I really like the rear tie bar!!

Welcome to the forum!!!  Looks like a cool project, and we would love to here all about it.  How does it handle on the road??  have you noticed any twisting in the suspension because of using only one coil over instead of two as jaguar designed??


As for the brakes there are several options.  I recently got this kit.


I thought it was going to be a good way to go, but it was way over priced and it had issues.  The concept is simple, you install two spacers per caliper and that allows you to run thicker rotors.  problem is the rotors were the only good part of the kit.  the spacers were patterned after a series I caliper so the shape is different if you have series II or III calipers, but they do still fit.


The next issue with the kit is it had OEM type caliper slide pins.  in other words they were not extra long to compensate for the spacers in the calipers.   This made it so that even when correctly pined in place they could fall out of one side during use causing brake failure.


I machined some longer pins because I really wanted vented rear brakes.


the last issue I had with this kit was the parking brake clips.  The OEM units are brass but have been treated to be a spring so that when you squeeze them they rebound.  the steel parking brake clips that came with the kit were mild steel and so when you squeezed them they simply bent. 

For me this was the straw that broke the camels back.  When you pay $600.00 for some hardware and two rotors everything better fit.  When I contacted the company I got the kit from to address these issues they blew me off and when I tried to return the kit they tried to only give me an 80% refund.  I battled with them for a wile and got all my money back but it was a pain!!!

There are only a couple of place to get vented rotor kits, XKs unlimited and Terries JAG parts.  My kit came from one of these companies and I don't know what kind of kit comes from the other but it may be something to look in to before you order.

A couple other options you may want to look in to would be to remove the parking brakes all together and then use a pinion brake.  there is a company that makes one for Jag rear ends.

Another option woulf be to go with outboard disc brakes.  You can upgrade to modern equipment by changing out the hub and that will allow you to run a nice vented rotor.  I have all kinds of info on this swap if you are interested.  once again welcome to the forum I look forward to hearing more from you.

suds32 wrote:

It sounds like i could be best staying with the stock set up. As i have never used this setup up before how to the brakes perform ??

I have researched that question in depth and the answer I found is "maybe depending on application"  The braking system works just fine, there is plenty of stopping power so that is not an issue.  The issue is heat.  With the rotors being inboard they get less airflow, also being solid they don't dissipate heat as well as a vented rotor.  If you will be racing the car than yes upgrade to a vented rotor kit.  If you drive it hard than you may want vented rotors or to look in to some air tubing to direct airflow to the rotors to help keep them cool.  I was going to do the vented rotors because I drive my car hard, but given the problem I had will now be looking in to some air ducting.  If your car is a cruiser and weekend driver with minimal hard braking than I would run the stock components.

Did you have to narrow up your unit or was the XJ6 the correct width to begin with??  Are your trailing arms solid on both ends, and if so does the suspension bind at all during suspension travel??

First of all, I learned something new.  I didn't know another name for a heim joint or rod end was a Rose joint.  When you used the term I googled it, so thanks for the education.

Second, and please don't take this the wrong way, but you may want to rethink your trailing arms.  With that said there is nothing I hate more than some self proclaimed "expert" on a forum who thinks its their job to find fault with other people projects.  I work really hard to not be that guy so if after reading my opinion below, you check your system and find that it is working great the way it is than fantastic.  I am am only trying to help and pass on a little info I have learned in all the research I have done on installing Jag rears in other cars.

The potential issue I speak of is created but mounting the trailing arms parallel with the car and using little to no rubber bushings at either end. The problem with this is that the arch of the trail arm puts for and aft pressure on the wishbones which can cause a host of problems including bearing failure on the differential end of the wishbones.  If you think about it, as the trailing arm moves up and down the wish bone end will not travel perfectly vertical but rater in the arch created by length of the trailing arm. (longer trailing arms less for and aft movement)  I know Jag ran their trailing arms out from the wish bone just as you have however to compensate for the arch  the wishbone end of the trailing arm has a bushing that is almost 2" thick and soft rubber, and the chassis end is over 4" wide and really soft rubber so as the wish bone moves up and down the arch is absorbed by the rubber flexing resulting in no for or aft pressure put on the wishbone.  of course all the rubber giving reduces the effectiveness of the trailing arm, so I understand why you went with less flexible stuff, however, In your situation a urethane bushing and a heim joint will have almost no for and aft give which could create issues.

One solution to this issue is to  use a watts link and then run your trailing arms for and aft


The result is perfect vertical motion and a solid trailing arm.

another solution is to run the trailing arm at an angle and have it mount directly in front of the pivot for the wishbone.  Mustsed, one of the forum members did just that on one of his installs.


One more option and the one I am using is to take the angle option one step further and bend the end so that the pivot mounts in line with the wish bone rather than at an angle directly in front of the wish bone pivot.  the drawing in my signature illustrates what I am talking about.

Any way just food for thought.  you said you had no bind so it's probably not an issue, just thought I would share some of the info I discovered when I was researching this.  Please take it for what it is, unsolicited rambling  from a guy who is just trying to help

Just wondering what your designer said???

sounds great, just thought I would point it out just in case there was an issue.    thanks for letting us know.

Daze wrote:

First of all, I learned something new.  I didn't know another name for a heim joint or rod end was a Rose joint.  When you used the term I googled it, so thanks for the education.

Second, and please don't take this the wrong way, but you may want to rethink your trailing arms.  With that said there is nothing I hate more than some self proclaimed "expert" on a forum who thinks its their job to find fault with other people projects.  I work really hard to not be that guy so if after reading my opinion below, you check your system and find that it is working great the way it is than fantastic.  I am am only trying to help and pass on a little info I have learned in all the research I have done on installing Jag rears in other cars.

The potential issue I speak of is created but mounting the trailing arms parallel with the car and using little to no rubber bushings at either end. The problem with this is that the arch of the trail arm puts for and aft pressure on the wishbones which can cause a host of problems including bearing failure on the differential end of the wishbones.  If you think about it, as the trailing arm moves up and down the wish bone end will not travel perfectly vertical but rater in the arch created by length of the trailing arm. (longer trailing arms less for and aft movement)  I know Jag ran their trailing arms out from the wish bone just as you have however to compensate for the arch  the wishbone end of the trailing arm has a bushing that is almost 2" thick and soft rubber, and the chassis end is over 4" wide and really soft rubber so as the wish bone moves up and down the arch is absorbed by the rubber flexing resulting in no for or aft pressure put on the wishbone.  of course all the rubber giving reduces the effectiveness of the trailing arm, so I understand why you went with less flexible stuff, however, In your situation a urethane bushing and a heim joint will have almost no for and aft give which could create issues.

One solution to this issue is to  use a watts link and then run your trailing arms for and aft
http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/medium/IMG_02301.JPG
http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/101_0137.JPG
The result is perfect vertical motion and a solid trailing arm.

another solution is to run the trailing arm at an angle and have it mount directly in front of the pivot for the wishbone.  Mustsed, one of the forum members did just that on one of his installs.
http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc334/mustsed/jaguarmontaj105.jpg

One more option and the one I am using is to take the angle option one step further and bend the end so that the pivot mounts in line with the wish bone rather than at an angle directly in front of the wish bone pivot.  the drawing in my signature illustrates what I am talking about.

Any way just food for thought.  you said you had no bind so it's probably not an issue, just thought I would share some of the info I discovered when I was researching this.  Please take it for what it is, unsolicited rambling  from a guy who is just trying to help

wow, i really like the watts link idea! Havent seen that done before.....

Last edited by KLR250 (4/24/2011 3:12 pm)