1997 JAGUAR XJ6 ABS

Test the brakes at various speeds with both
light and heavy pedal pressure. The vehicle
should stop evenly without pulling to one side
or the other. Avoid locking the brakes,
because this slides the tyres and diminishes
braking efficiency and control of the vehicle.
Tyres, vehicle load and wheel alignment are
factors which also affect braking performance.
2 Anti-lock Brake system
(ABS)- general information
The Anti-lock Brake System is designed to
maintain vehicle steerability, directional stability
and optimum deceleration under severe
braking conditions on most road surfaces. It
does so by monitoring the rotational speed of
each wheel and controlling the brake line
pressure to each wheel during braking. This
prevents the wheels from locking up.
The ABS system has three main units - the
wheel speed sensors, the electronic control unit
and the modulator (hydraulic control unit). The
sensors - one at each wheel - send a variable
voltage signal to the electronic control unit,
which monitors these signals, compares them
to its program and determines whether a wheel
is about to lock up. When a wheel is about to
lock up, the control unit signals the hydraulic
unit to reduce hydraulic pressure (or not
increase it further) at that wheel’s brake caliper.
Pressure modulation is handled by three
electrically-operated solenoid valves - one for
each front wheel and one for the rear wheels -
inside the modulator.
If a problem develops within the system, an
“ABS” warning light will glow on the dashboard.
Sometimes, a visual inspection of the ABS
system can help you locate the problem.
Carefully inspect the ABS wiring harness. Pay
particularly close attention to the harness and
connections near each wheel. Look for signs of
chafing and other damage caused by
incorrectly routed wires. If a wheel sensor
harness is damaged, the sensor should be
replaced (the harness and sensor are integral).
Warning: Do NOT try to repair an
ABS wiring harness. The ABS
system is sensitive to even thesmallest changes in resistance. Repairing
the harness could alter resistance values
and cause the system to malfunction. If the
ABS wiring harness is damaged in any way,
it must be replaced.
Caution: Make sure the ignition is turned
off before unplugging or reattaching any
electrical connections.
Diagnosis and repair
If a dashboard warning light comes on and
stays on while the vehicle is in operation, the
ABS system requires attention. Although
special electronic ABS diagnostic testing tools
are necessary to properly diagnose the system,
you can perform a few preliminary checks
before taking the vehicle to a dealer service
department or other qualified repair workshop.
a) Check the brake fluid level in the master
cylinder reservoir.
b) Verify that all ABS system electrical
connectors in the engine compartment
are plugged in.
c) Check the fuses.
d) Follow the wiring harness to each front
wheel and to the differential sensor and
verify that all connections are secure and
that the wiring is undamaged.
If the above preliminary checks do not
rectify the problem, the vehicle should be
diagnosed by a dealer service department.
Due to the complex nature of this system, all
actual repair work must be done by a dealer
service department or other qualified repair
workshop.
3 Disc brake pads- renewal
2
Warning: Disc brake pads must
be replaced on both front wheels
or both rear wheels at the same
time - never renew the pads on
only one wheel. Also, the dust created by
the brake system may contain asbestos,
which is harmful to your health. Never blow
it out with compressed air and don’t inhale
any of it. An approved filtering mask should
be worn when working on the brakes. Do
not, under any circumstances, use
petroleum-based solvents to clean brake
parts. Use brake system cleaner only!
Note:The following procedure applies to both
the front and rear brake pads.
1Remove the cap from the brake fluid
reservoir and siphon off about two-thirds of
the fluid from the reservoir. Failing to do this
could result in fluid overflowing when the
caliper pistons are pressed into their bores.
2Loosen the wheel nuts, raise the front of the
vehicle and support it securely on axle stands.
3Remove the front wheels. Work on one
brake assembly at a time, using the
assembled brake for reference if necessary.
4Inspect the brake disc (see Section 5).
5Follow the accompanying photos,
beginning with illustration 3.5a, for the pad
removal procedure. Be sure to stay in order
and read the caption under each illustration.
9•2 Braking system
3.5a Before starting, wash down the
caliper and disc with brake cleaner
3.5b Attach a hose to the bleed screw,
open the bleed screw slightly and depress
the piston into the caliper. Tighten the
bleed screw when the piston bottoms
3.5c Remove the caliper mounting bolts
(upper bolt arrowed); use another spanner
to hold the flats of the caliper guide pins
while you back out the caliper bolts3.5d Remove the caliper . . .3.5e . . . and suspend it out of the way
with a piece of wire
3261 Jaguar XJ6

been noticed during application of the brakes,
suspect disc runout.
