You guys are giving me some good ideas. I've already get my ball joints, tire rods, shocks and bushings. I'm planing to start the suspension job after spray the undercoat of the inner fenders. I'll update some pictures. Probably in about 1 or 1.5 month.

Debbie

 

I have had new pivot shafts made up by JAG1 - Melbourne Australia, Top supplier and fast delivery too.
As the car has settled after the front end work it is scraping badly(sills included) backing out of garage. Can drive it in with 2 people and not scraping at all.
Two options to look at now...
1. It has 65 profile tyres on the front and 60 profile on the rear, Standard is 70 all round. I could try new tyres at around $600.

2. Since we are only talking a difference of mm's I can try spacers in the front springs, 5mm or 10mm are available, going to try the 10mm ones.

Doe's anyone know the OD and ID of the coil springs off hand? Can't find them in my 8 book XJ library(and growing). I could then have the spacers before the job is done, I can still get them the same day if I measure the springs when they are removed. But I would prefer to have the parts before the job is started.

Maybe one of you have your springs out or a spare set you could measure for me.

The left front wheel seems a bit skittery over bumps on the highway and on manhole covers and such around town,I can feel it through the steering wheel.. The right feels good. The steering wheel gives feedback from the left , but perfect from the right.

Any ideas where to look first?

 

The lower fulcrum shafts(wishbone pivot shaft) are still MIA so spent the budgeted money for the fitting on new rear tyres. Gone from 225/60R15 to the standard 205/70 15 which gives me an extra 16mm of sidewall height .I could have gone with 215/70 15's but would only gain 8mm.

Anyway, problem solved. I can now reverse out of the garage with full tanks and only the slightest touch of the pipe on the ground now.

 

Clark, you'll doubtless notice a difference in handling/cornering.

When we put new tires on Nix, even though they're *technically* the exact same size (215/60/15), the sidewalls are stiffer and she sits about an inch higher off the ground, and she doesn't corner as well.

In fact, there's Such a difference, even though these are advertised as 'the best dry road tires available,' when (not if) I wear then out I'm going back to Michelins.

Of course, I don't have the garage difficulty you have either.
(';')

 

"Miss Fireball" as Ken would say(cat_as_trophy) is not the same with said tyres. The 225/60 R15 were a lot nicer on the road (even if they were near bald and drifted greatly in the wet). But I do have to consider my learner first and my driveway second.
I had it opposite lock twice in one day at round-a-bouts at city speeds, cool fun for me!.

But when my over confident son has control(or part there of) caution is best.

 

Wow, actually got my pivot shafts today. Nobody can shed light on where they were since they were despatched 20th January.
Have them now(this supplier is usually overnight every time).

They will have to wait for paint to be done before they go in now.

 

Since we have the same car I thought I would share a pic of my pops silver 1973 XJ6 S1 I was reading your posts and kept thinking "I can't believe he is not replacing the steering rack bushings!", but finally you said it was already done. I did a lot of refresh work under this car too.

 

Nice pic of your pops car.
PO did the rack bushes just before I got it. There were also other assorted bushes in the boot he probably decided were too hard to replace.

 

Yeah, probably the ones that say you hafta suspend the car from a Sky Hook, drop the Whole Entire front suspension to replace.

I'm thinking those will wait until another Winter. I have enough drama going on this year.
(';')

 

With the space I have it was worth paying to have the subframe dropped and everything replaced in one go.

 

Car has gone back today to have lower wishbone pivot shafts fitted and exhaust is being removed so it can be re aligned and have the joins moved so it will access my garage easier.

 

You're glad you have someone to do that for you, Clarke! Mine had fought us Every Single Step of the way!

While I was crawling around under my car yesterday, I discovered it's a Lot easier to change spark plugs with the car levitated like it is now and the exhaust removed. (!!) So while it's up-in-the-air I'll take care of that too.
(';')

 

Well, I think everything that can be replaced has. Drives nice and feels good.
All noises gone too.

