Have been working on cars for 30+ years but never on a Jag. Am planning to do brakes on a '99 XJ8 and want to know if there's anything special I be looking for - or more correctly - looking OUT for and will I need any "special"tools or will the normal toolbox handle it?

 

Just did mine a couple of months ago and it was super easy. You might need to rent the caliper compressor tool from an auto parts store if you don't have one for the rears. I can't remember if they screw in or not. I've done three brake jobs on other cars since then so I don't remember if the Jag needed it or not. There's several brake replacement threads on here so you might want to take a look at them just to be sure.

 

This one might help
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=35063

 

Brakes are very easy on these cars. You do not even have to remove the calipers to replace the pads and/or the rotor. The only special tool you need is an Allen wrench, either 7 or 8 mm, to remove the caliper slide bolts. There are two plastic covers on the inside (rear) of the caliper that can be removed with a fingernail to get to the bolts. The slide bolts should be lightly greased when reassembling. The piston simply pushes back in, often with only thumb pressure.

About the only other car with easier pad replacement is an old Volvo 240 series which only required a small hammer to tap the locking pins loose and that caliper had to be removed to change the rotor.

 

I thought maybe this would be a good time to post the JTIS remove & install XJ8 brake components with steps to take and illustrations.

I extracted these 4 pdf files from the JTIS on my computer. Just click on the file names (file names are highlighted in blue).

Jaguar XJ8 jacking points.pdf This file has a illustration showing the 4 jacking points.

Jaguar XJ8 front brake disk R&I.pdf This file has front brake pads R&I and front Disk R&I.

Jaguar XJ8 rear brake disc R&I.pdf This file has rear brake pads R&I and rear Disk R&I.

Jaguar XJ8 parking brake shoes R&I.pdf This file has rear parking brake shoes R&I.

All lot of the members that are DIY mechanics probably don't really need this documentation, but it is still nice to review it to make sure everything goes well.

 

Thanks so much for all the H&I (help and info). I really appreciate it and feel confident I can do this. One question, have always pushed caliper in slowly so as not to shoot fluid out the top, but I've never bled the system after a brake job. Is this much more important on a Jag than other US cars?

 

Not really but Jaguar recommends 2 year replacement of the fluid as do a lot of cars. Almost no one does it. I flushed the 8 year old fluid from my car this Summer and it was completely black, indicating a significant amount of moisture in it. That's what corrodes the caliper pistons.

Open the bleed valve as you push in the piston, siphon the old fluid out of the master cylinder reservoir and all the old fluid you have to bleed is what was in the lines.

 

I did the front brakes on my 2003 XJ8. It is always recommended to change/flush the brake fluid every two years as moister does build up in the fluid and tends to soften the brake feel and maybe responsiveness. I used a Motive Power Bleeder which is a useful tool. Care must be taken with brake fluid cause it's a very good paint stripper!

Cheers,

Tony

 

Have heard you should never turn rotors on a Jag. Does this mean they have to be replaced every time the pads are replaced.

Also, my mechanic wants $500 just to replace pads on all four - no new rotors. Any reason for such a charge other than "it's a jag"?

 

My front rotors, at 56k miles were too warped to turn. If I had not had a problem I was trying to solve I would have just hit them with some emery cloth to break the 'glaze' and put new pads on. Unless you have the XJ/KR brake system the pads are not expensive, $50 to $100 per axle. The pads do not even require removing the caliper so there may well be some 'high end car' inflation there.

 

Not to be sarcastic, but maybe the brakes are the only easy thing to fix on these cars! I just did front brakes on a Ford Escort, and it was harder than it should have been, because of the pad retainers - and I had to remove the calipers. Sounds like Jags are easier.

 

Hi
Look at my post 9/7/10 about XJ8 brake pads and brake rotors. While you are there also look at the other posts there. Here is the webpage link:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...10&page=#8
Jim Lombardi

 

@jimlombardi will these docs work for 2003 XJ8 sport? Have also read your post here https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...0/?amp;page=#8 and was incredibly useful.

Understand it's now 2022 but am a newbie to brake removal and install and would like to try on my front breaks. I'll either order from rock auto or try warehouse.

Any additional insights, pictures or videos you can point me (and the forum) to would be greatly appreciated. I watched one video where the guy suggested you pump out part of the brake fluid reservoir. Is that really necessary? He also suggested that getting the caliber pins and bolts out might require a crack wrench? And then to replace would require a torque wrench set to 70?

Finally, how should I gage whether I should replace just the pads or the discs as well?

BTW used your posts and insights for install of a knock sensor and worked very well. Thanks in advance.