4To check disc runout, place a dial indicator
at a point about 1/2-inch from the outer edge
of the disc (see illustration). Set the indicator
to zero and turn the disc. The indicator
reading should not exceed the specified
allowable runout limit. If it does, the disc
should be refinished by an automotive
machine workshop. Note:It is recommended
that the discs be resurfaced regardless of the
dial indicator reading, as this will impart a
smooth finish and ensure a perfectly flat
surface, eliminating any brake pedal pulsation
or other undesirable symptoms related to
questionable discs. At the very least, if you
elect not to have the discs resurfaced, removethe glazing from the surface with emery cloth
or sandpaper using a swirling motion (see
illustration).
5It is absolutely critical that the disc not be
machined to a thickness under the specified
minimum allowable thickness. The disc
thickness can be checked with a micrometer
(see illustration). Then compare your
measurement to the minimum wear (or discard)
thickness stamped into the hub of the disc
after the disc is removed (see illustration).
Removal
6Cut the safety wire from the caliper bracket
mounting bolts (see illustration). On front
caliper brackets, remove the ABS wheelspeed sensor (see illustration), then remove
the caliper bracket bolts and remove the
bracket.
7Remove the disc retaining screw (see
illustration) and remove the disc from the
hub. If the disc sticks, give it a few sharp raps
with a hammer (see illustration). If the disc is
stuck to the hub, spray a generous amount of
penetrant onto the area between the hub and
the disc and allow the penetrant a few
minutes to loosen the rust between the two
components. If a rear disc still sticks, insert a
thin, flat-bladed screwdriver or brake
adjusting tool through the hub flange, rotate
the star wheel on the handbrake adjusting
screw and contract the handbrake shoes (see
illustration).
Braking system 9•5
9
5.4a To check disc runout, mount a dial
indicator as shown and rotate the disc5.4b Using a swirling motion, remove the
glaze from the disc surface with
sandpaper or emery cloth5.5a The disc thickness can be checked
with a micrometer
5.5b Compare your measurement with the
minimum thickness stamped into the disc5.6a Before you can remove the caliper
mounting bracket bolts (arrowed) and the
bracket, you’ll have to cut the safety wire
between them with a pair of diagonal
cutters (rear bracket shown)5.6b On front caliper brackets, remove the
ABS wheel speed sensor bolt (centre
arrow) and pull out the sensor before
removing the bracket bolts (upper and
lower arrows) and bracket
3261 Jaguar XJ6
5.7a Using an impact driver, if necessary,
remove the disc retaining screw, then
remove the disc from the hub5.7c If a rear disc is stuck to the hub,
insert a suitable tool through the hub
flange and retract the handbrake shoes5.7b If the disc is stuck to the hub, give it
a few sharp raps with a hammer

3261 Jaguar XJ6
10
Chapter 10
Suspension and steering systems
General
Power steering fluid type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1
Torque wrench settingsNm lbf ft
Front suspension
Balljoints
Retaining bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 to 62 41 to 45
Ball stud nuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 to 68 35 to 50
Lower control arm
Spring pan bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 to 34 19 to 25
Pivot nuts/bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 to 68 32 to 50
Shock absorber
Lower nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 to 68 45 to 50
Upper nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 to 43 26 to 31
Anti-roll bar
Bushing bracket bolts
Upper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 to 28 16 to 20
Lower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 to 30 18 to 22
Link nuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 to 60 41 to 44
Upper control arm pivot nuts/bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 to 75 45 to 55
Rear suspension
Carrier-to-control arm bolt/nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 to 80 51 to 59
Rear control arm-to-crossmember bolt/nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 to 105 62 to 77
Shock absorber/coil spring assembly
Lower shock-to-control arm bolt/nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 to 200 118 to 147
Upper shock-to-body bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 to 28 16 to 20
Steering
Steering wheel-to-steering shaft nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 to 45 26 to 33
Steering shaft-to-steering gear pinion shaft U-joint pinch bolt . . . . . . . 19 to 24 14 to 17
Steering gear mounting bracket bolts/nuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 to 29 19 to 21
Tie-rod end-to-steering knuckle nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 to 68 45 to 50 Anti-roll bar (front) - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Balljoints - check and renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Coil spring (front) - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Control arm (rear) - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Front wheel bearing - check, repack and adjustment . . See Chapter 1
