The conversion kit in my opinion would be the best way to go and you will have a Jaguar XJ8 or XJR or XJVP for years to come because they are a 300,000 or 400,000 miles vehicles their engine was created to last. I don't know about the Transmission. When my next air chocks go bad I am thinking in the conversion kit because it is not only about the air struts you have the Air Compressor and the suspension control module too to worry about in case they go bad and with the conversion kit all that worry goes away .
And I am not a mechanic, I went for the new Armott's , very good quality, I install them myself after watching the video of how to do it in the Arnott's website. Also there is a video of how to install the air Compressor for the suspension there. Very convenient and I am not a mechanic but I used to have an X type before and every time it needed to have something done I used to take it to the shop and ended up spending a lot of money and going back for another issue. I think "some" mechanics do stuff to your car on oropose for you to come back and spend more so for this reason when I got my XJ8 I decided to do as much as I can to it without to visit a shop again to avoid getting ripped up

 

I watched the Arnott video of how to install the air shocks online. I am not a mechanic I just wanted to save money.
Having an air impact gun for the job unscrewing the lug nuts and bolts would be nice to have handy for making the job easier

 

I installed my Arnotts about a year ago. Since my car is an XJR I opted for the firmer struts and that's what I got; not teeth rattling, just solid, as an R tuned ride should be. Arnott told me that the non-air replacements's ride was between the OEM firm and comfort levels. I've had no problems.

The installation went fairly smooth but I would caution about working with any aluminum components. Be careful where you jack, pry or hammer and torque all fittings properly.

BTW- Arnott guarantees the shock air bags for life and they use a stronger rubber compound than the originals.

 

motofreak: Thanks for the candid opinion.
* I am going to chew on this a bit more before making a decision. Am looking at an 02 VDP if can agree on the price w/ the seller I might not keep my 04 xj8 too long - and in that case may just replace w/ cheap air struts - not having to worry about its longevity.
The 02 vdp does not use air struts.

 

I can see wanting to use an air impact may be tempting but those lugnuts and studs on our cars are touchy. Word of caution as you'll spin the beauty covers that hide the lug and can be a pain to remove. Use a breaker bar or a 4 way for leverage and perhaps do what I do...spares

 

I replaced the beauty covers from my lug nuts for a one piece complete steal lug nuts from EBay at $22.95 dollars for 20 of them brand new.

 

I can see why Arnott stopped reman'g the OEMs. Mine lasted a couple years and is leaking again. Why doesn't anyone offer any serviceable parts for these? Is it too hard to replace the diaphragm? There is another company that remans them- Suncore. Anyone have experience with them?

 

Ugh, I'm very sorry to hear that, rcannon.

I'm having air suspension problems on my 2004 XJR and I'm kinda loathe to start spending $500+ each time one of the air shocks goes bad one by one, but I'm really uncomfortable with the prospect if Arnott's own remanufactured parts go wobbly after only a year or two. And that's just the shocks... there are all the other problem points in the CATS system that can go sideways (and never inexpensively... ho ho no no no).

A four-wheel steel coil retrofit is starting to look mighty attractive.

 

Arnott's new, not remanufactured, Jaguar strut assemblies include a brand new specially-tuned shock with zero miles for maximum longevity, ride control and comfort. The Arnott-designed aftermarket strut eliminates many of the common high wear issues such as the leaky upper seal, noisy upper mount, and the weak lower rubber seal and bypasses the often problematic CATS system while still offering the smooth ride of an air spring. Arnott's Jaguar strut replacement is backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty andfits Jaguar vehicles with sport or comfort suspension and offer a ride somewhere in the middle. If replacing your worn OE Strut Arnott recommends replacing both struts.


https://www.arnottindustries.com/par...20_pid136.html


Forum members can use code JAGSAVE10to save up to 10%* off the retail prices on Arnott® replacement air suspensionproducts for your Jaguar® XJ vehicle. You can place your order online at the Arnott Web Store or by calling Arnott CustomerSupport at 1-800-251-8993 X 804 Mon – Friday from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET. Ordersplaced by 2:30 ET are typically shipped out the same day.


