What A "Shocking" Revelation

I was looking at replacement shocks for my '94 4.0 on Ebay, and it seemed like all the vendors are telling me that the XJS has FOUR shocks (i.e. two pairs) in the rear, instead of one pair. :open_mouth: Is that really the case, even with a 4.0 face-lift like mine? I could maybe understand 4 shocks on the XJ-S, given the additional weight of the V-12 engine (although I would think it would make more sense to have the four shocks on the FRONT), but not on the face-lift models. :confused:

They must be getting mixed up with the ā€˜Eā€™

1 Like

Four shocks on the rear is correct

1 Like

Well, their fitment guides show supposedly this is the case for ā€œ94 XJSā€, unless it is for maybe just a 5.3 or 6.0 '94 XJS?

ALL XJS have the classic IRS first seen on the E-type in 1961. The brakes eventually changed but the suspension didnā€™t.

Hard to think any enthusiast XJS owner would not know that. I also canā€™t imagine deciding my car needed new shocks without looking at the existing ones for oil leaks or bush condition. Youā€™ve had this car for a few years, right? How come you have never changed a wheel or lubed the suspension or even looked under the back of the car? You need to get under there with a grease gun PDQ.

The car is called the XJ-S because it is the S version of the XJ and uses the short wheelbase XJ floor pan and running gear.

2 Likes

OOpps my bad I thought they had the XJ40 rear by then :frowning:

Hold on, Peter. I never said anything about needing new shocks. However, I did mention in a previous thread about how my rear axle takes briefly to the air sometimes when I hit a sharp dip in the road. Other experienced members chimed in and opined that was likely due to the shocks being shot. given that my cat has 85K miles on her and shocks are not designed to last nearly that long. :thinking: They also detailed the shock test to determine if they are bad, and, FYI, they flunk the ā€œpress down and only rebound onceā€ test on the corners. If they are leaking fluid, then they do indeed need to be replaced (right?), or do you know of something that can be added to them like a ā€œstop leakā€ product? :confused:

I am also quite familiar with the PITA inboard vs. outboard brake system on the XJS, as well as the ā€œfloatingā€ independent rear suspension (similar to that used on the Corvette) on the XJS. As to lube jobs, though, when I asked about that matter on here quite some time back I was assured (again by experienced members) that the face-lifts had no points to lube, since supposedly all cars built since the early '90s went to a sealed system of such components. (?) However, having only recently ran across the factory maintenance schedule, I see now that Jag recommends lubing the u-joints @ 80K miles, which must be fitted with nipple fittings for that purpose, I would assume.

As to inspecting the rear suspension, I point out that, unlike some fortunate chaps on here, I do not have my own personal access to a car lift. As one of my threads discusses earlier this year, though, I did have ā€œall the tires changedā€ at a major chain repair shop. Turns out the Goodyear Eagles were over 15 years old and I replaced them with new raised white-letter Cooper Cobras. Also earlier this year, as someone who has read my other threads learned, I had a front end wheel bearing come completely apart on me w/o warning on the highway, and had to have it replaced at another major chain repair shop (to the tune of $500+, no less :angry:).

Superblue is not a shrine, but my daily driver these days, at least until repairs are finished on Harlem, my XJ8 (not that she doesnā€™t look good enough to be considered shrine-ish :trophy:). I think Iā€™ve been doing a pretty good job of it, so far (w. the guidance of fellow members) :triumph: I am doing all I can to keep her running, given what I have to work with. By way of same, I have an appointment this week with one of those shops to check the rear gearbox lube level, as well as the shocks, u-joints and bushings, as I do have a faint roar from the rear when coasting at 20-30 MPH (particularly). The factory maintenance schedule mentions checking that level @ 80K miles, as well.

