I recently purchased a 2005 X-Type 3.0 Automatic and it rides like a a shopping cart. I live in Minnesota U.S. where there are alot of pot holes this time of year. When I hit these with the car, it feels like the front struts are going to pierce through the hood, not to mention the sound caused by the bump and the jolt to it's occupants.

Okay, so thinking it was strut issues, I took the car into the local Jag dealer and they told me there is nothing wrong with the suspension. Automobile Dealers usually want to put new parts on your vehicle so I was shocked (no pun intended) to find out there was nothing found.

This vehicle has 102K miles and the Dealer (only one in Minneapolis) has done all the recommended maintenance to date with the previous owner. I was told this vehicle has a "Sport Suspension"

I can't believe the Jaguar Engineers meant for this vehicle to ride so horrible. Heck, I have a Mazda 626 with 240K miles on it and it takes bumps better.

Any help with this matter is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Crafty

 

If it has the sport suspension then it will ride harder when working at the dealer we did not rerplace alot of struts if a strut is bad then the ride can be bouncy. Monroe says shocks and struts should be replaced evry 50K because they wear out slowly and you don't notice it untill you replace the shocks and struts. Also the sway bar bushings wear out and make the bars move around alot and it sounds like the suspension is falling out.

 

If you are not used to a stiff suspension, it can feel like a kick in the butt every time you go over a crack in the pavement. These cars do not have a soft ride, but it is designed this way for performance cornering. You could try lowering the tire pressure. Take a look at the tire pressure recommended for "Comfort" in the owner's manual - unless, of course, you drive faster than 100 mph, in which case you need to use the higher pressure recommended for high speeds.

 

Interesting, I was wondering the same thing. My Crown Vic is like sitting on the couch going for a drive. Even though the ride is much softer my Jaguar is much smoother at higher speed turns.

 

Very true. If there's something worn out and banging around the "ride" will seem doubly uncomfortable just because of the racket.

Cheers
DD

 

Those Crown Vics are fabulous cars...last of the breed.....last of the big, cushy American cars with a soft ride and room to s t r e t c h out :-)

Even on non-sport suspension a Jag will be firmer than the cushy American luxury car of old. A Jag won't be soft...but it should be smooth. There's a distinction :-)

My XJR suspension is pretty firm. I like it...but it does mean more time tracking down squeeks and rattles.

Cheers
DD

 

My Sport is equipped with 18" wheels which require 40psi front and 35 psi rear. Numerous times, whenever I got my car back from the dealer for service, I found they lowerd the fronts to 35 psi! Am I missing something?

 

like doug and dana, I used to have similar problem and it goes away after the sway bar bushing being replaced.

 

Look on the drivers door jam, thats the proper air pressure.

 

Crafty, you bought the sport suspension which is way stiffer than the standard, also you have 18" 40 series tires which provide far less cussion in the sidewall so you are getting what you bought.

I run 16" winter tires during snow season, and the difference in ride is very noticable but you sacrifice handling. You can get 16" rims if you want it to ride like a nice old mans car, but........

 

That's what I'm saying... the door sticker and manual both say 40/35. The dealer always lowers the fronts to 35 no matter why the car is in for service. So either they know something we don't or they need a refresher course from Jag.

 

The first day I had the car I noticed how noisy the ride was, not rough but very noisy. I bought the car back in June an 03 with 23046 original miles on her. I finally took it to Jaguar last month and they said I had worn bushings on both the front and rear swaybars. This was causing a very annoying banging noise over hard bumps. The dealer wanted over $800 to replace the bushings $ 600 plus for the front and $300 plus for the back. As other members know I have a mechanic as a neighbor. Long story short he bought the bushings, stock ones and replaced them for $440. A heck of a lot less than Jaguar. The only comment he made after I asked him how it went was, they were a challenge. Apparently, the front were the most difficult, as he said he had to drop the steering rack to get at the bushings. Now the results, 100% better, it is still noisy but does not have that constant banging sound as it had before. Ironically when I was at Jaguar I had the oil changed I have the 2.5L engine. They only charged me $60 and change for this. A local foreign car repair shop up here wanted $150 to change the oil. You really have to be careful where and who you take these cars for repairs. Oh I do not have the racing suspension. but the car handles like it is on a rail road track. Reliable has been perfect, except for a dead battery, but I bought a new one and all the little electric glitches I would get now and then are no more. So if you start getting electrical problems, check out your battery as first offender. IMHO these cars are very sensitive to current changes.

 

so, your telling me that this shopping cart can handle turns pretty well doing 50 MPH?
Thanks Sidewalkman

 

Bushings were replaced last year. This ride is a "rough ride" not a loud one.
Thank you

 

Mine corners like it's on rails. A bigger bonus is you have extra side bolstering on your buckets. I'm running Lexani P3000 directional performance tires and it is pretty grippy. Way more so than a 16 or 17" wheel running all seasons. And mine is a wagon!!!!

 

Sounds like strut-mount knock. swap out the strut mounts under the hood and in the trunk. pretty cheap part online. if you haven't changed your shocks, change them and do the mounts at the same time. bushings and control arms are a good idea too. you've got at least another 40-50,000 miles left of this car so it might be worth it.
If you don't like the tighter sport shocks, just install the 'comfort-spec' Bilsteins. they are more cushy and boring zing!

ahhhhh.... Oban on the rocks..... Jaguar forums.

also, the knocking sound is NOT typical of an X-Type. I have 19's with 35-series low profile tires and my ride is silent.

 

just read your additional comment, my apologies.... you said it is "quiet" but rough.

it sounds like your springs and shocks are fighting each other. You need to get new comfort-spec shocks my friend. Change the mounts as well while you are at it. good preventative medicine.

The 18's are just fine. it's the shocks. Some of us are accustomed to highly modified suspensions which are very 'TIGHT' and we LIKE it. Others HATE it. It's all about perception.... And good taste

 

mine does the same thing. i have a 2005, 3.0. i just had the front two wheel bearings replaced two days ago. the car drives a lot better now! i had no idea how long they were going bad for. that's when i noticed my sway bar bushings are bad.


the car feels more violent then it is because the sway bar bushings. the car will sound better, making it "feel" better if you change them. a good test is to drive in a parking garage. if the car makes a "clunk" sound while driving down the rams, it would most likely be the sway bar bushings.


the tires should be set at 35 all around... that's what i have always been told by the dealer. there are a few threads on this site that go over the whole tire pressure's everyone has tried and I remember that 35 all around was the favorite. I think it rides best that way also.

 

I've had a crappy ride for a while now but thats partially my fault due to the installation of H&R springs on the stock comfort shocks. I've had a horrible ride and I've been told that my shocks and struts are completely blown as well as my strut mounts. Since you aren't lowered though, I'd still recommend looking at the strut mounts and the struts. As I remember when I had 16's the ride was very comfortable so there's definitely something wrong with your picture.

 

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