*Max savings $75 per order, notvalid with any other offer or on compressors, shipping, taxes or core deposits(if any).

 

The car lot that sold me my 06SV8 had installed AS-2710 front air shocks. Is there any way to tell if the ride height needs to be adjusted other than the fact that i am getting some clunks on bumps and an occasional "air suspension fault" message?

BTW, the link to the manual returned an error.

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Here is a link to the manual: http://arnottinfo.com/manuals/AS-2710.pdf


Call Arnott Tech Support at 321-868-3016 regarding your questions.

 

Finally fixed my leaking Arnott Reman front strut. It was leaking out the top, so I took it apart and found a couple leaks. I replaced a small oring in the middle and added a couple orings also. The center aluminum piece comes out, and it has an o-ring groove already, unused. That leaves the center area around the bolt where air can come out. I used a couple washers under the center nut to sandwich an oring, and some silicone, and it appears to be holding. I have some pics, if interested.

 

When you say it bypasses the CATS system are you saying that the air bag pressure is constant under all driving conditions? Do you offer any choice in this?

 

I wish they did. I hated finding out after installing all 4 Arnotts in the car that it was eliminated. The cone on the top of these Arnotts house a resistor which allows the plug from our cars to connect to and tricks the system into believing the CATS system is still working. One of the problems I was having initially was the Resistors were going bad fast and setting the CATS system idiot light off driving me nuts. I have seen that the resistors they are using now are alot more...robust I guess is the word and have yet to encounter further problem with the light, but again I wish I didnt have to eliminate the CATS system

 

I was interested in the Arnott replacement air struts until I saw that post!

That was the first time I have seen any comment on this forum stating that the CATS system was bypassed using the Arnott air strut replacements.

Why not just go coil over replacements if the CATS system is bypassed?

 

I have been fortunate enough to have had the ability to drive an 04 XJ with the Arnott Coil over conversion as well and though it was a nice ride and sat nice and level there is something different about the way the suspension handles imperfections in the road compared to the air bags. I was close though many times to just giving up on the air bags and going to the coil overs after some of the problems I was having , but I am glad I didn't. I like the riding on a cloud feel over the stiffer/firmer ride the coils offer. Its not bouncy mind you as it goes right back after a single dip when going over say a speed bump. Ive put a good amount of mileage on these bags and am happy to have them yet at the same time alittle miffed about the elimination of the CATS. But if you eliminate the air shocks all together than you are eliminating more than just the CATS system. My car still levels itself as I see that happen everytime I back into my driveway or carry heavy loads and it does hold pretty firm when spirited driving is in effect which for me is quite often. Now if there was an alternative that kept the CATS other than factory I would have gone that route.

 

So does air get pumped in and out of the airbags as you say you can see it leveling?

 

So the simple answer to that is yes. The airbags adjust the height and give that subtle ride as opposed to the harder ride of just coil overs. If you remove that spare tire and the Styrofoam underneath it you would observe the air tank and distribution block. The distribution block in the trunk has a couple of sensors attached to it. There are also 4 levelers. 1 at each corner (basically a black box with an arm that determines height). The air compressor is located in front of the drivers side tire behind the fog lamp. The air compressor will fill the tank and the distribution block...well distributes air to the appropriate corner according to the level. So this system will be what you would have if you go with any of the aftermarket air shocks. They all seem to eliminate the CATS system, which again I did not know when I purchased and it was not on the Arnott website at the time mentioning such.

So what was eliminated with the CATS? Well the CATS system changes the firmness of the shocks. The system uses the vehicles speed, braking & accelerometers ( FRT-lateral, FRT-Vertical and rear vertical) to change the firmness of 2 programmed settings. This system allows for a cloud like ride at low speed and a firmer ride at spirited driving speed

I would have been much happier keeping my CATS system. And I probably would have been very unhappy in the long run if I eliminated the air suspension entirely.

.

 

Yup understand how the CATS system works. So the Arnott replacements still give some level of control over height just not as sophisticated as the original Jaguar air struts.

 

IMHO, the CATS system is a bit of fun, bling if you will, not mandatory; like losing an extra feature. I don't notice the loss of it at all with my air Arnott system.