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Hub and bearing (rear) - renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Hub carrier (rear) - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Lower control arm - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Power steering fluid level check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1
Power steering pump - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Power steering system - bleeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Self-levelling rear suspension system - general information . . . . . . . 2
Shock absorber (front) - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Shock absorber/coil spring (rear) - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . 10
Steering and suspension check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1
Steering gear - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Steering gear boots - renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Steering knuckle - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Steering wheel - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Suspension and steering checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1
Tie-rod ends - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Tyre and tyre pressure checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1
Tyre rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1
Upper control arm - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Wheel alignment - general information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Wheel bearing lubrication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1
Wheels and tyres - general information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
10•1
Specifications Contents
Easy,suitable for
novice with little
experienceFairly easy,suitable
for beginner with
some experienceFairly difficult,
suitable for competent
DIY mechanic
Difficult,suitable for
experienced DIY
mechanicVery difficult,
suitable for expert DIY
or professional
Degrees of difficulty
54321

1 General information
Warning: Whenever any of the
suspension or steering fasteners
are loosened or removed, they
must be inspected and if
necessary, replaced with new ones of the
same part number or of original equipment
quality and design. Torque wrench settings
must be followed for proper reassembly
and component retention. Never attempt
to heat, straighten or weld any suspension
or steering component. Instead, renew any
bent or damaged part.
The front suspension (see illustrations)
consists of unequal-length upper and lower
control arms, shock absorbers and coil
springs. The upper ends of the shocks are
attached to the body; the lower ends
are attached to the lower control arms. The
upper ends of the coil springs are seated
against the suspension crossmember; the
lower ends are seated against removable
plates which are bolted to the lower control
arms. The steering knuckles are attached to
balljoints in the upper and lower control arms.
An anti-roll bar is attached to the suspension
crossmember with a pair of bushing brackets
and to the lower control arms via a connecting
link at each end.The independent rear suspension (see
illustration)uses control arms and integral
shock absorber/coil spring units. The upper
ends of the shocks are attached to the body;
the lower ends are connected to the control
arms.
The steering system consists of the
steering wheel, a steering column, a universal
joint on the lower end of the steering shaft, a
rack-and-pinion power steering gear, a power
steering pump and a pair of tie-rods which
connects the steering gear to the steering
knuckles (see illustration).
2 Self-levelling rear
suspension system
1988 to 1992 models were equipped with a
system that provided hydraulic power for the
rear suspension and for the power brakes. As
the vehicle is loaded or unloaded, the rear
suspension is automatically adjusted to
maintain a constant ride height.
The system was discontinued on 1993 and
later models, which are equipped with
conventional shock absorber/coil spring units.
A kit is available from your Jaguar dealer
should you decide to retrofit the later,
conventional shocks to a pre-1993 vehicle.
Complete instructions for refitting the kit are
included in Section 10.
3 Anti-roll bar (front)-
removal and refitting
2
1Raise the front of the vehicle and support it
securely on axle stands.
2Remove the bolts from the anti-roll bar
brackets that attach the anti-roll bar to the
suspension crossmember (see illustration).
3Remove the nuts that attach the anti-roll
bar to the links (see illustration). If you’re
replacing the links themselves, or removing
the control arm, remove the nuts attaching the
links to the lower control arms.
Suspension and steering systems 10•3
10
1.3 Rear suspension
1 Hub carrier 2 Control arms 3 Crossmember mounting brackets 4 Crossmember
3.2 To detach the anti-roll bar from the
suspension crossmember, remove these
two bolts (arrowed) from each bushing
bracket
3261 Jaguar XJ6

4Remove the anti-roll bar from the vehicle.
5Refitting is the reverse of the removal
procedure. Be sure to tighten all fasteners to
the torque listed in this Chapter’s
Specifications.
4 Shock absorber (front)-
removal and refitting
2
Note: Always renew both left and right shocks
at the same time to prevent handling
peculiarities and abnormal ride quality.
1Loosen but do not remove the front wheel
nuts. Raise the front of the vehicle and
support it on axle stands. Remove the wheels.
