I have a 2003 XKR with 101,000 miles.
The front end is (and has been for quite a while) riding low; 13.75" inches from center of wheel to the top of the wheel arch.
From what I gleaned here the culprit is probably the upper shock mounts.
I need a little advice before I take on this job:
1) Will new upper shock mounts raise the front 2" back to the nominal 15.75"? From pictures it does not look like they are 2" thick.
2) If not, will also replacing the springs put me back to 15.75"?
3) How long should the shocks last? No issues with the shocks or ride at the moment. If I'm doing the upper shock mounts and springs should I just replace the shocks also?

 

It will get it pretty close. When the upper mount flattens, the shock will shift so it is no longer centered. Once you replace the mount, it will realign everything to normal.

From my experience - do it all at once including upper wishbone bushings and check others!! I replaced upper mounts then a year or so later went in and replaced springs/shocks. And just a few months back - replaced the upper mount again with Welsh poly- hopefully it will last more than 4 years the OEM I used the first time lasted.

 

+1

You WILL be doing the upper wishbone bushes so may as well sort them at the same time.

Graham

 

I decided to replace the upper shock mounts, shocks, and bushings at the same time because I wanted to have to deal with it only once per axle....

I also chose to go with the Welsh poly shock mounts up front and am glad I did. Thanks to Wayne (cjd777) for recommending them to me....

 

FWiW, the new mount will raise the ride height more than its thickness because it ties about halfway on the control arm.

If you want to change just the mount, remove the plastic wheel well liner. that frees up _just_ enough room to extract the strut without having to deal with the upper control arm and that dreaded long bolt people talk about.

 

More than likely, if the top mount is destroyed, then the bottom shock mount has turned to mulch. Then we are talking over a inch in ride height. it may not be necessary, to replace the whole shock but a good shock mount is getting on to one third the price of a new shock, if you are paying someone to replace the mount, then that time added to the bushing will put you in the new shock area.
Good on you getting that many miles out of the top ones, but the time is now before other areas start taking up the slack they are adding stress too.