I Love it when I am right! I am showing my ignorance! I meant to qualify my comment about the Jag design by saying the 'original' Jag design
. Don't be defensinve Bob, I was not talking about ERA. I have no preference yet, but I am forming one for my next purchase. So play nice! And ERA is in the running for my next car. ERA makes a nice car, I would use you standard Jag suspension but if cost was no object, it would have a different carrier and upper suspension pieces with good CVs. My preference. I am sure the Jag guys get paid a lot more to design then I do. Make that a huge amount more since I don't do professional design work!
I am not sure about the reference to vettes means. While they where great cars, they where not exactly a banner of reliabilty. Since I can not picture the Vet suspension of the top of my head I can not comment on how the suspension attaches. If they attach top and bottom as I described then I would expect the u-joints for a Jag rear end would have to be stronger given what they are asked to do. Plus the lower arm/s would have to be a lot stronger and relatively compliance free ( Ahhh, all is relative! ).
There are some nice mods to the stock rear end around including the ones done by ERA. I suscribe to the Carroll Smith camp I think that in a 'perfect' world, he would agree. But that 'perfection' comes with a very, very heavy price and in the end, almost all of us must comprise between what our version of perfect is and what will work effectivity but at a reduced price. Jag, like everyone else, has its problems.
Cut and paste from ERA sight:
"The original Jaguar XKE suspension also used a subframe and trailing arms - which worked quite well in the lower powered car. We found it necessary to stiffen up the mounting system to make more precise handling.
Some other kits also use the Jag suspension, but because of space and design restrictions, don't use a trailing arm. This puts the lower control arm into stress modes for which it was never intended. With power on and power off, the arm will flex forward and back, changing the toe-in simultaneously. Not great for predictable handling! "
Please note that the optional carrier hub and watts linkage as drawn on the ERA sight from Contemporary Classics/Burtis Motorcars does appear to have the top connection made in double shear as it should.
Back to Dave. Check out the things that I suggested in so far as bolts, suspension travel, worn parts or damaged parts ( assumed that this was looked at first ) and fit. If all else fails try the bolts and installation I recommended. Or don't power shift any more!