2Support the lower control arm with a trolley
jack (see illustration). Place a block of wood
between the jack head and the control arm to
protect the arm and spring plate.
3Remove the nut and bolt that attach the
lower end of the shock absorber to the lower
control arm (see illustration).
4Remove the nut that attaches the upper
end of the shock to the body (see
illustration).
5Remove the shock absorber.
6Refitting is the reverse of removal. Tighten
the fasteners to the torque listed in this
Chapter’s Specifications.
5 Balljoints- check and renewal
3
Check
1Raise the vehicle and support it securely on
axle stands.
2Visually inspect the rubber boot between
the balljoints and the steering knuckle for
cuts, tears or leaking grease. If you note any
of these conditions, renew the balljoint.
3Place a large crowbar between eachcontrol arm and the steering knuckle. If you
can see or feel any movement during either
check, a worn-out balljoint is indicated.
4Have an assistant grasp the tyre at the top
and bottom and shake the top of the tyre with
an in-and-out motion. Touch the balljoint stud
nut. If any looseness is felt, suspect a worn-
out balljoint stud or a widened hole in the
steering knuckle. If the latter problem exists,
the steering knuckle should be replaced as
well as the balljoint.
Renewal
5Loosen the wheel nuts, raise the vehicle
and support it securely on axle stands.
Remove the wheel.
6Support the lower control arm with a trolley
jack (see illustration 4.2). Place a block of
wood between the jack head and the control
arm as shown to protect the arm and spring
plate.
Upper balljoint
7Loosen - but don’t remove - the ball stud
nut, fit a small puller (see illustration)and
pop the ball stud loose from the steering
knuckle.
8Remove the two bolts that attach the
balljoint to the upper arm (see illustration).
Count the number of shims installed and set
them aside.
9Refitting is the reverse of removal. Don’t
forget to refit the same number of shims.
Tighten the bolts to the torque listed in this
Chapter’s Specifications.
10Remove the jack from under the control
arm, refit the front wheel, lower the vehicle
and tighten the wheel nuts to the torque listed
in the Chapter 1 Specifications. Drive the
vehicle to an alignment workshop to have the
wheel alignment checked, and if necessary,
adjusted.
Lower balljoint
11Loosen - but don’t remove - the ball stud
nut, then give the steering knuckle a few
sharp raps with a hammer to pop the ball stud
loose (see illustration). Remove the ball stud
nut.
10•4 Suspension and steering systems
3.3 To disconnect the anti-roll bar from the
link, remove the upper nut (arrowed); to
disconnect the link from the lower control
arm, remove the lower nut (arrowed)4.2 Support the lower control arm with a
jack; put a block of wood between the jack
head and the control arm to protect the
arm and coil spring plate
4.3 To disconnect the lower end of the
shock absorber from the lower control
arm, remove this nut and bolt4.4 To disconnect the upper end of the
shock absorber from the body, remove this
nut (arrowed)
5.7 To detach the upper balljoint from the
steering knuckle, loosen the ballstud nut,
fit a small puller and break the ballstud
loose from the knuckle5.8 Remove the bolts and shims from the
upper balljoint; be sure to put the shims
back when refitting the new balljoint
3261 Jaguar XJ6

12Remove the four balljoint retaining bolts
(see illustration).
13If the dust boot is damaged, pry it out
(see illustration).
14Remove the balljoint.
15Refitting is the reverse of removal. Tighten
the balljoint bolts and the ball stud nut to the
torque listed in this Chapter’s Specifications.
16Remove the jack from under the control
arm, refit the front wheel. Lower the vehicle
and tighten the wheel nuts to the torque listed
in the Chapter 1 Specifications.
6 Steering knuckle-
removal and refitting
3
1Loosen the wheel nuts, raise the front of the
vehicle and place it securely on axle stands.
Remove the wheel.
2Remove the front brake caliper and
mounting bracket (see Chapter 9). Do not
disconnect the brake hose. Hang the caliper
out of the way with a piece of wire.
3Remove the brake disc (see Chapter 9).
4Remove the ABS sensor (see illustration).
5Remove the brake shield (see illustration).
6Disconnect the tie-rod end from the
steering knuckle (see Section 15).
7Disconnect the upper and lower balljoints
from the steering knuckle (see Section 5).
8Remove the steering knuckle.
