Car is '98 XJR, US spec. Basically a "barn find", it was non-op and stored for three years when I got it in December. It was stored due to a broken timing chain (plastic tensioners), so I did those. After I got it to crank, there was no fuel, so I had to replace both fuel pumps and filter. But it started! After a new (used) radiator, tires and sundry other items, it's actually driveable. However, when I got it on the street, there was a an ominous loud "clunk" from the rear. I knew the rear shocks were shot, so I've just finished replacing them. All work done by me, incidentally.

n addition to the noise, the car has been riding very low. All four corners were 13.75 inches, and the factory spec is 15.31 front and 15.03 rear. After the new shocks and foam donuts, which were basically gone, rear height is 14.75, within spec. Yesterday I took a wheel off to look at the front end. The front height is still 13.75, about 1.5 inches low. To make matters worse, the front Penta wheels have .75 inch spacers added for clearance because a previous owner upgraded the front brakes to Brembo. So my brand new tires are perilously close to the wheel well lip. I have already replaced the upper shock mounts in the engine compartment because the bushings were completely gone.

So upon inspection, I can see that the bump stop on top of the shock, or "spring assister" as Jaguar EPC seems to call it, is no longer present on either side. I've ordered replacements. Unfortunately, looking at the parts diagram, it doesn't appear that replacing these would help the ride height any. The front end doesn't appear to need the foam donuts that were atop the rear springs and shocks, so I'm wondering where the 1.5 inches of height has gone. The shocks seem to still damp very well, and I don't see how new shocks could add 1.5 inches of ride height anyway. I suppose spring sag is possible, but there wasn't much if any in the rear, and 1.5 inches seems a lot of sag. So I'm thinking possibly bushings. Could bad bushings in the front end cause this much loss of height? TIA for any suggestions.

 

With what you said about the brakes calipers, I'm betting the PO put lowering springs in. Which would drop her about 1.25-1.5". They did go kind of wide with the spacers to fit those Brembos....should of only needed .5".
If you want her back up where she belongs, you can easily find replacement springs rather cheap at a recycle yard.
If you want to eliminate those spacers, you'll have to replace the calipers with stock spec. Again, should be rather cheap and easy to do. I have someone who'd be very interested in those calipers if you want to go that route.
A member recently wrecked his and should have both those parts readily available. He kept very good care of her. Look in The Marketplace, top task bar, 4th from the left.

 

Thanks very much for the reply. One or more of the previous owners have made some mods most of which I don't really consider improvements. The Brembo front brakes seem to be an upgrade, although I wish they had also added wheels that fit. Is there some way by sight or measurement to confirm it has lowering springs? I must say the front end feels nice and tight, no vibration, noises, wandering, etc., but with the spacers there isn''t enough room. I've already heard the tires hit on the lip a couple of times and I've been driving like a 99-year old to avoid that happening.

 

The only way you could tell is if you get under there and see if it’s a different color or if the springs were heated up in a certain area. I’m no expert on lowering springs, but that’s my take. However, I have seen shocks go bad in these cars and it does lower it quite a bit. If you can get some pix of the springs and shocks on here, we may be able to tell. What did the PO say about the cars suspension?

 

I'll take the wheel off tomorrow and see if I can't get a good picture of the spring and shock. Maybe someone here can compare with an "unmolested" Jag spring.

 

How many miles does the car have?

We should have a good idea what’s going on with the front suspension once you get a picture. Please take a full side view photo of it first before you jack the car up to take a wheel off so we can see the stance of it when the suspensions settled. Then take a picture with the front wheel off.

Did the previous owner say anything about the suspension when you talked to them?

 

If it is the shocks, this is what my car looked like when the front shocks blew out on a ride home.
Stone hard ride, and an inch of drop.
It came up a bit overnight, but if pushed down, it took hours, no rebound at all.



https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...d-inch-176869/

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think I have the answer. I found a pic of the OEM shocks online and compared to what's on the car. The springs on the car have one coil less than OEM, so they are lowering springs. I'm ordering the correct springs and I expect that will bring it up to proper ride height.

 

The X308s and the X100 XKs that I’ve worked on are all bad about the springs getting weak and causing the suspension to sag. Also, inner tire wear increases. My 99 VDP has the same issue. The vehicle had sat most of its life before I bought it. So all the bushings and foam-like mounts had all but completely vanished. Changed all of those, and it helped, but there is still too much negative camber. Performed an alignment to try and correct it, but there wasn’t enough adjustment. Had found a set of new OE style springs for around 700 USD at one time. Just haven’t been able to get them yet. Let us know how the new shocks work out. Interested to see if it might help me out before I drop the money.

 

I'm overdue for an update and here it is. I had to put off the front coil spring replacement for two months to work on some projects around the house and finally got back to the Jag. I bought a pair of front springs off Ebay, which were supposedly off an XJR. After getting the old springs out, I found I was mistaken about them being lowering springs and they had the same number of coils as the "new" springs. But they were 0.75 inch shorter than the replacements. With new springs ride height has settled to 15.00 inches front give or take, so I've declared victory and am moving on to the next project. Thanks to all for your help.