I hope this image helps others as from what I researched this is the entire parts made and designed by Jaguar for the X350 2003 - 2009 (Other models also).

I have been reading 100's of posts for some time narrowing down the running gear of the XJ X350 and what to replace through wear and tear. I will concentrate on the front first. The rear is mainly the same.


There are name difference's from the terminology as is usual on the internet of said components from the original UK makers/Designers to the US who change English words and phrases so you can call them what you like. Anti-Roll Bar OR Stabilizer Bar. Both are correct.

I have left out most after-market parts so you can fill these bits in yourself from what information others before me have pieced together.

You change every bush, bearing and ball-joint at once, not a bush here or there. All over the internet I keep reading of people who change one bush here and another there. This is penny pinching, dangerous and gets my vote of stupidity.
These cars can travel at 150 MPH+ and some people think replacing one bush instead of the entire set is acceptable. These are the cars or drivers that cause crashes and injuries to others through ignorance and arrogance and make dangerous mechanics who I would NOT have near me in my life.

These cars are also NOT cheap run-around mini's, so you owe it to yourself NOT to be tight-fisted and stingy on replacing moving parts as a whole set.

 

Oldish git,

Fantastic illistration and parts breakdown!!!! Easy to understand an all in one pictoral with part numbers. Please, do the rear also, I mean to have a separate pictorial for just the rear.

 

Awesome! Thanks

 

But what is the part number for the smaller bush on the curved stabilizer arm. Done all but that one.

 

Hi dsetter,
I may have used your posts in my putting together of this one so thank-you for doing the research for me.
I have a mixed message ONLY on this part.
The front Lower Curved Control Arm.


The smaller bush, on the outer side is NON-REPLACEABLE. NON-SOURCEABLE.
When in engineering one comes upon this then you have one choice but you can make it into two choices if money is really tight but I do not recommend it.
The entire arm has to be replaced so-as you replace the smaller bush.
The smaller bush is not to be removed once fitted in-place. Because of the small surface area of the alloy encasing it, any stress or bearing press can or will cause fractures or hair-line cracks so the maker will NOT supply this part separately on safety grounds. If you look at the front rear lower arm, this has three bushes which can all be replaced, the smallest bush has a lot of surrounding alloy to take the stress. As I write this no doubt some Chinese company are already trying to replicate it and supply a bush.


I said a second choice, this is one I will NOT do but I know people are sometimes hard-up for money so here is a way out but NOT recommended by me.


You use the same arm and only replace the bigger inner bush on the understanding the smaller bush is NOT a load bearing bush like the others, therefore it will outlast the others.
You can then do the bigger inner bush, thus you have used the smaller bush twice.
Third time you have to replace bushes then you have no option but to replace the arm itself with new bushes.


I have read and researched a lot on this cars suspension geometry, nothing new I came across and Jaguar have done not a bad job on designing it. The geometry and type have been around for many years now.
Separate and independent suspension at all four wheels, means excellent road handling with all 4 wheels keeping in constant contact with the road.
The lay-out is actually designed for racing cars and cars of high end specifications. Yes like other makers also.


Years ago I used to race for an Irish racing team in Scotland in Formula ford 1600's and Vauxhall 2.L's.
I used to get up to 170mph (my latest motorbike does more than this!!)and when you are cornering with 10 others touching your tyres then you will understand how crucial the entire suspension geometry becomes and how one single faulty bush or bearing will wreck your race and normally your car. The parts are normally titanium etc., but all the same principles of how it all works.


This is why I will be hard on anyone trying to save money on parts.


When cornering, if any movement or flex in tie-rods or linkages then you are off the track, no matter how good a driver.
This brought me over the years to a few colleges and universities with Brunel being my last one as this is when my accident happened.

 

lcmjaguar,
I will do the rear soon for others but it will not be until probably late summer before I use it myself.
The rear is much the same, only difference, top and bottom wishbones are used instead of bottom independent control arms as no steering is needed on the wheels.

 

Nice job, do you have numbers for the bushings?

 

Would it not be the first item (as at Apr 10th 2016) here ?

 

Partick the Cat, I think you may be right about the very end small bushing on the lower rear arm as being C2C4438 as shown on that website. But than what is the bushing that is right next to it slightly inward?, I think it is C2C3609 = ZF Lemforder 29785-01 = TRW JBU638?

