Jaguar XJ8 V8 SE (2004)

[Miss Muffet]

Hi, All. I'm new to this, so please excuse my inexperience. I own a Jaguar V8 SE and recently I've had a few probs with it, which so far hasn't been completely resolved.
It has developed a sound, which I can only describe as a 'rattle', as though something has come loose on the offside front area. It is only really noticeable when I'm driving on an uneven surface and also there is a sort of 'grinding' sound when I turn the car to the left. It has been in the garage to be looked at and they are finding it very difficult to discover where the problem is. They test drive it and hear the sound, but when they get it up on the ramp and try to 'wiggle' things, they can't because everything is solid! I'll tell you what they've fixed so far, although not produced a result!
Front Anti-Roll Bar Drop Links
O/S/F Shock Absorber Lower Mounting Bush
Personally, I think they should have replaced both 'Mounting Bushes', especially as the sound is coming from the near side.
Anyone got any ideas?

[V88Dicky]

Albeit on a very different car, I was getting a rattle / metallic knock from the near side front, which, after doing the usual checks for ball joints and steering bushes, I suspected was the suspension top mounts / bearings. I bought a set of lightly used springs and shocks anyway because I'd bought the car with lowered and stiffened springs

So I put the suspension back to standard, and hey presto the noise has gone. And it doesn't scrape going over speed bumps

[Miss Muffet]

I've just re-read my post and I made a slight faux pas. I meant the sound is coming from the N/S/F not the O/S/F

[V88Dicky]

Makes no difference, near side or offside, sounds like shock mount bearings and or bushes. Cheap and easy fix, hopefully

[Miss Muffet]

Thank you for your reply

[V88Dicky]

You're welcome

[Geekman]

Not sure about the grinding noise, but my old XJ made a rattle from one side on uneven surfaces and the cause was a worn air suspension strut. You can buy remanufactured ones from companies like airdominance and arnott for around £300-400.

[Ian350]

I had a rattle and a grinding on turning in my XJR. It turned out the wheel bolts had not been tightened (by my local indy) and the wheel was slowly but surely coming off!

[Miss Muffet]

Thank you all very much for your replies. I really hope it's not my wheel nuts not tightened properly!

[webby23]

Geekman said:

Not sure about the grinding noise, but my old XJ made a rattle from one side on uneven surfaces and the cause was a worn air suspension strut. You can buy remanufactured ones from companies like airdominance and arnott for around £300-400.

Also there are Jaguar breakers who will have them, I recently bought a (guaranteed) osf air strut unit for our X358 for £150 from Auto Reserve in Ilkeston

[Miss Muffet]

Thank you Geekman. Your response seems to be the general census of opinion.