Mk2 3.4 - Shock absorbers. What is the current wisdom with regards to brand of shock absorbers for the front? We just want a quiet comfortable drive - not interested in race performance or being adjustable etc. UK available suggestions please.
I would not go with the SNG ones , but only on price , shop around you could save over Ā£20 !
If just standard shocks I would go with Boge or the like , think they are around Ā£30 less each , then the adjustable kind !
Iāve had no end of problems with my car on new(ish) Gaz shocks.
The PO replaced the shocks with Gaz adjustables in 2016, and between then and my buying the car late 2021 it travelled under 1000 miles.
When I got the car the ride wasā¦awful. like a bouncy castle.
I assumed it was the springs, but a set of aftermarket uprated front springs did nothing.
Repeated fiddling with the adjustability still crap.
I got a couple of colleagues to drive the car. All saidā¦ the shocks are stuffed.
Last month I bought a set of Konis from SNG for a vastly exorbitant price. Iāve never had much success with Konis. High price, low satisfaction has been my experience.
But, with the MK2 thatās all thatās available. Boge have imploded and Monroe donāt do a shock for MK2ās.
Currently my car is sitting on my hoist, with no engine, gearbox, brakes or front suspension. So I canāt tell you whether Iāve fixed the problem.
What I can tell you though is that while adjusting the Konis in the vice I could comfortably pull the Gaz shocks out even on full adjustment while the Konis might as well have been welded in place.18 stone of me couldnāt move them at all.
Now this log diatribe might not be that helpful, and Iām 2 months off driving the MK2 again, but I think the Gaz shocks were not strong enough.
Thanks Ian, Thanks Andrew.
Iām not keen on sophisticated adjustable items - an expensive set of Spax items 20 years ago that failed pretty promptly puts me off, plus I donāt want to faff about with adjusting. I fitted the āKoni Classicā to the rear recently - even on softest setting still pretty firm, so will follow Ianās advice and see if Boge can be found, or just some basic ābog standardā brand.
Thanks again.
Thanks anyway. Iām sure there are many cross applications however it seems suppliers / manufacturers keep this quiet such Jag owners pay triple the price of Ford Capri owners!
Thanks Ian - SNAP! - I found the same link but itās a dead end - Iām going to try John Gordon Spares - easier to speak to than navigate the big players websites.
Donāt necessarily give up on David Manners. Very often, I have found that while they donāt show it on their website, they do often have a needed part or can get it. This has been true for many parts on the Mk10, and Mk2 stuff should be way easier. Iād make an inquiry by email.
I installed Koni Classics in our MK2 and they provide a very comfortable ride. To date, Iāve had no issues with them.
Current Koni Classics are finished in black and have a modern Koni decal on them. I removed the decals, scuffed the black paint with a supper fine 3M pad and painted them with chevy engine orange paint to give them a proper Koni look. To Finish them off, I applied reproduction early 60ās Koni logo stickers. they look quite nice too.
Have ordered Koni Classics from John Gordon Jaguar.
Damien there explained the āstandardā type (Boge / Monroe / unbranded) etc are not presently available, and they gave me a ādealā price which was good of them. Iāll make sure they are set to softest setting before installing, and will not be painting them orange.
Thereās a chance this will be right and youāll avoid having to remove them to readjust, which I think you will almost certainly have to do if you set them very soft.
Each to their own of course, and thank you for the comments. My own experience of adjustable gas shocks on cars and bikes has always been disappointing. Now that I am old and fat, I have no desire to scrabble around in the wheel well trying to find a setting. Iām looking for āfit and forgetā comfort, and would rather be seasick than lose a filling.