I just got done doing this the other day. I actually rebuilt mine rather than replacing them, but I don't show the rebuilding part. It seemed like more effort that it was worth. Removing and replacing the shock mounts really isn't that difficult as long as you have the right tools. With the impact wrench and was pretty easy. It would be possible to do without an impact wrench, it would just take a lot longer. The impact wrench was most helpful when tightening down the spring compressors.

Reinstalling the struts is really a two man job. I did it by myself, but that was only possible because I'm 6'4" and have really long arms. I was able to reach up around the fender and install one of the nuts while holding the strut up with the other arm. With a second person, you could insert the three studs through the holes in the fender and hold the strut in place while they started the nuts.

I don't really show this in the video, but MAKE SURE ONE OF THE STUDS IS LINED UP WITH THE FLAT SIDE OF THE LOWER SHOCK MOUNT. That will allow the lower bolt to slip right through the lower bushing. If it's not lined up you'll have to take it back out and twist it until it is lined up. I'll try to explain in more detail later. I have to run right now. Going to a high school football game.

Jaguar XK8 Front Shock Mount Removal and Replacement - YouTube

 

Thanks Rev...thats a particulary uselful one. It is on my todo list, as definitley see the foam disintegrating from the top.. What was the condition of the foam on your old ones?

 

Great video. How do I tell when I need new shocks? I never owned a jag or any other sports car before, am I supposed to feel every bump on the road? Thanks.

 

My shock mounts were fine. I assume they were the originals, but I don't know for sure. From the top it looked like they were starting to degrade, but once I removed them and opened them up it was clear they were fine. Having said that, the nut on the right side wasn't centered, so maybe they needed replaced.

 

I wish I had seen this video and some of the other information I have gathered before I started my shock/mount/bushing replacement. I have already taken the nut off the top of the shock shaft, which has released the grip in the spring/mount. I'm not sure I can get the shaft back up into the hole and get a nut back on it (no assistance) so I need to know if I went ahead and removed the upper mount nuts whether the spring and mount could still be pulled out the bottom (after removing all the other lower and A-arm bolts, of course).

Or, since the shock is not attached to the upper mount, will the shock and spring come down and can they be pulled out as the spring expands. It looks like there is a fair bit of room once the lower stuff is out of the way, but obviously the challenge will be to eventually clamp and compress the spring and the whole assembly for reinstallation.

So...should I proceed or do I need to start over and get someone to realign the shock shaft and put the nut back on???????????

 

I bet you could put a bottle jack under the lower control arm and jack it up enough to get the shock absorber rod thingy back through the hole. Try to extend the rod as much as possible first, then wrap a zip tie around it right where it slides into the shock. That should prevent it from sliding back into the shock. Then as you jack up the suspension the rod will go through the hole and you can put the nut back on.

 

Sam, Nice work. You say you rebuilt your shock mounts. Where did you get rebuild parts please? Thanks again. You set the pace !!

 

Another member on here, wlbusmcr, made the "donuts" that go on the inside of the shock mount out of rubber. I reused the big, cone-shaped foam parts because they were in perfect condition. I already had some rivets from when I built an airplane many years ago. There's a company that makes a kit, but it's not that much cheaper than new shock mounts. I don't know where to buy that kit, but if you'll do a search here on this forum you'll find a thread where another member used that kit. He drilled the rivets out with too large of a drill bit and then had all sorts of trouble.

Here ya go. I found the thread. He apparently bought his kit on eBay: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...estions-43274/

 

I found the kit on eBay for $190. Jaguar XK8 XKR Shock-mount Plating Rebuild Kit MJA2170 | eBay

That is more than the factory shock mount which is $186: 03 2003 Jaguar XK8 Shock Mount - Suspension - OES Genuine, Front Upper, Rear Upper - PartsGeek

I'm not sure how much it is at Nalley Jaguar or one of the other board sponsors. You might actually get it cheaper there with the discount.

 

Jeez, there are so many HOW TO videos by Reverend Sam on the XK8/R home page, I can't keep up I only just noticed this was a new one. Many thanks, Sam. I don't think I have either the tools or the skills to tackle this job, but hey, you never know.

BTW, your post production is getting more and more slick

 

Well, I was going to give it a try....then after getting the bottle jack in place it wouldn't do anything. I guess it must be out of oil....just like me. Sigh.

 

Use the scissor jack in the trunk. Any jack with do. Just be careful not to jack it up too high, if you go too far the car will lift up off of the jack stand.

Oh... I just thought of something... please tell me you weren't doing this using the tire-changing jack in the trunk. And if you are, please tell me you were supporting the car on jack stands.

 

Nah, I have a separate jack to lift the car. But I will get the scissors out and use it. It will be easier to adjust in small incremements anyway.

 

Thanks , FAQed

 

Just one quick question: if I can't get the shaft up through the hole iin the mount (it's off to the side about a 1/2"), is there enough "drop" in the lower control arm to allow the spring to expand until the tension is gone (given all the lower restrictions are removed)? I understand it's about 6 more inches.

OR...if I wired or clamped the spring (where I can get at it) so it won't expand any more, will that make it less likely to require a large drop in the lower arm?

 

british parts do the top mounts for £100+vat 20% each about £120 uk per side is the better than buying the kit?

 

NO TO THE WIRE!

I was amazed at how much compression was in those springs. It would take a helluva lot of wire to hold that much pressure.

I think you'll find that when you start jacking up the suspension the shaft will feed itself into the hole. inside the upper mount there is a piece of metal with a donut of rubber on either side of it. The shaft goes through the center of the bottom donut, through the piece of metal, through the top donut, then out the hole at the top. The bottom of the piece of metal is shaped like an inverted funnel. As the shaft goes up through the first donut it should automatically center itself in the piece of metal. The top of the shaft is cone-shaped and it seats itself in the inverted funnel of the metal piece. There IS a small flat spot on either side of the funnel that it might hit, but you should be able to stick something through the springs to push it in the right direction to get it centered enough to go through the funnel.

Also, you have to make sure the shaft can't go back down into the shock absorber. If you start cranking up the jack and the tip of the shaft hits the flat shoulder next to the funnel, the shaft is just going to retract into the shock, and pulling it back out might be a pain in the Obama.

 

+1,000,000

It hurts to even think of what could happen.

 

OK. I see by the taper that I couldn't get a chain or heavy clamp on it either. I'll try to center the shaft and get it back up.

 

Chaining or clamping a spring to remove a shock or other components
is not such a big thing. I've done a number of those, but the Jag
spring is tapered so much at the bottom I don't think anything can
be used to get a good grip down far enough to do any good, and the
top is just high enough in the hole to limit access to a good point
on the spring. I've never liked doing it that way, but sometimes
it's a necessity.
I did try jacking the lower arm up a little to see if the shock
shaft would slide back into the mount hole but it keeps getting
caught on the flat lip of the center bearing. I don't want to
damage the mount if it is still good, so I may be looking at
clamping the spring as a last resort. If I do clamp the spring I
might be able to lower the arm just enough to take the pressure off
the lower shock bushing so I can pull the bolt the rest of the way
out. That should allow me to move the shock around a little if I
still need to get the top of the shaft back through the mount hole
and put the nut back on.
Whadya think?

BTW: I noticed some instructions say to remove the way bar end link, and some ignore it. Do I need to remove/disconnect the link to lower the arm enough?