Imagine being stuck in the middle of nowhere all because your air strut chose the day you traveled out of town to completely break down.
Hold on for a second…
How would you feel if you were to be in these shoes?
Angry? Frustrated? Sad? To say the least, you’ll feel a surge in a mix of emotions.
In my opinion, you honestly don’t need to be in such perilous situations. Once you observe the signs of a failing air strut then follow the guide from Vigorairride I curated on how to change air strut on jagua xj8 2004, you will never have to worry about having such experiences.
Here, you will discover the following;
- How to change air strut on jaguar xj8 2004
- The signs of a failing air strut in your jaguar xj8 2004
Ready?
The Signs Of A Failing Air Strut On Jaguar Xj8 2004
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- The vehicle is sagging; Do you notice the car to be sitting below its normal riding height? Maybe not all four sides but on just one, two, or even three of the wheel area. Then, you should fixate your mind on the possibility that the air strut on your Jaguar XJ series is faulty and is due for replacement.
- Bumpier rides; The air suspension system exists to make your journey comfortable and enjoyable. Whenever this stops being the case, the air strut in the suspension system has probably gone bad and thus, due for a change.
- Leaking air from the air strut, air hose: Do you hear a hissing sound coming from the wheel well? Yes, it could imply air strut damage.
- The air compressor doesn’t come up or it keeps working; Air compressors in the air suspension system are supposed to work for a fraction of 1 minute in 10 minutes working cycle. This is the duty cycle.
Anytime the air compressor works non-stop or does not even work at all, it means there is a problem. Failure to address the issue would result in dire consequences that can cause bigger problems for the air struts.
These are signals indicating the air strut on your Jaguar Xj8 2004 model, it means the air strut could be damaged or close to the point of getting damaged.
Now, let’s delve into the heart of today’s discussion.
Simplified Approach; How To Change Air Strut On Jaguar Xj8 2004
You will need to get some tools in order to carry out this task. For convenience, I have compiled a list of some of these tools. And if you think it’s unnecessary to buy any of them, you can lend them from dealer shops both online and offline.
Compiled List Of Tools Needed To Replace The Air Struts On Your Vehicle
- Lug nut remover or electric impact driver
- Wrench
- Ratchet
- Flat-headed screwdriver
- Air strut kit
- Nose clip plier
- Lubricant or rust breaker
- Vehicle lift or hydraulic jack and chocks
- Wooden mallet
- Basic toolset
Revelation; The Simplistic Approach
- Safety must be treated with utmost priority. Put on your protective gear. This includes your protective gloves and protective eyewear.
- Align the wheels of your car in a straightforward manner. Once you have done that, power off the ignition and disconnect the battery. To avoid the dangers of short circuits, I strongly recommend you check the user guide before disconnecting the battery. The dangers of short circuits can cause damage to your vehicle and serious personal injuries.
Air Strut Removal
- Start by raising the car up to an off-road height that allows you to work conveniently on the sides of the Jaguar XJ8 needing attention. Here, I recommend the use of vehicle lifts since they offer better safety than others.
- Remove the wheel, by disconnecting the lug nuts holding the wheel and tire in position to the axle of the car.
- Carefully take off the wheel and make sure you keep the lug nuts safe.
- Disconnect the connection to the sway bar end link; First, loosen the nuts holding the sway bar in position. Once you have done that, depress the sway bar end link and push the bolt through.
- If you are working on the front end, disconnect the top bolt that is attached to the upper A-arm. Remove the A-arm once it’s loosened completely.
- Carefully lower the hub assembly in the forward direction to avoid the potential risks of injuring yourself.
- Open the car engine compartment and get set to disconnect the upper shock. First, disconnect the electrical connection to the air strut. Gently pull out the wire.
- You can now go ahead with bleeding the air strut. Do these by carefully pulling out the air lines from the air struts. Proceed to the loosening of the bolts (4) on the upper mount of the air struts.
- Next is the removal of the lower controlling arm bolt.
- Push down the hub assembly, use the sway bar end link to hold it in position. By this; you will have enough space to easily remove the air strut from the vehicle.
Installation Of The Replacement Air Strut
- Before installing the new air struts, you must first remove the four top stud bolts on the struts.
- Now you can carefully mount the air strut back in the position of the old one that was just removed. Nut back all loosened nuts and bolts connections.
- Once you have restored all disconnected stuff. Restore the wheel back to position, reconnect the car battery, lower the vehicle back to the normal height and take the car on a test drive!
Here is a video by Arnott Air Suspensions guiding you on the step-by-step procedure you have learned in this post. Find here;
This will be all on how to change air strut on jaguar xj8 2004. Do you have questions or recommendations? Leave your thoughts as comments.
Talk to you soon. Stay safe, you rock!