9Refitting is the reverse of removal. Tighten
the balljoint nuts and the tie-rod end nuts to the
specified torque. Tighten the brake fasteners to
the torque values listed in the Chapter 9
Specifications.
7 Upper control arm-
removal and refitting
3
1Loosen the wheel nuts, raise the vehicle
and support it securely on axle stands.
Remove the wheel.
2Support the lower control arm with a trolley
jack (see illustration 4.2).
3Disconnect the upper balljoint from the
steering knuckle (see Section 5).4If you’re removing the right upper control
arm on a vehicle equipped with the power
hydraulic system, remove the three Torx
screws which attach the accumulator (see
illustration)and push the assembly aside just
far enough to clear the pivot bolt.
5Remove the upper control arm pivot bolt
and nut (see illustration). When removing the
nut, note the number of washers used and the
order in which they’re installed. Put these
parts in a plastic bag.
6Remove the upper control arm. Inspect the
bushings at either end of the arm and renew
them if they’re damaged or worn.
7Refitting is the reverse of removal. Be sure
to refit the washers in the same order in which
they were removed. Raise the suspensionwith the trolley jack to simulate normal ride
height, then tighten the upper control arm
pivot bolt and nut to the torque listed in this
Chapter’s Specifications.
8 Coil spring (front)-
removal and refitting
3
Warning: The coil springs cannot
be removed without a special
spring compressor tool (Jaguar
tool JD115). Do not try to remove
a coil spring without this special tool. If you
do, you could be seriously injured.
1Loosen the wheel nuts, raise the vehicle
Suspension and steering systems 10•5
10
5.11 Strike the steering knuckle in this
area to pop the lower ball stud loose from
the steering knuckle5.12 To detach the lower balljoint from the
lower control arm, remove these four bolts
(arrowed)5.13 To detach the dust boot from the
steering knuckle, pry the lower lip of the
boot out of its groove in the knuckle
6.5 To detach the brake shield from the
steering knuckle, remove these three
screws (arrowed)6.4 To detach the ABS sensor from the
steering knuckle, remove this bolt
7.4 Remove these three Torx screws
(arrowed) and move the accumulator
assembly to the side a little to provide
clearance for pulling out the pivot bolt7.5 To detach the upper control arm from
the crossmember, remove the nut (at the
rear) and pull the bolt out from the front;
note the fitted order of the spacer washers
3261 Jaguar XJ6

and support it securely on axle stands.
Remove the wheel.
2Refit the special spring compressor tool
(JD115) as shown (see illustrations).
3Tighten the tool until the spacer is tight
against the spring pan, then remove the
spring pan bolts (see illustration).
4Slowly back off the wingnut on the special
tool until all tension is relieved from the spring.
Remove the tool, remove the pan, and remove
the coil spring.
5Refitting is the reverse of removal. Place the
coil spring in position with the spring pan
below it, refit the special tool and carefully
tighten the wingnut until the spring is
compressed enough to allow the pan to be
positioned and bolted to the lower control
arm. Be sure to tighten the pan bolts to the
torque listed in this Chapter’s Specifications.
9 Lower control arm-
removal and refitting
3
Warning: The lower control arms
cannot be removed without a
special spring compressor tool
(Jaguar tool JD115). Do not try to
remove a lower control arm without this
tool, or you could be seriously injured.1Loosen the wheel nuts, raise the vehicle
and support it securely on axle stands.
Remove the wheel.
2Remove the spring pan and the coil spring
(see Section 8).
3Detach the steering gear (see Section 17)
and lower it far enough to provide clearance
for the lower control arm pivot bolt.
4Remove the pivot bolt and nut (see
illustration). Note any washers behind the nut
and store them in a plastic bag.
5Remove the lower control arm.
6Refitting is the reverse of removal. Be sure
to refit any washers removed. Raise the
suspension with the trolley jack to simulate
normal ride height, then tighten the pivot bolt
and nut to the torque listed in this Chapter’s
Specifications. Refer to Section 8 for coil
spring refitting.
10 Shock absorber/coil spring
(rear)- removal and refitting
3
Note 1: Always renew both left and right
shocks at the same time to prevent handling
peculiarities and abnormal ride quality.
Note 2:If you’re replacing the shock absorbers
on an earlier vehicle with the self-levelling
system, we strongly recommend (and so doesJaguar) that you renew the self-levelling units
with conventional units (available at the dealer
as a retrofit kit for older vehicles equipped with
the self-levelling system).
