Hi,
I have a 2004 Jaguar xkr, convertible in needs of new shocks front and rear. But I'm not sure which to get:
The xkr uses cats (adaptive control). Now, shocks that have adaptive control (ACD) are about $450 each. The ones that don't have ACD are on average $130 each. Now for an xkr, I probably need also 'R' performance, which is even more. I'm confused as which I should get:
- non R perf w/ ACD
- R perf w/ACD (the best)
- R perf wo/ACD
- non R perf wo/ACD (the worst)
I'm not sure which is the most important, R performance or cats enabled shocks.

Any thoughts on that?
Thanks a lot.

 

Both R-performance and non R-performance shocks are CATs enabled. Essentially they are Bilstein B4 Damptronic shocks, it's just that the R-performance are a little bit stiffer and are installed on cars that were sold with the R-performance package. Not all XKRs have it, in fact, most don't.


If you don't want to have to work around the suspension fault warning that installing non-CATS shocks would produce, you have to decide if you want R-performance CATS or Non R-performance CATS shocks.

Rockauto has them at about $315 each plus shipping for the R-performance MXD2140AB and and $324 plus shipping for the Standard CATS shock: MJB2140EC

 

I only thought there were two options. Adaptive or not.??

 

2002 XKR with adaptive shocks. Heavy metal to metal clunk from right rear wheel over certain rod conditions. Been told need new shock mounts. Been told the adaptive shocks don’t fail often and might get away with just new shock mounts. If the shocks are bad I would likely just slap in conventional shocks. Can the adaptive system be disconnected? Read that the adaptive shock module is separate system and doesn’t impact the other computerized systems. Is there any possibility jus replacing mount will suffice? Anyone convert to conventional shocks? If so what were the results?

 

Use bilsteins either way. If mine i would not pay the extra for adaptive. But if you change you have to do all 4 and disc the module in the trunk

 

How do you know if you have the R package?

 

What does that mean disc the module? For shocks?
Also did you mean you wouldn't pay for the adaptive? I'm confused.
Thanks

 

Good question, how do you know? I thought the R in xkr meant 'R' performance.

 

No, the R in XKR means it's supercharged.

R - performance was a handling package. The cars were lowered, given stiffer springs and shocks, and thicker anti-roll bars. Shy of pulling a shock absorber and seeing what p/n you already have installed, I don't know how to find out if you don't have the window sticker for your car.

Maybe a vin check would do it?

 

Thanks Brutal-
I'm leaning towards going with all four non adaptive shocks. That leaves me with a couple questions.
How and where do you disconnect the adaptive electronics so not to get the suspension errors?
Do you have to replace the metal rear shock mount or can you bolt the new shock and upper bushing into the old upper rear shock mount? The car rides and handles OK for 80K miles, it just clucks, is it possible the adaptive shocks are OK and just need new mounts or bushings?

Not to be cheap, but I have other things I want to spend money on, like exhaust. Nobody ever says ooh nice shocks, but they will say, that sounds hot.

 

the adaptive shock module is in the trunk and you just unplug the connector to it. It is wired into the network in parallel not in series so it wi=ont affect the network. Unless your shocks are leaking or it is defintly a shock noise i would do the spring isolaters(foam pieces that rot), and the upper shock bushings also foam. That being said you will pay no extra in labor to replace the shocks vs just the foam pieces, only part costs. It all has to come out. So your call. Either foam pieces only or everything shocks and foam mounts and isolaters. But if you dont stay with adative and switch to std you have to do the fronts too and replace the upper mounts in front too. I just did this job at home last weekend. Fun fun fun

 

"R" in XKR (apparently) is for "Racing" [though clearly it was just to indicate performance, with the added Supercharger]

There was an additional "R" package that could be added to the XKR, which (as others mention) includes various additional handling features.

It also included (at least on my 2003 XKR), 'purple' sill (rocker) trim plates (rather than the standard chrome), and the car also has polished (stainless or aluminum) pedals. I believe these were all part of the 'R' package on my car.

Note that the 'purple' plates are actually listed by Jaguar as black anodized (it took me nearly a year to discover that after I scratched one while removing the seat for air bag repairs....). I posted photos of these on the forum a few years ago when I was trying to discover the part number. A couple of times my car has been in JCNA shows and these plates have been (incorrectly) identified as non original by the judges....

-Steve

 

Thanks for the amazing information!

I decided to ride the car and pay particular attention to suspension and noise. Not only I'm really getting more and more scared on how the 2004 xkr handles but today at maybe 35mph, the car bottom (under) touched the road as I was driving. Granted it was a dip on the road, never had I experienced a car touching under, other than when going on and out of a strip mall parking and such.
The car literally touched the road while riding the dip on the 'down rebound' if that makes sense.
It was a long dip, maybe one foot of depth by 9 feet long and wide enough for both wheels. When you enter a long dip, the car first feels light, then rebounds down. That's when it touched. So obviously, looks like shocks didn't support the car at all and let the body get lower to the point of touching the asphalt.
I'm not getting any light or message saying the cats or the shocks have problems. Plus I've read in this forum that cats managed shocks rarely fails.
So I've been wondering could these foam parts that you mentioned about could cause such a poor support of the car on bumps and dips? Could this be bushings? Could it make such a difference to replace these foams that it'd feel like having new shocks? The only thing I see without unmounting anything (I'm not really good at mechanic) is the shocks mounts have on top, the rubber part rotten. I suspect the shocks to be shot, but dropping that much on a road light dip, that was weird. If it had been 1 or even 3 feet wide I kinda could understand, but on 9~10 ft, the drop should be gradual enough to be absorbed by the shocks no?

