got big, and.... you know the rest.

Thanks DD

 

So how do I tell if my 1998 XJ8-L has cats?

Listen for the meow?

Wesley

PS I have had my car less than a week!

 

Have a look at the top of the front shock mounts under the bonnet, if they have wires going to them you have CATS.


Obviously if there are no wires you do not.

 

This is worth a watch
Should answer a few more questions than just CATS

 

Before i rebuilt the entire front suspension and sub frame the car was becoming very clunky very fast. Now it glides on rails! i feel the stiffer shocks/springs expose any worn rubber very obviously. Biggest clunks and bumps my XJR made were from bad motor mounts, bad sub frame mount, bad ball joint, and bad upper shock mounts. The suspension works as a system when one component goes bad extra stress is applied to everything else.

 

Mine was for a couple of days once. I don't know what happened but clearly the CATS was set to firm at low speed - and it really did feel rock hard. A couple of days later it seemed to clear itself and went back to normal.

No I don't know what I did, if anything, that fixed it. I think just one morning it was ok again.