If interested, I will check back here and let you know what they find ā€¦

1 Like

btw, thanks for letting me know what the ā€œSā€ stands for in ā€œXJ-Sā€ or ā€œXJSā€. I had always assumed it was for ā€œsportā€ (model). I had never heard otherwise until now. :bowing_man:

Iā€™m not sure how skilled you are at wielding a wrench; but $500.00 for front wheels bearings is rather steep, considering the parts; OE Timken replacements are less than $50.00 and canā€™ be done in about (by a skilled Jaguar tech) between 1 to 2 hours. I could do it in an hour; if I degrease, paint, and wonder around the garage looking for the tool I need. itā€™s not hard. The thing is, it becomes layers of an onion. Oh, that ball joint looks tired - replaced add 2 hours, oh, those bushes are pretty worn too another hour.

Nowā€¦ the word ā€œlet goā€ could add a level of complexity if the spindle was damaged. Cause that means the it should be replaced. Once those have been bolted in for a spell, those spindles donā€™t want to come out. Mine took 20 press & about 800 degrees before it left its post with a whole lot of drama in the process. Nothing like a purple hot piece of steel bouncing off the concrete and headed straight for the XJR-100 I took one in the nuts to save the car.

Itā€™s okay, my kids are grown, and Iā€™d run for the hills if my wife decided she wanted a baby! Isnā€™t 6 enough for the love of God!

Sorry, digress.
XJ-S Yep, 4 shocks in the back each one wrapped in springs. replacement is easy look at sngbarratt, or rockauto.com, or shockwarehouse.com If you want OE replacements which are Boge; then XKS.com I think is your only option in the US.

Going straight? or while turning - either way, thatā€™s not right unless your car is fitted with a swaybar and this happens around a corner under some spirited driving. But still based upon what you wrote, then there is something up with the dampening - particularly the rebound, itā€™s not rebounding properly or at all as it sounds.

Donā€™t have access to a liftā€¦ Iā€™m been breathing for nearly half a centry and just recently got a lift; however, I rarely use it for anything but storing my XJ-S which itā€™s been purched there for nearly 5 years. :frowning_face: Iā€™m debating on fitting my XJā€™s IRS via floor jack & jack stands rather than using my lift (for my YouTube channel, Jag Mods) because most people donā€™t have access to a lift. Is this what I want to do? Ummm - NO

but just like replacing the spindle Iā€™ll take one for the team.

Pete
I have wondered where the name came fromā€¦According to Skilleterā€™s book ā€¦ā€œā€¦according to journalist John Dugdale, Jaguarā€™s marketing director Bob Berry said: ā€˜The car is going to be called XJ dash Sā€™ and that was that.ā€
No inside story of the origins of the name in his bookā€¦
He also claims ā€¦ā€œalthough XJ saloon based, much less than planned of the original structure was used and finally only the front floor panels and the forward transmission tunnel were common.ā€ I suspect that this would have been an original intention overruled by design considerationsā€¦no doubt much to the irritation of the bean counters!!

OK, lots to chew on.

@AttyDallas. Your post started out ā€œ I was looking at replacement shocks for my '94 4.0 on Ebay.ā€

I assumed that meant you were looking for replacement shocks. My error.

But you go on to suggest your shocks ARE dud by saying your car catches air in heavy dips (which is when it does the exact opposite - bottoming out-) but I know you meant crests). You also said they flunked the corner bounce test. So were/are you looking for new dampers or not?

Plenty of shocks last longer than 85k. I would say the large majority, although it depends on conditions of service and deterioration can be very subtle. The only fix is repair or replace although most road shocks are not serviceable.

I assumed you were familiar with the brakes- however you define that phrase, but now I have my doubts. The title says you were mildly shocked but one cannot remove an inboard or outboard-brake wheel, let alone actually work on the ā€˜PITAā€ brakes, without getting a face full of the unique twin damper beauty. I guess we just use language differently but I donā€™t see how come someone can say ā€œI am quite familiar withā€¦ā€ something when their initial surprised question (and now the defense that they donā€™t have a lift) ā€˜hintsā€™ otherwise. E.g.

