Front Suspension

[Cheeky Jim]

I've a 1998 S plate XJ8 4.0 V8.

The front suspension seems to be making loads of noise - crashes over what seems to be small bumps and almost feels as if the front wheels are shaking side to side. Not sure if it's something like track rod ends etc?

There also seems to be alot of 'waft' at the front as well. i.e. you push up and down on the bonnet and it takes a while to settle.

I've read that the suspension goes on the XJ8 fairly quickly.

Can I ask how easy it is to change the front shocks - is it something an amateur mechanic could attempt? I have a healthy toolbox and can happily change brake pads/disks etc, just never attempted shocks before.

Does the XJ8 have springs and shocks at the front or just shocks? Do I need any particular specialist equipment?

Any advice would be welcome.

I can get them replaced at our local specialist for £350 - but seeing you can get the shocks for about £100 - I'd like to save the rest if possible.

Cheers

[Jaguar steve]

Front shocks are dead easy. Before you spend any cash check the top mounting bushes. Make sure you support the lower wishbone at normal ride height whilst replacing the shock 'tho, the shock absorber limits the travel of the wishbones under pressure from the road spring.

Check the anti roll bar mountings and tie rods - these can cause rattles if slack, and the lower steering coloumn wears too, which, if bad will allow the steering wheel to develop considerable play and rattles over bumps.

Check the front tyres for wear on the inside edge. If the tyres are worn more here - similar symptom as excess toe out though so may be worth having camber checked - then there's a chance the lower wishbone bushes have worn and will need replacing. This gets complicated as you need to remove the road spring to get the lower wishbone off. You must use the Jaguar spring compressing tool for this - anything other tool or general spring compressors are too fking risky.

Bear in mind an XJ is a big heavy car, and don't take risks with poor quality tools or crappy axle stands. The world is short enough of Jaguar enthusiasts as it is.

HTH

[Cheeky Jim]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the response - sounds like I should really get the experts in....for the sake of a few hundred quid....I'd rather be safe than sorry!!!

I will however have a good root around at the weekend and see if I can identify some of the issues, so it's less of a shock (no pun intended) when the garage call me with a list of faults!!

[Jaguar steve]

It's quite easy to isolate some XJ suspension faults.

Lower steering coloumn: Engine off, with no more than finger and thumb pressure try to turn the steering wheel - rock it from left to right lock - there should be no slack movement before you meet resistance, if there is, try to rock the lower steering coloumn by the brake pedal at the point it goes through the floorpan, any movement here proves the coloumn is knackered.

Front shocks: Bounce the front of the car up and down - it should go through one cycle of down, up and back to rest. Any more travel suggests the shocks are worn or have lost gas

Lower wishbones: Check the inside edge of the front tyres. If worn through incorrect Camber, suggesting knackered wishbone bushes, there is unlikley to be any feathering ie; smooth one way, rough the other when you rub your hand on the circumference of the tyre, if there is feathering, this suggests incorrect tracking instead with excess toe out causing tyre wear. Too much toe out makes heavy cars like the XJ handle like a sack of st.

Lower ball joints: Jack the car up and try to lift the suspended wheel with a big crowbar or length of 2"x2". If there's any lift or easy free movement then it's probrably a worn lower ball joint rattling away.

Anti roll bar and tie rods: Not so easy to spot but check for bright spots or rust stains on all the joints. Have a probe around with a tyre lever - see what's loose.

Shock mountings: as above

HTH

[Cheeky Jim]

Never got chance at the weekend to check, thanks for all the tips Steve, will go through them all on Saturday. I've got a fighting chance of diagnosis now!

J

[Cheeky Jim]

OK, Car went for service today and came back with a list of things that needed doing;

1. Rear brake pads - V. Low - Have ordered new pads, will fit at Weekend

2. Front Shock Absorber Bushes very worn (bottom) - Quoted £50 parts and £29 labour

3. Front Lower Ball Joints - Slight Play - Quoted £315 parts and £175 labour for Lower Control Arms - Are these the same??

4. Rear Shock Absorbers "banging" - Never heard that description before...£432 parts and labour

5. Front Anti-Roll Bar Link Bushes very worn £58 parts and £30 labour


SO

1. Rear shocks - I can get BOGE Shocks on ebay for £146 delivered. Garage charges £60 an hour labour inc. VAT - Question - does it take 4.75 hours to replace rear shocks? How easy is it to do? Haynes manual job?

