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Diagnosing Problems with your Jaguar Xk8 shocks.

Shocks are an integral part of the Jaguar Xk8, as it is with all other vehicles. They're built to last a long time through some of the toughest conditions. Unfortunately, age and damage eventually get to the shocks, severely affecting their performance. Here are some common problems associated with this part to help you diagnose them.

The steering wheel vibrates or knocks when driving through moderately rough roads and the bottom hits the road when going over humps.

If your Jaguar's steering wheel starts vibrating while going through some rough patches in the road, then your shocks aren't probably absorbing the vibrations well enough. This is one sign of worn out shocks, a common occurrence if you've had them for a number of years. Another sign of failing shocks is when your vehicle seems to hit road bumps as your car goes over them. As the shocks become worn, they become unable to hold the weight of the entire car. As a result, there will be a decrease in the vehicle's height. The shocks also become unable to push the car up when needed; hence, you get the telltale scraping as you go over humps on the road.

The Jaguar requires more distance to stop

The shocks of the Jaguar also assist the vehicle in stopping. Back in high school, we learned the concept of inertia in our physics class. Basically, it means that it take will a certain amount of force to stop a moving object. As you step on the brakes, the shocks absorb some of the force exerted by the slowing vehicle, allowing it to stop sooner. If the shocks are shot or worn out, it will be unable to compress properly; making the vehicles stop farther than it previously did.

The Jaguar's front dips when braking while the back dips when speeding

This problem is similar to the previous one. It's all about inertia. The shocks help keep the Jaguar level when braking and speeding by absorbing any additional forced caused by their motion. Again, if that doesn't happen, you've got failing shocks.

There is damage to the tube or fluid leakage

A visual inspection of the shocks could reveal damage to the tubes. Dents pose a particularly serious problem since it could affect the pressure of the fluids inside. Single-construction tubes are vulnerable to damage while double tubes are able to handle it a bit more. Leaks are much more serious. This could seriously hamper the performance of the shocks, even making them practically worthless.