Wheel alignment next Tuesday, then happy motoring!



Carl, It has been suggested that you ramble(lol) but we do read and take notice. Adjusting the driveway was never going to happen. But pipe work has been going on for 8-9 months now on and off.
Got it sorted today, at the cost of a little labour and parting with some amber happy juice.

Cut and tucked the old exhaust system today and added some new bends. It now is 2 1/2 " rather than 2" and the 3 bolt Jaguar flange is gone and replaced with a 2 bolt Falcon flange and the pipe goes up from the bottom of the maniflold pipe so it now sits higher than the Transmission pan. Gives me about 15mm more clearance, along with the original size tyres fitted to the rear(another 14mm of sidewall height) I think I finally got to where I need to be.

I can exit the garage with no scrapes.

 

I *LIKE* that, Clarke! I like that a LOT!
When I got my car, the PO frankly warned me not to try going over speed bumps because the CAT was hanging so low, because of the rush exhaust job to get it past the visual emissions inspection so he could get our money.

Below is the result. Fixing this keeps getting shoved to the back of the line by other critically important matters that keep elbowing their way to the front of that line.
(';')

 

I've had my Jaguar for almost 30 years, it never had cats, they were removed by a previous owner and I haven't ever lived anywhere that emission or equipment inspection was required.

 

In Washington that may indeed be the case but this is California.

When the conversion was done on my car in 1986, the PO had dual exhaust installed with 2 cats and had a different carb and intake manifold (one without the required EGR valve) and several other emissions violating changes (he actually suggested we find a "friendly" tester and slip him a C-note at SMOG time to make sure it passed!).

Before he could legally sell the car to unsuspecting victims like us, the ARB (Air Resources Board, emissions testing agency in California) required he remove one of the cats because (are you ready for this?) the car didn't come from the factory with dual exhaust. Not only that, he had to replace several other SMOG contraptions (which annoyed him greatly and cost him dearly) which he had removed at that time, which he claimed the car ran better without and I don't doubt that one bit!

Even though it might have performed better and cleaner the way he had it set up, he had to make it a single cat or he wouldn't receive a PASS certification and therefore couldn't sell it to us. Hence the cobbled up job underneath. He gave me the "extra" cat when I took possession of the car.

ARB has a "book" for every car and engine ever sold in the US that contains pictures of all the factory original emissions equipment and vacuum hoses and pots. If ANY of those items is missing at the time of testing, the car is FAILED, and if you haven't specifically requested a Pre-Test, they don't even have to tell you why it failed, by how much, or what you have to do to fix it.
(';')

 

I thought it all felt good, the best the car has steered since I have had it after last weeks few more bits done.
Well a wheel alignment today made it feel like a whole different car again! Every time I think this old banger can't be any nicer to drive I get a pleasant surprise. I think it almost drives better than my 2011 Jeep.

Steering is so precise now, like a newish car. The rear wheel alignment is a bit out but some consentric adjusters have been welded in place and can wait untill the next IRS job needs doing. I can live with replacing the rear tyres if they wear prematurely.

The wheel alignment guy used 1973 XJ6 S2 specs because I forgot my book, checked it when I got home. Exactly the same toe in,camber and castor settings for the series 1.

Wheel alignment.pdf

Going to look into my learner son doing an advanced driver training course and skid pan day now all steering,suspension,brakes and tyres are up to scratch.

 

Considering entering the "Track Challenge" at next months JF meet at the Euro/British day at Lakeside International Raceway. Will be up against old and new exotic hardware(you know the ones they test on top gear). I know I will be slowest by a country mile, but I bet I will be the fastest S1 Jag, and second fastet Jag after 34by151's XJR unless one of the XKR or F-type guys make an apperance.
Hanging out to don a helmet at lakeside again after racing there 20 years ago.
Some pics of my old Lakeside days.