 

The larger ones for the rear show up someway down the screen from the small bush on my browser. As far as I know the two 'hard' bushes in the rear lower wishbone are the same; the outer and the forward inner (I think). The aft inner is a softer bush to allow a small amount of fore-and-aft movement of the rear suspension; apparently the technical name is 'longitudinal compliance'.

Most of these bushes are made by Lemforder, and Googling that, with Jag and X350 may get you somewhere.

As to the problem of the small bush, I think a lot of the identification problems arise because I'm pretty sure it's shown with its axis horizontal in the Jag Electronic Parts List(which is only on my old, dead computer so I can't actually check at the mo'), whereas it should be shown with its axis vertical.

 

ICM:

Compliments on showing Jag, Lemforder, and TRW part #'s

As someone preparing to order a full front and rear set of suspension refurb bits, having this type of simple part # cross ref list for the required parts would be a wonderful forum tool.

Just FYI, in my experience, Audi and BMW sedans typically require the same type of suspension bushing replacement (eg, at 90K miles or sooner). Mercedes too, for some models. Engine/transmission (liquid filled) mounts are shot at this mileage also; ditto Guibo joints and shocks

With German cars, I try to use OE (or OE supplier, eg Lemforder, TRW, Sachs), as there are now lots of Chinese knock off parts of very questionable quality (eg, Uro, Meyle, etc). Assume same issue with Jags?

 

Partick the Cat,

Found a picture that really helps to show the bushings for the Front - Rear Lower Arm. The EPC has it wrong in matching up the part number with the diagram on this one.


Largest end bushing is C2C4437 = ZF Lemforder 29784-01 @ approx. $20 part

Smaller near other end bushing (middle) is C2C18350 superseded now to be C2C36866 = ZF Lemforder 35353-01 = Beck Arnley 1017517 @ approx. $25 part

Smallest very end bushing is C2C4438 = ZF Lemforder 29785-01 = TRW JBU638 @ $15 part

Just note that the part prices actually range quite widely sticking to OEM parts depending on who you look up on the web.


I hope this helps because I was thrown for quite a while by the EPC until I did searches on various UK British Jaguar sites.

 

Thank you for an excellent illustration. I agree with you totally on the need to replace all of the bushings; when one needs replacement, the rest are likely to be close behind.

I am in that process now as I have 147k on my XJ8; I have replaced the front shocks and am planning on replacing all the bushings. I have chosen to replace the 4 upper control arms with OEM, which have the bushings and the ball joint for not much more money than just the bushings ($150+/- each).

However I am very confused on the part numbers for the other bushings. The Jaguar dealer website I go to shows just two part numbers for the bushings: C2C36866 and C2C4437. I prefer to go OEM when I can and I was going to order them, but I looked at the Power flex website since several members have recommended them; they show 8 different bushings for the control arms. Other websites I looked at show 3 or 4 non-Jaguar part numbers.

The bottom line is I don't want to order the wrong parts and end up with a car on the rack that we can't put back together. Do you know the OEM part numbers or can you direct me somewhere? Any help you can give me would be appreciated.

Thanks, Dan

 

I have tried to do this but seems to be a lot of confusion out there.
This may help but I still need to do some research.


XJ X350 - Jaguar - Polybush
This will show aftermarket bushes for the X350


JAGUAR X350/XJR FRONT LATERAL LOWER WISHBONE ARM BUSH REBUILD KIT - JAGUAR SPARES NORTH EAST
Original Lenforder Bushes.

 

IIRC Cambo in Aus, a moderator on this forum, was looking at Polybush but it's a few years ago but I can't remember now if he went with them or not.

 

Appreciate the work being done here. I'll wait on ordering stuff to redo my 07 XJR until conclusion

Question about poly bushings: I've used these in track cars over the years (mostly Porsches), and my opinion is that they don't belong in street cars; esp something as quiet and comfortable as a Jag XJ. Noisy and squeaky and harsh is the issue

Are the (stupid expensive) ones shown in this thread any better?

As an engineer, I'm somewhat aware of the exacting parameters to which modern compliance bushings are designed and built. In many ways, these parts are responsible for the feel of a modern, high quality car. Very easy to ruin this feel with boy racer parts

 

I have to agree with this entire post.
Also over the years, aftermarket bushes and performance bushes will add noise and sometimes squeaks to components which have nylon after-market bushes designed for more stiffness and positive road handling.
This is evident in the cornering, but also in the steering of the vehicle to which harder bushes have been added to. The steering can be slightly stiffer and less forgiving to errors as the steering wheel turns movement down the line to the actual road wheels.


