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I would be concerned about excessive negative camber, in the rear, after lowering the car. Sadly, I assume for cost savings, Ford/Jaguar didn't build in camber adjustments into the rear suspension, when they designed this platform.
Eibach are good springs. They have camber kits for the S Type and list spring kits for the XF but don't list a camber kit for it unfortunately.
Their pro spring kits are good (Iv'e used them before on other cars) but without a camber kit although it will sit well and handle well, it will chew out tyres with that drop.
Here's a pic of my old XFS with Eibach springs, 30 mm drop at the front and 25 mm drop at the rear:
As you can see the slightly greater drop at the front gives it a more aggressive stance.
These are the same springs you are considering for your XFR so the final ride height should be the same. It's even on XFR spec tyres, 285/30/20 and 255/35/20.
I had no problems at all with ride or handling, the ride was a tiny bit harder and the handling was significantly improved.
The only downside, as mentioned earlier, is the increase in negative camber especially at the rear, which resulted in the inside edges of the rear tyres wearing out relatively quickly.
Here's a pic of my old XFS with Eibach springs, 30 mm drop at the front and 25 mm drop at the rear:
As you can see the slightly greater drop at the front gives it a more aggressive stance.
The only downside, as mentioned earlier, is the increase in negative camber especially at the rear, which resulted in the inside edges of the rear tyres wearing out relatively quickly.
VERY sporty look, and if some sort of camber adjustment, especially in the rear, was available, I would most likely install these springs in my car.
Many people may or may not know it, but the current XF's platform dates back to the days of the Jag S-Type, and Lincoln LS, a platform that was jointly developed by Ford/Jag, in the mid-late 1990s. I owned an LS for 9 years, 2000-2009, and was a very early member of the "Lincoln LS Owners Club", which was VERY active organization for a number of years, as an outgrowth of the 'Edmunds.com' automotive discussion website.
Many times, over the years, we members of LLSOC discussed ways to allow the rear camber to be adjusted, in order to accommodate ride height changes, but we were never able to come up with something workable. In the case of my LS, it always annoyed me that there was a built-in difference in the rear camber, of about .5*, that I couldn't adjust out.
I am wanting to lower my jag as well, but the premature wear of the inner wheel is a concern. Approximately how much less use do you get out of the rears?
I am wanting to lower my jag as well, but the premature wear of the inner wheel is a concern. Approximately how much less use do you get out of the rears?
About half, ie the inside edges wear twice as quick.
In my case once the inside edges had worn down a fair bit I got the rear tyres "turned" so as to swap inside edges with outside edges, even though they were directional tyres marked with "inside" and "outside". I couldn't see much difference at all in the direction of the tread pattern and the tyre fitter said they would be perfectly OK, and that turned out to be the case. They were Bridgestone Potenza S-04 "Pole Position". So turning those tyres worked and I got another 5,000 km out of them, but that may not work with other tyres.
About half, ie the inside edges wear twice as quick.
In my case once the inside edges had worn down a fair bit I got the rear tyres "turned" so as to swap inside edges with outside edges, even though they were directional tyres marked with "inside" and "outside". I couldn't see much difference at all in the direction of the tread pattern and the tyre fitter said they would be perfectly OK, and that turned out to be the case. They were Bridgestone Potenza S-04 "Pole Position". So turning those tyres worked and I got another 5,000 km out of them, but that may not work with other tyres.
Sof even with swapping the tires around, it was still just half of regular tire usage? How many kms should they last on normal height and how many kms with the worn edges rotated?
Sof even with swapping the tires around, it was still just half of regular tire usage? How many kms should they last on normal height and how many kms with the worn edges rotated?
Yep, even after turning them I reckon I got 1/2 the life I would otherwise have got. So on the S-04s (and going purely by memory) I got about 15,000 Km out of them with the lowered springs vs an estimated 30,000 Km on stock/normal springs. In the end the outside edges were bald but the centres still had plenty of tread depth left.
Thanks for that! I think I might still lower it at the cost of tire wear! Worth it for a sportier more aggressive look and also for the lesser body roll!
I had a bit of a search for camber kits for the XF. They don't seem to come up.
They're available for the S Type, some seem to think they might fit. Anyone know?
A camber kit would solve the uneven tyre wear problem.
I had a bit of a search for camber kits for the XF. They don't seem to come up.
They're available for the S Type, some seem to think they might fit. Anyone know?
A camber kit would solve the uneven tyre wear problem.
If you have access to information on "camber kits" for the S-Type, please share it, assuming it's a kit for adjusting the REAR camber.
I seem to recall that at one time, Eibach sold a kit for adjusting the front camber, but A) it wasn't needed, as the factory designed in a means to adjust the front camber; and B) it was nothing more than a pair of new hex nuts and eccentric bolts. I guess they thought that the OE hardware would corrode at a rapid rate, and need replacement.
I did extensive research, during the 9 years I owned my Lincoln LS, which has the same chassis, looking for a REAR camber adjustment kit, with no luck. And in the 7 years I've owned my current XF, I still look around, once in a while, hoping that someone has developed a kit. But so far, NOTHING, and I find it annoying, as both my LS and my XF have one rear wheel whose camber is not within spec, and has been, since they were brand new.
If you have access to information on "camber kits" for the S-Type, please share it, assuming it's a kit for adjusting the REAR camber.
I seem to recall that at one time, Eibach sold a kit for adjusting the front camber, but A) it wasn't needed, as the factory designed in a means to adjust the front camber; and B) it was nothing more than a pair of new hex nuts and eccentric bolts. I guess they thought that the OE hardware would corrode at a rapid rate, and need replacement.
I did extensive research, during the 9 years I owned my Lincoln LS, which has the same chassis, looking for a REAR camber adjustment kit, with no luck. And in the 7 years I've owned my current XF, I still look around, once in a while, hoping that someone has developed a kit. But so far, NOTHING, and I find it annoying, as both my LS and my XF have one rear wheel whose camber is not within spec, and has been, since they were brand new.
I would also LOVE to know this as well! I would jump on a rear camber kit if it meant I didn't have to forgo tyre longevity for a meaner stance!
09-13-2016, 04:22 AM
Anyone have any images of their XFR lowered?
