Jaguar XK8 and XKR Parts and Accessories » Front Suspension / Wheels

XK8 Parts Review, Front Subframe Potential Problem – Warning to XK8 / XKR Owners

daveroche — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:15:08 +0000

As the Jaguar XK8 gets older it’s expected that the front suspension parts will become worn and require replacement. Typically wheel bearings, top and bottom wishbone bushes, springs, shock absorbers ball joints etc will all eventually require replacement.

XK8 Parts Review - Front Suspension / Subframe Problem Warning

However, if your car’s front suspension is making a knocking noise don’t necessarily assume it is caused by one of the above and fork out a pile of cash to replace one or more of these parts. A clonking sound from the front suspension can be a far more serious problem to resolve.

This could be due to the top wishbone bushes seizing to the steel fulcrum pin. The combined seized unit then wearing away at the all aluminium subframe of the car and creating an oval shaped pin hole. When this happens the wheel and the suspension become unstable and tend to float around with the excess play. This will obviously then manifest itself with a deterioration in handling and increased road (clonking) noise.

It is not hard to understand how this can happen when you look at Jaguar’s poor design of the top wishbone / bushes and fulcrum pin assembly and area. At each pin hole end, this is hollowed out and allows water, dirt and salt etc to ingress into the hole and corrode the bush and pin. No protection is provided for the exposed area or in fact Jaguar maintenance advice to periodically clean and protect the area with grease or Waxoyl.

The top front and rear bushes are designed to self lubricate and rotate as required around the fulcrum pin. However, when these become corroded, the combined seized unit then wears way at the alluminium subframe. To make things worse, an electrolytic reaction can take place caused by the steel pin passing through the aluminium subframe and the steel inserts of the bushes.

If the subframe wear is excessive, this may require complete replacement with either a new or good used subframe. A new subframe will be well over £1500 to replace !!. A much lower cost solution would be for an experience motor engineer to add new inserts into the subframe and then replace the pin and two bushes parts. At the time of adding this post to the website I don’t know how successful this latter approach has been.

I have checked my car for play and corrosion in this area and all seems to be working fine. I have fully protected the bushes, pin and general area with Waxoyl. If I do hear a knocking sound from the front suspension, then this will be the first area that I will check !.

Finally, if your having work done to remove the XK8 top wishbone assembly parts then maybe it’s more cost-effective to replace all the bushes and ball joints even springs and shock absorbers at the same time as these will inevitably have to be replaced at some point in the future and the finished job will contribute to improved handling, piece of mind and enjoyment of your car.

For the Jaguar XK8 and XKR Front Suspension Parts Diagram and parts availability, CLICK HERE

XK8 / XKR Front Suspension Parts DB Goes Live

daveroche — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:58:14 +0000

XK8 Parts Review Front Suspension Layout and Parts

The front suspension of an XK8 / XKR is prone to a number of problems. We have already discussed in a previous post that wheel bearings are subject to early wear at around 30K miles. If there is play in the suspension, then this can be attributable to worn bushes. One problem that may arise is due to the top wishbone bushes seizing to the steel fulcrum pin. The combined seized unit then wearing away at the all alloy subframe. Once the subframe is worn, this is very expensive to replace. It is recommended to change the pin and top bushes and then protect the area with a product such as Waxoyl to prevent corrosion. Also, as the mileage of your car increases, then this may result in worn shock absorbers or broken springs. All these parts can be reviewed and purchased via www.jaguarpartsdb.com

Click HERE to view XK8 / XKR Front Suspension Parts at JaguarPartsDB

XK8 Parts Review: Improve Your Ride ! with Polybushes for the XK8 / XKR

daveroche — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:20:57 +0000

Improve your ride - latest Polybush kit for XK8 and XKR

Worn bushes can affect the handling and ride of a car. On an XK8, they should be changed if you are replacing the ball joints or shock absorbers / springs. However true to form on an XK8, the bushes are unique and require care in replacement.

There is now a new range of British made Polyurethane bushes for the XK8 / XKR range as a direct replacement for the standard XK8 / XKR parts.These bushes are designed to give a taut yet refined ride and will also improve handling without a trade off in excessive vibration. Polyurethane bushes have a much longer life span than normal.

If replacing the bushes, then it is advisable to get a full set kit. This contains four each of front upper and lower wishbone bushes and a set of anti roll bar bushes.

Note that there are two different part numbers, those ending with the suffix CA fit on the front lower wishbone whilst those ending with BB are for the lower wishbone – beware as they look the same but are different.

XK8 Parts Review: Replacing XK8 / XKR Worn Front Wheel Bearings

daveroche — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:28:13 +0000

Changing front wheel bearing parts on many cars can be a fairly straight forward job but changing the bearing parts on an XK8 / XKR can be challenging and a special tool will be required to do the job. There is nothing complex about the XK8 wheel bearing as such as they are a standard one piece bearing together with 2 circlips that retain the bearing in the housing.

Jaguar XK8 - XKR Front Wheel Bearing Part

ABS Rotor Nut for XK8 XKR Wheel Bearing Removal

The XK8 / XKR bearings are not noted for their longevity with car mileages between 30000 and 40000 miles typically requiring front wheel bearing changes. Indicative signs of worn wheel bearings are the constant drone of the bearings which get worse if you turn the steering wheel and generally the rough feel when driving the car. At the first signs of a worn wheel bearing, they should be changed as soon as possible to avoid additional work (and costs) in the future. One of the first problems to be encountered is the removal of the bottom ball joint which will be tight and often has to be cut off. Removal of the calliper and disc is usually straightforward. However, removal of the ABS rotor nut is required and this requires a special tool (rotor nut socket) to undo it without causing expensive damage. The rotor nut has a series of castellations on it for the wheel speed sensor to pick up. The sensor has to be removed which is also expensive if damaged.

With the hub off the car and suitably retained in a vice, the next challenge is to remove the rotor nut which requires considerable force requiring a very large torsion bar lever to move it. Once the nut is undone, two special circlips need to be removed and then the bearing has to be pressed out of it’s housing. A hydraulic press is best for this and ideally a cradle to secure it. Best use your local auto engineer / garage for help here. Refitting is the reverse of the above, but hopefully now you will have a much quieter XK8 / XKR and overall improved driving feel.

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