Unless you intend carrying massive loads or taking your car off road for track racing, I agree with the poster here, DO NOT FIT after-market poly bushes unless this is what you are after.


The Sport models of these XJ's are already made to be comfy and at the same time stiffer suspension. I have not looked at how this is achieved yet, but I presume simply by the factory fitting a stiffer Air-Shock will give the desired effect of better and more positive road handling at higher speeds.
This will be balanced against the actual comfort of the car as comfort is a major priority with these cars.


What I intend doing now.
I will replace the front rear lower control arm bushes with the three set which I posted earlier. £53.


I will replace the entire curved arm, and not just the bushes both sides.
Range is £90 each to £240 each from Jaguar Dealer.


The entire upper wishbone arm I will replace as a complete unit.
This gives me two new bushes and one new ball-joint.
Range £106 each or Jaguar £360 each


The actual wheel knuckle unit with the lower ball-joint I will also replace on an exchange basis, which gives you £40 returned when you send back your old unit so it can be re-serviced again.
This saves me buying the bottom Ball-joint and paying to get it fitted as the entire arm I can get for £80 which already has the ball-joint press fitted by the company doing the selling.
Cost of just the ball-joint is £32. Jaguar price new £420 each
knuckle.
I will replace both rubbers on the ARB.


I will buy new ARB drop-links.


I will replace the entire hub bearing assembly as this has the new wheel bearing already fitted. £57 to £300 from jaguar.


This then leaves me with only needing to replace the air-shocks.
These range from £100 S/H up to £995 each from Jaguar, or other companies who do them like Arnott or Bilstien for £450 each.
I also have suppliers I found in china for £240 for reconditioned originals but i'll do another entire thread when I come to replace these.


I will be doing all the above over the next couple of weeks so I will post pics as I go through it.

 

This is the car I am doing this work to.


I will buy 2 new lower front curved arms.
2x sets of bushes for the rear lower control arm.
New entire wishbone arm uppers. This gives me bushes and ball-joint already fitted. £106 each


Entire aftermarket hub assembly. This gives me new wheel bearings already fitted to the unit. £57 each.
The vertical drop link which houses the bottom ball joint and wheel bearing assembly I can get on exchange basis for £80. This gets me a mint condition replacement part, reconditioned and only genuine stamped links are done by the factory.
£32 buys the ball joint if you have access to a press.


ARB's x2


All parts, or most of these will be other makers but they still use the same bearings and company as fitted and used by the Jaguar makers.


I will do a separate post for the Air-suspension units as these are something else and worth a new post on there own.


I don't mind spending £2-3000 in the next few weeks to do these things as then I have a car that drives and handles like it just rolled off the production line and is fit for a good 50,000 miles of British potholes.
The car cost me £5800, reduced from £8500 (I spotted leakage/seepage on one of the front air-shock units when I went to view the car.)


The car cost approx. £40,000+ when new.
I am prepared to go up to £8-9000 to get this car back on par with the new ride and comfort it first had.

 

Hey Oldish Git,

That sure is a beautiful car, but someone appears to have put your steering wheel on the wrong side and nicked the leaper off your bonnet.

Seriously though, Thanks for putting all this information together for the rest of us. You are going to save a lot of people from headaches with this.

I love this place!!!

 

[QUOTE=MrWhite;1440278]Hey Oldish Git,

That sure is a beautiful car, but someone appears to have put your steering wheel on the wrong side and nicked the leaper off your bonnet.

QUOTE]
Thanks Mr White
I knew something was feeling off to one side on the test drive. But I did compensate and drove on the wrong side of the road so as not to feel to off balance.


I will get a new leaper on soon, when I do the grille inserts.


I love the cream interior but my step-son would have it ruined in days.
At 22 he still has not grasped the fact that mud and dirt live outside, not inside stuck to the bottom of your feet or all over you. He brings the outside in. I think he may have been dropped on his head as a baby, it would explain a lot.
I'm stuck with him sometimes since my accident and I swear he makes my memory problems worse on purpose!!
But he does like travelling and is laid back when he's on the move.


Deep Blue with Cream Leather also took my fancy. In the end I had to do a Henry Ford interior. He said when he invented his first rolling production car, 'you can have it in any colour you want, as long as it's Black'