front shocks

[degs01]

hi folks, just after a bit of advice. my s type 2.5 v6 has just turned 98.5 thousand and i am suspecting the front shocks have gone.

i have had the car just over a year i always found it a bit wooly at times with a fair bit of under steer but more worryingly is when i hit any pot holes or bumps in the road it jumps to either side. if you are on a bumpy a or b road at anything over 50mph its like driving a cartoon bus with the big steering wheel. i am thinking that its all relating to the front shocks as i can bounce the front end up and down easily with one hand.

i do a lot of motorway miles so never noticed how bad it was until i was out the other day driving on a load of b roads.

my father in law had 2 of the 3 litre s-types and a s-type R and said they all handled well.

does any one have any suggestions or know the best place to order shocks from as they seem to range from £120 to £220 each for the

standard comfort shocks.

derek.

 

[JOE-DOT-COM]

hi

try these there prices are good

https://www.britishparts.co.uk/t/jaguar/jaguar-s-type

cheers

joe

[degs01]

thankss joe will give them a call tomorrow.

 

[Simjag]

Have you checked the front bushes on the front wish bones? Can't see the shocks being your problem!

My S was over over the place, one little bump and would then steer across the road, I found both of the above bushes worn which was upsetting the tracking every time I hit a bump.

[degs01]

will try and get a look at the bushes tomorrow, i think it could be a combination of the 2.

if you bounce the rear suspension it settles after 1 bounce and is hard to push down.

if you bounce the fron it keeps going and is very easy to push down.

[Simjag]

A very easy way to check the front wish bone bush is to turn the steering so the front of the wheel is slightly turned out and then with hand brake on put your foot on top the tyre and try to push the wheel backwards. If the bush is worn you will easily see the wheel move.

[JOE-DOT-COM]

Hi

if it were bushes, then you would get knocking/bumping noises

if its like a boat and when you press up and down on the front and the car goes up and down a few times before it settles, its shockers

if the car drives like a " CARTOON BUS" thats means the shockers are not damping at all, if it were bushes and there were that much play in the bushes, it would make serious knocking, banging and clunking noises

I know s-types eat bushes when they are driven with a right lead foot, but they allways knock or bang, even when there only a tiny bit of play in them

it might be worth checking your anti roll bar links though, if one has snapped, you will gets lots of body roll

cheers

joe

[Simjag]

6 hours ago, JOE-DOT-COM said:

Hi

if it were bushes, then you would get knocking/bumping noises

if its like a boat and when you press up and down on the front and the car goes up and down a few times before it settles, its shockers

if the car drives like a " CARTOON BUS" thats means the shockers are not damping at all, if it were bushes and there were that much play in the bushes, it would make serious knocking, banging and clunking noises

I know s-types eat busihes when they are driven with a right lead foot, but they allways knock or bang, even when there only a tiny bit of play in them

it might be worth checking your anti roll bar links though, if one has snapped, you will gets lots of body roll

cheers

joe

Both my front bushes were badly worn and there were no knocking at all!

And I have replaced all shocks and springs on my S because then you hit a bad bump it just keep on bouncing.

[JOE-DOT-COM]

hi

the shockers do all the damping, well they should do, but there quite soft on s-type, standard s-types anyway, they were built for comfort, not handling, the adaptive ones, cats are very stiff and you get next to no bounce.

if you look at the bushes, most of the bushes only have 10mm of rubber in them, between the inner and outer sleeves, some of the bushes only have about 5mm of rubber in them

thats why usually when they wear, they knock

if the bushes were completely worn out, if you took all the rubber out of the bushes, you would only have 10mm of play, so the car would only bounce 10mm

thats my opinion any way

cheers

joe

[Simjag]

1 hour ago, JOE-DOT-COM said:

hi

the shockers do all the damping, well they should do, but there quite soft on s-type, standard s-types anyway, they were built for comfort, not handling, the adaptive ones, cats are very stiff and you get next to no bounce.

if you look at the bushes, most of the bushes only have 10mm of rubber in them, between the inner and outer sleeves, some of the bushes only have about 5mm of rubber in them

thats why usually when they wear, they knock

if the bushes were completely worn out, if you took all the rubber out of the bushes, you would only have 10mm of play, so the car would only bounce 10mm

thats my opinion any way

cheers

joe

The front wish bone bushes have lots of rubber in them, the arm can (if worn) move back about 15mm before any metal to metal contact. And just think what 15mm of movement can do to the tracking.

[JOE-DOT-COM]

Hi

On 06/03/2016 at 9:01 PM, Simjag said:

The front wish bone bushes have lots of rubber in them, the arm can (if worn) move back about 15mm before any metal to metal contact. And just think what 15mm of movement can do to the tracking.

hi Simon,

going back to the subject in hand, Derek described the car drove wooly and like a cartoon bus

in my opinion the soft, wooly, cartoon bus description told by Derek, would refer to worn dampers

I can guarantee if you asked ten mechanics and described Derek's description, they would say dampers every time

though worn bushes will throw the tracking out, along with loads of other effects, it wont make the suspension soft and a wooly ride, through its massive travel

cheers