So I guess the info I'm looking is:
1/ can foam or bushing be so bad that it would be like having shot shocks?
2/ do cats managed shocks fail, and due to the car being low (20" rim though) , can car's front 'belly' touch the asphalt (at rebound) while driving.
3/ can bad mount seriously affect suspension/shock primarily function?
4/ would cats system warn through console messages or obd2 codes that shocks are leaking or failing?
5/ if I decided to replace all shocks and mounts with non electronic adaptive, do you need to plug the disconnected cats wires so they don't just dingle under the hood?
6/ I fear for the small cooler radiator that can be seen from under the car, the one that sticks out a bit lower the chassis (Oil cooler?) that it could hit the asphalt too.

I know this is a lot and I apologize for the long message. I'm just so frustrated, so bummed by how the car drives and feels unsafe when going above 20mph. She's beautiful, and I'm obsessed with her, but I don't know what to do besides going to a garage and pay thousands to get this fixed.
Thank you so much in advance for your input.
If one of you know an honest mechanic in Los Angeles that can help with that please let me know.

Thank you so much. Cheers friends.

 

Handling package was a coupe only option.

 

Right side. It's a shadow not a stain like on the left side...


left side. Looks like oil leaked huh? Look at the top left corner , WTF is that? That's not part of the strut...

This one (Right side) has a shadow but nothing on the strut like the other side

Left side,looks like some oil, or dirt? On the shock/strut

This one looks like there's a leak. Notice the top left corner. Looks like a leak too...I don't think it's the shadow

 

Are you sure about those cosmetic upgrades? My car has both the aluminum pedals and the “purple” black anodized sill plates. I am not aware of it being an R-performance.

 

I just recently went through the same decision making with my 2002 XKR. One of the rear CATS wires twisted itself to the point of snapping and therefore sending the car into suspension fault mode. I was just going to replace the connector but once I got the shock off I discovered that the lower shock mount looked pretty deteriorated plus the all the shock rubber was starting to crumble. The end result is that at only about $100 each, I just replaced all of the CATS shocks with standard which worked well for me since I like simplifying things and I just use it as a touring car anyway regarding driving style.

 

Hi,

Still for the 2004 xkr convertible:
I have 3 questions please my dear Jag gurus friends (or...jagurus...?! I like that...good idea for a .com name):

1/ Do all 2004 xkr, have factory brembo brakes/20" bbs, and if so, will the genuine rotors work with brembo/BBS?

2/ what is the official part number for rear rotors to work with 20" BBS wheels and red brembo brakes?

3/ why are these same rotors (the rears) super/ultra/mega grooved after brake pad changes (still Brembo) and 300 miles only?! Notice that they also are squealing like crazy too at very low speed.

4/ Are all 2004 xkr portfolio? Nowhere I looked said it was.

5/ where can I find the factory installed options (shocks, rotors, R package, sport package you name it etc.) as I bought the car used and don't have these records anywhere? Using the VIN maybe?

Thank you so so so very much.

 

1. No to the wheels, I think yes to the brakes. Mine has non-BBS wheels but it does have the Brembo's but with the non cross-drilled rotors. Mine is also a 2004 XKR coupe.
2. I don't remember the part number as most people go after market, but as long as the fronts are 355 mm in diameter, and the rear rotors are 320 mm in diameter, you have the right size. You are free to pick between blanks (what I have) and slotted, and cross drilled rotors. For street driving, blanks are best, but not as eye-catching. More surface area = better stopping. Slotted are next best, and these may actually prevent glazing. Cross drilled are a waste of money except for looks. The holes may introduce areas where a fracture can occur and the integrity of the rotor is weakened. It also offers no better stopping power and the alleged cooling benefits are thought to be minimal, if any.
3. Brembo semi-metallic pads eat rotors for lunch. You can mitigate this a lot by switching to ceramic pads. You will sacrifice a tiny bit of stopping power and brake pedal feel if you do switch.
4. No. Portfolio was like a sub-trim level, most XKRs are not.
5. I would like to know this as much as a you do.

 

Well, until this evening I had always thought that was the case! I've just checked at Autoblog and (as stated above) apparently the 'handling package' wasn't available on the 2003 XKR Convertible (only on the Coupe - though even there it isn't listed as the 'R' package)

That said, I do wonder why our cars have them fitted? (I've seen other XK8s and Rs from 2003 and 2004 that don't). I wonder if they were a dealer fit option that doesn't show at Autoblog?

-Steve