1Loosen the rear wheel nuts. Raise the rear
of the vehicle and support it securely on axle
stands. Remove the rear wheels. Support the
control arm with a trolley jack. Place a block of
wood on the jack head to serve as a cushion.
2If you are removing/replacing the shocks on
a vehicle equipped with the self-levelling rear
suspension system, depressurise the system
by pumping the brake pedal until it feels hard
to push (this dissipates the pressure inside the
accumulator), then locate the hydraulic line
valve block just in front of the upper end of the
left rear shock (see illustration). Attach a
plastic hose to the bleeder screw (see
illustration), put the other end of the hose in a
catch bottle, crack the bleeder and drain off
as much fluid as possible. Disconnect the
hydraulic line that connects the left shock to
the valve block. Now locate the other valve
block just in front of the right rear shock;
disconnect the hydraulic line that connects
the right shock to this valve block too.
3Remove the lower shock absorber-to-
control arm nut and bolt (see illustration).
4Remove the upper mounting bolts (see
illustration)and remove the shock
absorber/coil spring assembly.
10•6 Suspension and steering systems
9.4 To detach the lower control arm from
the crossmember, remove this nut and bolt
(arrowed) (unbolt and lower the steering
gear before you can pull out the pivot bolt)10.2a On a vehicle equipped with self-
levelling rear suspension, the valve block
(arrowed) for the left rear shock is located
just in front of the shock absorber10.2b After depressurising the system,
attach a bleed hose to the bleed screw on
the left valve block, open the bleed and
drain any residual fluid into a catch bottle
3261 Jaguar XJ6 8.2a When refitting the spring compressor
tool (JD115), insert the upper end of the
rod into the cross-shaped slot in the
suspension crossmember, then rotate the
rod 90° so this pin on the upper end of the
tool locks into the crossmember
8.2b This is how the spring compressor
tool (JD115) looks when it’s installed; note
how the offset collet is oriented so that it’s
flush with the coil spring pan8.3 To detach the coil spring pan from the
lower control arm, compress the spring
and remove these six bolts (arrowed)

5The shock/coil spring assemblies must be
dismantled, and the coil springs installed on
the new shocks. Although the shock/coil
spring assembly is similar in appearance to
the a MacPherson strut/coil spring assembly,
the spring on this unit is much stiffer.
Therefore, DO NOT attempt to take apart this
unit yourself with a strut spring compressor
tool. Instead, take the unit to a Jaguar dealer
service department or to a Jaguar specialist
workshop and have the springs installed on
the new shocks by professionals.6If you are retrofitting conventional shocks -
rather than refitting the same or another pair
of self-levelling shocks - unplug the electrical
connector at the ride height sensor, and fill
the connector with silicone (see illustration)
to prevent it from shorting out and causing
electrical problems. Then disconnect and
remove all hydraulic lines (see illustrations).
7Refitting is the reverse of removal. Be sure
to tighten all fasteners to the torque values
listed in this Chapter’s Specifications.
8Remove the jack supporting the controlarm, refit the rear wheels and lower the
vehicle.
9Tighten the rear wheel nuts to the torque
listed in the Chapter 1 Specifications.
10If you retrofitted conventional shocks to a
vehicle formerly equipped with the self-
levelling rear suspension system, disconnect
the forward end of the hydraulic line from the
valve block and refit the plug included in the
kit (see illustrations). Then finish removing
the forward section of hydraulic line and the
brackets for the line (see illustration).
Suspension and steering systems 10•7
10
10.6a Where applicable, unplug the
connector to the ride height sensor and fill
the connector with silicone . . .10.6b . . . then disconnect and remove
both valve blocks . . .10.6c . . . and remove all associated
plumbing, including the metal line (arrow) to
the valve block in the engine compartment
3261 Jaguar XJ6 10.3 To detach the bottom of the shock absorber/coil spring from
the control arm, remove this nut and bolt, then pull out the bolt
10.4 To detach the top of the shock absorber/coil spring from the
body, remove these bolts (arrowed) - not all bolts are visible here
10.10a After the vehicle has been lowered,
disconnect the forward end of the
hydraulic line from the valve block . . .10.10b . . . refit the plug included in the
retrofit kit . . .10.10c . . . then remove these bracket
screws (arrowed), the brackets and the
forward section of hydraulic line