Great..Thanks!....I think it's fixed but I don't know for sure....I replaced the dog bone control arms and the sway bar links in the rear...the other arms in the rear are questionable but I think ok for a little bit.....aren't the previously mentioned control arms the main culprit for alignment issues or can they all cause improper tire wear?

 

Glad You mentioned the tire issue. All 4 of my tires started separating on the inside edge. Mostly on the front. Yet the alignment was fine (according to the shop). I'll have them inspected soon. Thanks

 

Theyre the biggest issue, but so are sagging springs, and bent hub carriers from shortcutting curbs on turns
way cool. Just so you know. An alignment can show green and still chew up tires. The tires are telling you from inside wear they dont like the toe setting theyre at. If theyre on the outside edge of the spec but still green they will wear the insides out. And if you have too much suspension defelction when driving this will move the toe out while driving too much and chew up the inside edge of the tires. This is why i always say the alignment machine is a tool, and the tires tell the "real" story. You cannot have tire wear with an alignment that the tires like. You can have an alignment that the machine likes, but you dont drive the alignment machine to work do you???

 

This is a good point...so basically it's anyone's guess...is there a spec that you guys aim for when you're aligning these x types in the shop?...I'm having the car aligned pretty much as I type this post...if there is a sweet spot that you guys aim for I could call my tire shop and tell them to align to those specs..!

 

Brutal: Thanks for the advice. That's why it's important to have the tires checked and rotated at least every 5K. I was actually told by a Jag sales rep to NEVER rotate tires on AWD cars. I thought it was odd but he was a long time Jag guy so I trusted him. Then at 30K the tires came apart. Now I have a new set on and watching them closely.

 

I like to go for the inside of toe in spec front and rear. Since almost all misalignments cause inside tire wear from too much toe out. This is the best spot to be at. I also pushout on the insides of the front tires after i set the toe in front just to check deflection. It shows the amount of movement the tires will see when you drive the car(aka mercedes alignment using the "pressor bar" to take out suspension deflection)
on rotating tires, ive never heard that on awd cars with todays tires. Maybe when they first came out. I rotate all the time to get the longest wear from a set of tires. I can tell you that leaving tires on the same axles too long can create a tire pull. Although this is more pronounced on fwd in the rear tires, it can happen to anycar. But then the sales guys know all

 

Alright guys i have that "clunking" happening with my car too. I jacked the car up and looked for the emergency brake cables. I found where the cables come from inside the car, moved that around to see if that was were the noise was coming from. Noise wasn't coming from there. I ran out of time put the car back down and have been driving around with that clunking sound. I've noticed that if i apply the brakes before or while I'm going over bumps the clunking doesn't happen. So should i take the rear wheels off to inspect for loose brackets or brake cables? Does this sound about right, it shouldn't be a bad suspension part like a control arm or bushing because when i apply the brakes the clunking goes away.

 

bump

 

In my opinion all bets are off when it comes to this kinda thing...when you apply the brakes the front end lowers some which would tighten the suspension up so maybe it's absorbing the excess play....braking brackets typically do not just loosen up..have you had them serviced lately? Can you isolate whether it is coming from the front or rear end of the vehicle?

 

The clunking is definitely coming from the rear of the car. When i apply the brakes, I'm talking barely touching the brake pedal. In my thoughts when I'm pressing the brake just enough to depress the pedal 1/2" I'm thinking that I'm tightening up the brake lines enough to make what ever is loose and bumping around. So i'm barely touching the brakes and it eliminates the "clunking" noise when i go over a small bump. No clunking unless i hit a bump in the road.

 

Sooo. Jag is finally at dealer. Having the front sway bar bushings replaced and apparently the linkages too. Turns out they are shot on the front and questionable on the rear. Tech said the clunking could be the linkages. Also the tech told me they align car with simulated passenger weight(?) to align to accurate load and deflection. First time I've heard that but it made sense to me. Having tires rotated also. Already show wear on inside edge after 3K miles. Tech said bad bushings and linkages plus unloaded alignment caused problems. Said linkages could also cause steering wheel shudder (another post topic).

I'll post an update when I get the car back next week.

 

THATS THE BMW alignment with weight ofr the most part. what woman do you know is gonna tell you her weight so you can do an alignment. Jaguar USED to do a LADEN alignment but no longer. I prefer the Mercedes pressor bar alignment because it is IMO more accurate since it takes up deflection in the suspension and closer simulates the suspension reaction while driving rather the weight. Weight more closely simulates "ride height"

 

Hey Brutal what about the explanation for the inside tire wear and wheel shimmy...does that sound likely?

 

I believe most cupping resulting in a shimmy is more the result of to much toe out, and the tread type. Some tire tend to wear the inside edge smoothly. While others tend to cup as they wear the insides which results in a shimmy, noisy tires and roughness. Directionals tend to be the biggest cupping tires for the most part

 

One thing I would like to pass on that I learned while trying to locate a vibration noise in the right rear of my XK8. Took a couple of hours but once the tech had someone sit in the back he found the noise was really coming from the right front warped rotor. Noise can be very tough to locate. Jack

 

Ok. So after 2 weeks I have my car back. Had the Sway bar linkages and bushings replaced front and back. Tires Rotated and aligned. Took her for a ride on a route I know caused the clunking in the rear and the squeaking in the front. Sound of Silence! The ride is also firmer in the front. I have a 400 mile trip coming up so we'll see how it handles.

 

I had the car to the shop and they replaced the front and rear sway bar linkages and bushings. Been quiet in the back ever since. Also replaced the propshaft. They told me the center carriage bearing was bad. Could that have been rattling?

 

Glad to hear things seem to be going well with the latest fixes on your end Waycool....I believe that I too have turned a corner with my Jag...I located and eradicated the clunking/rattles from the vehicle, I've changed the control arms, struts, mounts, stabilizer links/bushings, wheel bearings all the way around, fixed the water leak, new tires, and an alignment...and FINALLY I enjoy driving the vehicle...The next thing I'm going to tackle is the transfer case fluid change...now that the car is running right I want to keep it that way...these cars are like needy insecure girlfriends! Although once you fix them up they'll take care of you....here's to continued good luck!

 

Thanks Zoolander! Glad to hear you have it worked out. Nice and quiet and shifting smoothly. I just had the second transfer case put in. First one imploded at 65K, second one just started leaking. Had an interior defect that shredded the seal on the right axle. Only problem now is the annoying whining, whirring noise from the Power Steering Pump(?) I'll drive either till it fails, or I just can't tolerate the noise anymore. Failure would still be warranty, annoyance will cost me a couple hundred bucks. You're right that they need to be constantly maintained.

 

Sometimes a clunk is just part of the tight frame these x-types have, when I bought mine I thought the whole rear end was going to fall out. With the high pressure in the tires and the frame being so tight. Plus Pa. roads are like the worse in the country, although I'm not saying that you might have a problem. But the tightness in the frame will make noise.