ā€œā€¦it seemed like all the vendors are telling me that the XJS has FOUR shocks (i.e. two pairs) in the rear, instead of one pair. Is that really the case, even with a 4.0 face-lift like mine? ā€œ

I donā€™t mind either way. I mostly enjoy your posts apart from giving only nicknames for the cars and no name for yourself that I can recall. I am just surprised at the pushbackā€¦

I have no idea about your comparison with the Corvette transverse leaf spring rears but there are clearly apples/pears issues. If you are saying your inner and outer lower fulcrum pivots and wheel hubs are sealed for life with no nipples then so be it. I donā€™t believe your rear suspension has fewer than six grease points (4xUJ + 2xHubs) regardless of year, and possibly ten (+4x inner fulcrum) or thirteen (+2x outer fulcrum plus 1x rear prop UJ). I wouldnā€™t wait 80K miles but love the way you felt you had to differentiate me from the experienced guys LOL. Quite right, Iā€™m sure! Keep on going Atty.

Iā€™m 64 and have never had a lift in my life - strictly jack and jack stands - often on a driveway, sometimes not even that. I now have a garage with a ramp that gives me about 18ā€ above the floor.

The XJ-S, later XJS, was referred to as just the S in some N. American launch-era brochures. It was a big swoosh chrome ā€˜Sā€™ logo and it surprised me to see them. It reminded me of the XKE / E-Type difference in the US. I assume S is for Sport. It may have been in the brochure section of the old website, or in the big book by Dugdale (my predecessor as Jaguar Journal editor) called ā€œJaguar in Americaā€

Besides the revised floorpan, the front and rear suspension, brakes, powertrain and most of the cooling / AC system were the same as, or very close to, the corresponding XJ12C. Thatā€™s quite a lot of overlap for a distinctly new model.

2 Likes

It seems to happen all too frequently, attack the person instead of addressing the issue.

1 Like

@MattFurness: I just checked on the old site. Itā€™s not the material I had in mind but yes the center spread of the US 4-page launch leaflet shown on the old site uses ā€œS-typeā€ in the second para and a couple of others, and in one place he calls it just ā€œthe Sā€

Wow the ā€œSā€ I sorta embrace that nomenclature

Actually, when I went to pick up the car after the bearing job, they demanded $600+, although he (the service manager of 17 years) had originally told me it was ā€œ$440.00 out the doorā€. After getting in there, they found the wheel hub had been (supposedly) damaged b/c I drove the car several miles after the bearing went out (I was near my home, in the middle of the night). I remember at one point when I applied my brakes I had NONE, although they pumped right back up afterward (phew :relieved:) Possibly the brake fluid had gotten so hot that it lost pressure (?). The shop apparently also had to do a lot of polishing on the spindle with emery cloth to get it back right. Still, the shop never cleared the increased price with me before finishing the job. :angry: I complained loudly, and they finally agreed to give me the ā€œsenior citizen discountā€ (10%), which brought the total down to the $500s, which I paid (thank God for credit cards :pray:).

Anyway, I posted a thread about this $$ experience last year, if anyone wants to check it out. I just know Iā€™ll never take my Jag to that chain again. I have found another major chain that has been much more $ reasonable for work done on my XJS. Wish I had known about them when the bearing issue happened. :slightly_frowning_face:

btw, neat video ā€¦ ! :movie_camera:

1 Like

This would have been ā€˜knock backā€™ from the rotor wobbling within the caliper.

When I first went to pick the car up and the counter girl informed me of the price ā€œincreaseā€ she told me it was due to the ā€œcaliperā€ needing to be replaced. Members on here thought that didnā€™t sound right when I posted about it (i.e. how can a caliper get damaged when a wheel bearing goes out), so later the shop clarified it to be a wheel hub when I asked. :roll_eyes: I remember in the old days how we were always supposed to ask shops for our old parts back, to verify what was in fact replaced. However, I find that request to be pretty impractical these days for the reason that so many parts are ā€œrebuiltā€ or ā€œrefurbishedā€ or otherwise require the old part in trade in order to avoid a core charge. So, if I asked the shop for the old part back it would be the, ā€œIā€™d give it to you but then Iā€™ll have to bill yaā€ line ā€¦ :roll_eyes:

Indeed, these cats use coil overs astern. Adapted by many a Hotroder. far more elegant than leaves or even coils and maybe torsion bars.

However, caveat on a DIY swap. The coils are under load over the shock tubes !!!

Carl

This also means that the lower shock bushes take all the weight of the car.

As do the upper shock bushes.