Ok this is really wierd and noone has been able to answer this but sometimes the front suspension in our89 VDPwill seem to be fully extended sometimes when I get out of the car, but won't go back down until I drive and even then sometimes it doesn't go back down, but other days it stays down as well. There will be a good 6in wheel gap between the tires and the fender. I replaced the wheels with newer ones off a 99 XJ8, I didnt notice it before I changed them but my mom was driving it before so I wouldn't have noticed. I also replaced the front master cylinder, brake booster, accumalator, one of the pressure hoses(the hose that goes from the front of the engine to the accumalator) and it appears that the SLRS has been removed b/c one of the screws have been plugged and there are only 2 lines running in the clip that goes back but doesnt that go to the master cylinder? But would that effect the fronts at all? So does anyone have an idea what it could cause it to be jacked up?

 

Dropped down in the rear makes it look jacked up in the front. Unless someone has intentionally or accidentally modified the front of your car, there is nothing wrong with the front suspension.

Let me get this straight. You have four XJ8 16" wheels and tires, all the same size, on the car now?

If yes, get a ruler or tape measure and find yourself a nice smooth flat piece of real estate, a gas station parking lot even. Measure from the bottom of each of the four rectangular jack point tubes, down to the cement, write down the measurements and post them here. If you have the Johnson twins in the backseat, or your bowling ball collection in the trunk, these ride height measurements will be skewed.

 

Yes the wheels and tires are all the same size
Sounds good I will do that 2mrw. Currently the front end is where it should be (down) so I will measure that. Are there any particular pictures that I can take that may help?

 

Good thought, try getting some pictures of the rear shock/ spring assemblies. I'm guessing that you still have ride levelling installed, and sometimes it is not activating to raise the rea end.

A picture of the solenoid valve block might show that a bleed screw had been installed in place of the original hydraulic supply pipe to the rear, that was a standard step in performing a conversion from ride leveling to tube shocks.

 

Ok I measured the front and rears; they were both 6.25" from the ground to the bottom of the jack points.
Here are the pics sorry it is really dirty:
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...P/DSCF1293.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...P/DSCF1313.jpg
This isthe accumalator that we pulled from a parts car and the origional one is identical
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...P/DSCF1307.jpg
Also off the parts car
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...P/DSCF1310.jpg
Only two lines going back
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...P/DSCF1298.jpg
Full with mineral oil
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...P/DSCF1300.jpg
Rear shocks
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...P/DSCF1301.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...P/DSCF1303.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...P/DSCF1304.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...P/DSCF1305.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...P/DSCF1306.jpg
Don't know if this is helpful so I took a picture anyways
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...P/DSCF1311.jpg

 

My '92 has 16" also, I'll try to get in in the shop tonight and measure ride height to compare. The fact that yours is equal is what would be expected, unless there is a big problem.

Your car looks great, I presume you had to leave off the grease caps for the front hubs so that the wheels would fit?

Those are in fact the tube shock/ spring conversion assemblies on your car, whicheliminated the rear ride levelling. So neither end of the car should change ride height in any way. The only explanation I have for your original question is that one or both front shocks are seizing, I have seen this on XJ40 and in those cases the shock (not the worn mounting bushings) made noise over bumps. I have never seen a car where the the shock would bind in the rebound stroke and hold the front end up from settling on the springs.

There is no other reason that I can even think of that would cause the ride height to change as markedly as you describe. Try bouncing each corner of the car and see if that reveals anything. Perhaps jack up the front end until the wheels clear the ground, set it back down and try bouncing it again to feel if the shocks are binding up after beingfully extended (ie when they are in full rebound). I hope you report back what you find, I'd like to learn something from this too...it ain't normal.

I'll look again later, everything else looked straight up aand bone stock, The solenoid valve block has the appropriate bleeder screw installed to block off the original hydraulic line to the rear struts. That's all good, your problem is in no way related to the hydraulic system on your car.

 

You may want to look into rear springs as well. OhioTech had it right, a sagging *** end will put the front up in the air. People tend to change the shocks, but neglect to change the springs. The old springs get old and sag. (It sucks getting old....)

 

Agreed Ken, but he is stating that the ride height is inconsistant, which is the part that I'm not getting.

Carguy, in addition to the possibility of the front shocks seizing after being fully extended, I suppose it's possible that the front suspension upper wishbone bushings could be seized and binding the suspension travel.

In practice, these are sealed bushings that are packed with greasewhich eventually dasappears. The dry bushings wear out, which usually leads to a whole lot of slop at the mounting point, not binding. It could happen, and since I'm fishing for answers to a wierd question I'll throw that one in the pond as well.

 

I actually just took a hammer and tapped the caps enough so they would fit in the front.

So I pushed on the fenders to check the shocks and the rears seemed fine whereas the fronts were very stiff. As I was driving today I went over a bumpy road and the steering did something similar to a high speed wobble as in riding a motorcycle,if you will. It was controlable by just hilding on to the steering but I know its not good. I got a pic of the front jacked up, not as much as it "could" be but it was still up there.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...P/DSCF1361.jpg

 

Then I'd say you already have the correct answer. You can test the shocks by hand to confirm:

Jack the front end up, place axle stands under the front jack points.

Place the jack under one front lower spring pan and jack up to compress the spring just a bit.

Remove the top shock nut, washer, bushing and bushing locating washer from under the hood, on top of the wheel arch.

Lower the jack, not all the way or the shock top shaft will bind in the hole through the wheel arch.

You should now be able to grab the shock at the mounting bushing under the wheel arch and compress the shock by hand. I have done this a thousand times, as this is the procedure for changing the shock bushings. Only you won't be able to compress the shock, because it is seized. Like I said, it happens once in a while, but never with the results you have.

If you can compress the shocks by hand, and I seriously doubt it, then the next place tocheck is the upper wishbone mounting bushings. If you release the upper ball joint from the vertical link, you will then be able to pivot the upper wishbone assembly up and down freely on its bushings. If youcan't, then the bushings are seized and that is what is causing the problem.

99% it's the shocks. Cheapest are Monroe, you can get them anywhere. Next cheapest are KYB, you can get them almost anywhere. Neither will provide the smooth ride that the OEM shocks provide, but you won't notice anythingexcept the big improvement over what you have now.

 

Thank you very much!!!

 

Update, I ordered shocks off eBay but they were the wrong ones so I am sending them back. I put new tires on the front and I haven't had any problems since. Weird I know but I don't think there is any connection but I did compress the right side up pretty far so there could have been something binding, dunno. Now I have bigger problems, here is the other thread: https://www.jaguarforums.com/m_92901/tm.htm

 

What you have is a car that is not worth fixing now. You can buy a decnt XJ40 for three or less. If you cant find one in Cali, I'll drive one out to you.

 

Hmmm thank you for all of your help but I'm in Florida actually lol

 

That wouldn't change a thing. You can find a good used engine cheap, because they are so durable...but it's not a real easy swap, and the car obviously has other needs. You would be better served to find a nice replacement. Just my opinion.