Hi, since this is my first Jag, I was looking for a little advice. 2011 xkr 175. So as many of you know there tend to be some deviations in the concrete or asphalt roads from chains or studs, or just use. I am talking about the ones that the water accumulates in, 12" wide valleys... When I am driving in a lane with those, my front end tends to want to wander back and forth. I can easily correct the steering, but it keeps me busy.

I use the factory Dunlaps, which I don't care for as they are noisy. Do you feel this is a tire issue of the type of softness or could it be defective front end/steering component? I have an appt with the dealer to look at it next week and would like to give them some suggestions. Or is this just the way the car drives?

Thanks!

 

Fireman-175

Id start with a wheel alignment

When performing a wheel alignment there are certain parameters it must fall into anything out side these parameters will indicate suspension issues i.e. lower control arm , lower trac arm etc

 

Take it to your friendly Jaguar tech and have a four wheel alignment performed. ($150 - $200) Talk with the tech that does the work, he can tell you the condition of the suspension components and give you a heads up on what to expect from the alignment.

 

Fireman - You need to specify the speed the problem occurs and the condition of the tires. It could be you have hydro planning or trammeling issue relating to the tires only.


Of interest is the mileage on the car to gauge front end component ware and the mileage/condition of the tires. For instance, smooth tires are bad news in the wet situation you describe. Bad tires riding in ruts/grooves will get squirrelly(trammeling) wet or dry.

 

The speed this is occurring is 60-65 mph. The road is dry, I don't drive in the rain. Stock tire size for the XKR175. Mileage on car is 18k. Tires appear new. I seem to have to work a bit to keep myself evenly spaced in the lane markers. I'd like to have one hand on the wheel and keep her straight. But this may simply be how a vehicle like this drives. I just don't know. Thanks!

 

I know this sounds odd, but check rear wheel bearings and hubs. What you are describing is exactly what happened to my X100 XKR. As soon as I would hit 60mph, I could barely control the front end of the car. It felt as if the rear end wanted to wrap around to the front of the car. It turned out the hub was damaged and would only make itself be known above 50mph. It happened to me twice. Quite scary.

 

What you're experiencing isn't normal and could be caused by lots of different things. Hopefully, it's just an alignment or tire issue - relatively inexpensive and easy to fix.

Since I appears that you recently bought your 2011 XKR, if you haven't already done so, I would have a body shop experienced in aluminum repairs inspect the undercarriage and body for any previous damage and provide you with a detailed, written report.

 

Hi all, got my car back from the dealer, tire store, and Tru-line alignment store. The dealer said my tires were feathered and the rims bent. LOL, okay the Dunlaps Maxx were at 5/32" and noisy. I had Continental...06 installed on the front and then a laser alignment that took my driving, my weight and passenger count into the equation. Almost everything was out of spec. Now, I drove home (130 miles) and the car drives awesome. No noise, no wandering, single finger driving. I had the wheel Road Force balances, too.

 

That's great news. Enjoy!

 

That is good news, cause a Jag can easily be driven single handed...
Glad your now on your way to some real enjoyment!

Vince

 

How much quieter are the DWS O6's compared to the Maxx's?? Thinking of changing out mine to Conti's when the Maxx's have had it.

 

Lothar - your question of "is one tire quieter than another" won't be valid as he will be comparing an older, damaged set of tires to a new ones so it wouldn't matter as ANY new tire - be them Generals, Firestones, Goodyears any Korean or Chinese new tire will be FAR quieter. His tires were shot due to both alignment, which will destroy any tires in short order, and also a bent rim. Mfg or model of tire would be irreverent. Alignment affects noise, wear greatly, handling, mpg, tramlining, pulling, balance, wandering, etc.

Glad you seemed to have gotten it figured out Firemen. Tires are often >$1600 installed it is amazing how often most people negate to have an alignment check done to protect that investment. There's a reputable shop here in San Diego I use that cost between $50-130 for alignments no reason not to do that. Also amazing how people tend to blame their tires for alignment, inflation, or suspension issues.

 

[QUOTE=Leeper;1441967] ... His tires were shot due to both alignment, which will destroy any tires in short order, and also a bent rim. Mfg or model of tire would be irreverent. ... [ /QUOTE]

LMAO! Although probably an inadvertent typo, since you obviously meant to say irrelevant, nevertheless, a great choice of words because when driving on tires that are shot, with a bent rim and bad alignment, you don't have a prayer!

Sometimes the funniest things are unintentional. Beware of autofill; it often picks the wrong word.

 

Great and sounds good. Could you post the alignment numbers that were corrected based on the report you got. Info like Caster , Camber , Toe for both the fronts and rear. Curious to see what the final numbers were. Thanks

 

Good catch Stuart, for comedic value I'll leave it. Damn auto-type sometimes!

 

Lothar, I replaced my Dunlop SP Sport Maxx with Conti DWS 06 last November and they're great. Handling is better, noise is nil, etc. Total cost 'out the door' was $1170, plus, I got a $75 pre-paid Visa card in the mail a week later. I went to Discount Tire at Easton.

 

+1. I recently replaced all 4 Dunlop Sport Maxx GT tires on my 2013 XJ with the Conti DWS 06 and so far am very pleased. Also purchased from my local Discount Tire store, who met their online price.