2. Are the drop links easy to fit? Garage offering to change both in 30 mins.

3. Do I really need whole new Lower Control Arms if there is some slight play? Or just replacement ball joints and does it take 3hrs in total to fit?

Am happy with the garage's service....just not the potential £1100 bill.

If I can do the Shocks and Lower Control arms myself, then I save £500 on labour alone.

Cheers for all the help.

Jamie

Edited by Cheeky Jim on Tuesday 1st April 21:05

[Jaguar steve]

Cheeky Jim said:

OK, Car went for service today and came back with a list of things that needed doing;

1. Rear brake pads - V. Low - Have ordered new pads, will fit at Weekend

2. Front Shock Absorber Bushes very worn (bottom) - Quoted £50 parts and £29 labour

3. Front Lower Ball Joints - Slight Play - Quoted £315 parts and £175 labour for Lower Control Arms - Are these the same??

4. Rear Shock Absorbers "banging" - Never heard that description before...£432 parts and labour

5. Front Anti-Roll Bar Link Bushes very worn £58 parts and £30 labour


SO

1. Rear shocks - I can get BOGE Shocks on ebay for £146 delivered. Garage charges £60 an hour labour inc. VAT - Question - does it take 4.75 hours to replace rear shocks? How easy is it to do? Haynes manual job?

2. Are the drop links easy to fit? Garage offering to change both in 30 mins.

3. Do I really need whole new Lower Control Arms if there is some slight play? Or just replacement ball joints and does it take 3hrs in total to fit?

Am happy with the garage's service....just not the potential £1100 bill.

If I can do the Shocks and Lower Control arms myself, then I save £500 on labour alone.

Cheers for all the help.

Jamie

Edited by Cheeky Jim on Tuesday 1st April 21:05

There's no Haynes manual, you might find a CD of the Jaguar JTIS on ebay which would be useful.

Rear shocks. Banging? Are they?: Not difficult to do if you're resonably experienced. You might have to use the correct Jaguar spring compressor 'tho as I've offered my universal one up out of interest on my XJ and I don't think it would fit. You could hire this from the JEC. 4.75h labour is not unreasonable. Make sure you buy the correct shocks - the sport and touring suspension ones have different specs.

Front shock bushes: Once you've got the old ones out should be easy. Make sure you support the lower wishbone securely when you remove the shock.

Drop links: Easy DIY

Ball joints/lower wishbone(I think you mean): Ball joints should also be fairly easy to do and as far as I know you should'nt need to buy new wishbones to replace the ball joint.

Try Berkshire Jag components: usually reasonable on price and very reasonable and helpful when I had a warranty problem with parts they supplied
HTH

[Cheeky Jim]

no, i've not heard that terminology before either.... there's no noise coming from them, but recently, I've noticed people flashing me in the dark thinking I've got full beam on...so all I can think is the rear has sagged down, so I'm not too surprised.

Thanks for all the help.

J

[Jaguar steve]

Knackered shocks are not likely to cause any change in ride height - although knackered springs will.

I'd get the garage to explain and demonstrate what they think the problem is before you spend any cash.

Why not put the car in for an MOT somewhere else before you have any work done? If there's any suspension or headlight alignment problems, a competent MOT tester should find them and be prepared to show and explain them to you, in effect a free diagnosis or second opinion.

If it passes then that's a bonus and you might want to question the origional garage's diagnosis of the suspension problems if it goes through an MOT. They will know ball joints, droplinks, shock absorbers and headlight alignment have all been checked by somebody else and found to be OK.

[hyperjam43]

Ive just done the rear shocks on my xj8 99 ,found the job not so hard as I expected.I didnt need a spring compressor at all .I did need to unbolt the A frame and needed a hand to lower it.There isnt a haynes manual for the jobs on the xj8 but a book I found useful. is the kelsey x300/308 manual .I bought mine from ebay (item 200212226444)from this seller but its available from kelsey publishig for about £15.It cover all the usual jobs that need done on an xj8 including the timing chains and tensioners,water pump etc

[sparky35uk]

Interesting read....as I note that I need to replace a n/s lower wishbone bush also. I have the JTIS cd as a manual and can thoroughly recommend it.
Not sure where to get a spring compressor from though?

[Jaguar steve]

sparky35uk said:

Interesting read....as I note that I need to replace a n/s lower wishbone bush also. I have the JTIS cd as a manual and can thoroughly recommend it.
Not sure where to get a spring compressor from though?

You can hire a spring compressor from the JEC.

Annie Jenkins 01909 733209
[e-mail]