Suspension misalignment

[Orlando St.R]

That's interesting, John. Maybe they have gone too far the other way, now! Better too much clearance, though, than too little.

[Glyn Ruck]

You can also expect some settling over time with new or reset springs.

[jaguar&mg]

I think mine is riding too high — but they are new springs and so perhaps I should just wait for them to 'settle'? It's certainly quite a bit higher than it was before the new springs.

Front

[Glyn Ruck]

Don't worry about it. It WILL settle. My car riding high shortly after engine in & all spring rates reset. It has now settled & passes the Orlando spec.
It is still slightly high but has settled a lot. Rather slightly high than sagging.

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[Orlando St.R]

Yes, there are no real downsides to the car riding too high at the front, apart, perhaps, from looking at the road rather than the following traffic in your rear view mirror. . I expect it will settle down in a few months.

[Glyn Ruck]

Mine was riding a little high in the rear as well as I had all springs reset. That too has settled.

[jaguar&mg]

Thank you Glyn: thank you Orlando. This is reassuring — the pictures being particularly helpful. Have you any current pictures, Glyn, of how much yours has now settled? I think mine is lower at the back than the front (though still a little high).

I think choice of tyre is more important than I had realised. I bought my car on Van tyres (!) and the ride is/was harder than expected.

[cass3958]

This my car now settled. I put new short springs on the front from WatJag but the rear is standard. The first photo shows the difference in length of the springs. The new shorter ones are a stronger poundage so give you a firmer ride but did not really alter the ride height as the old springs compressed more.
I do not think you want the back of your car any lower than you have it at the moment.
In my view the bottom of the rear wheel arch should be level with the top of the wire wheel so covering the tyre rubber at the top. Any lower and I think you would have problems getting the rear wheel off from under the wheel arch. My car does sit a little nose down when sitting parked empty but as soon as you put two people in the back with two full tanks of fuel it soon levels out and the back end drops about an inch or two.
I would prefer it that way than level and then when people get in the back the back end drops to the floor and you scrape every speed bump and hillock in the road.

[Glyn Ruck]

Thank you Glyn: thank you Orlando. This is reassuring — the pictures being particularly helpful. Have you any current pictures, Glyn, of how much yours has now settled? I think mine is lower at the back than the front (though still a little high).

I think choice of tyre is more important than I had realised. I bought my car on Van tyres (!) and the ride is/was harder than expected.

This is the best I can to for now after the car having stood stationary for some time. The car has only been registered & on the road for a couple of weeks. Let me put on some miles & I will take you a decent pic side on.

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This is probably about as low as a settled S Type should go.

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[Orlando St.R]

Here are some PR shots (courtesy Jaguar Cars Limited) showing what they presumably thought to be the correct ride height. It's a little lower at the back than you suggest, Rob. These cars all look to be on crossplies, which, being a little taller and less compliant, would probably give the car a little more ground clearance but the gap between wheel and wheelarch would look the same.

Rob, are your tyres 70 section?

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