I noticed that on particularly poor roads my sovereign tramlines a bit, - What are the main causes: I have no knocks or bumps or bangs, I was thinking tyre pressures, ball joints and suspension bushes/play....anything else I should look for, anything obvious I have missed off my list? Thanks Allan

 

Sorry, what is tramlining?

Was it Churchill who said two great countries separated only by a common language?

 

Tires are usually the most significant factor. If they are very low profile and/or poor condition (slipped belt, for instance) tramlining is more likely to occur.

After that, bushings, ball joints, etc, as you mention. Loose wheel bearings can be an issue, too.

Correct tracking/alignment settings obviously play in as well. When was the last time you had it checked?

Cheers
DD

 

It's a tendency for the car to change direction as you drive over longitudinal (sp?) irregularities in the road.

In extreme cases in can be very frightening. Imagine you're driving on a set of railroad tracks. Alongside is another set of tracks, running parallel to the tracks you are presently (and peacefully) riding on.

Got it? Okay......

Now imagine the car SUDDENLY jumping from one set of tracks to the other at 70 mph!

That's tramlining

Most XJR/6 owners are painfully familiar with the condition.

Cheers
DD

 

Bed shock absorbers, then.

 

Sorry, Jim, Tramlining is where the car tracks imperfections in the road as if in ruts wanders as a result then stops doing it, kind of steers on it's own can be disconcerting if not ready for it...

DD, Thanks, I have only had the car for a week and a half so not even had it it up in the air yet, but it's planned... Goodness how I love it...it better love me back..! LOL. When I got it I did the only thing to do......washed, cut back the lacquer, glazed and waxed it.......I'll start with the tyres and work my way through the list, thanks again.

 

A better explanation of tramline. I would look at the tie rods. But over the years, I've noticed most cars will do that. I just didn't know what it was called. Most cars with a sport suspension don't do it very often. Said another way, never had happened in a BMW, or the Range Rover sport. Saw often in all three jaguars, and all three Land Rovers. Don't remember it ever happening in anything other than radial ply tired cars. That said, loose steering. Starts with tires.

 

Agreed on any loose suspension components and tires.

Besides the XJR/6....which added a whole new dimension of the problem for me.....I've experienced tramlining on a wide variety of cars, with some Corvettes and 911s being somewhat memorable.

There are so many variables at play but tires are often the main player. Every car I've driven that tramlines had very low profile tires. But...not every car with very low profile tires tramlines!

I'm a bit surprised at hearing of the problem on an X308 as I thought the suspension changes introdcued on that model eliminated the tendency.

Cheers
DD

 

Thank you guys, I am on it. Allan

 

It certainly does not seem to be a hot button problem amongst X308 owners. So, those few who see it in a X308 would really need to presume that the particular vehicle has problems.

 

If I understand this phenomenon, this is the same as a car tracking inside an ice rut, and as soon as the ice is gone, or softens, the car accepts the last steering input -- some radials did this more than others, but basically says the steering is working correctly.

What am I missing?

 

What are you missing? Perhaps nothing.

But, so much is a matter of severity and what different drivers find tolerable.

In my neck o' the woods we have some deeply rutted roads and highways. That the tires will follow the ruts is to be expected. What *isn't* always expected is tramlining over minor irregularities and/or violent tramlining.

The original posting is a bit vague and the condition in his case doesn't seem severe. Perhaps it's as good as it gets given the set of variables he is dealing with? I dunno. But he feels strongly enough about the condition to identify it as tramlining.

<shrug>

Aside: before I made some changes to my XJR the tramlining was so severe I wouldn't let my youngest daughter drive the car at freeway speeds. I was afraid she'd be caught off-guard, over-react, and get into trouble.

Cheers
DD

 

The last news was that she was not allowed to drive the car due to tramlining. So, what changes did you make in the end?

 

Went from 255/45x17 tires to 225/60x16 tires.

My primary motivation was to get tires that would deliver some decent tread life. The fact that the tramlining was eliminated was a bonus !


Cheers
DD

 

Allan what tread patterns are on the car?

see this post
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...82/#post444718

 

Sean, I'll check out the exact pattern (loads of tread) directional Falkens.....Thanks Allan

 

I took my front subframe down for some welding , and found one v-mount came apart and both subframe bushes are torn ..

I had some tramlining issues , hopefully (and probably..) replacing this parts will cure some of that.