Okay, I've searched and searched. First for the front strut lower bushing, which for some reason people want to call a shock bushing, to discover until just recently this part was not available separate, but rather came as part of an assembly. Then, low and behold, there are at least a couple of sellers who claim to now have them available.

So, knowing that I CAN find the bushing, the next question is can it be replaced with typical tools of a shade tree mechanic. Of course I searched here first. But, found only one post who said no, it took a press to get the old one out and new one in.

Not being that easily discouraged, I thought surely more than one has attempted this repair because the cost savings for a bushing compared to the assembly is very significant. How about you? Any others out there that have made this repair. The eBay seller has only sold 22 of them since last August.

Please share your experience.

Thanks, Joe

 

unless you have a press (which I recently purchased from harbor freight for 160 dollars and works great) not easy to replace bushings. Better off getting the whole part, bushing already pressed into place.

 

That lower shock bushing, is in fact one of the compatible and available parts on the aftermarket for our cars.

I bought mine on rock-auto.

You have to remove that lower control arm/link, press out the old one, and press the new one in.

i posted up some details in this page
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ushings-94880/

 

I've done it and you can do it with ball joint took kit from Advance Auto Parts. It's not that bad but I did drive the C-clamp with impact wrench as I had to hold the control arm with the other hand.

You will need an assortment of large sockets(30 - 32mm) to press out the bushing with the ball joint C-clamp.

What held me up was the bolt going through the bushing corroded solid to the bushing inner. Had to cut the bolt on car on both sides of bushing to separate shock from the control arm.

 

What held me up was the bolt going through the bushing corroded solid to the bushing inner. Had to cut the bolt on car on both sides of bushing to separate shock from the control arm.[/QUOTE]


Hello Tony, my passenger side shock mounting bolt has permanently attached itself to the bushing, it wont back out and the hammer is not helping either i will have to cut it off somehow.the shock is only 100 dollars and the bushing is $45 i might just get a new shock?

This is an update to the above. the bolt eventually was knocked lose from the bilstein shock connector with a sledge hammer not necessary to cut or replace anything on my part.

 

GT42R, Appreciate the information and link. Very interesting and helpful - except I also learned that I paid too much for my bushing. Thanks to the others, Tony X and Amadauss, for chiming in too. I'll give this a try over the weekend.

 

Hello Tony, my passenger side shock mounting bolt has permanently attached itself to the bushing, it wont back out and the hammer is not helping either i will have to cut it off somehow.the shock is only 100 dollars and the bushing is $45 i might just get a new shock?[/QUOTE]

I also replaced the shocks with new ones, new shocks did not come with new lower bushing.

It took me 2 bi-metal blades on sawzall to cut the corroded bolt on both sides. This was the only way to get the old shock out and press out the shot bushing. Living in the salt belt, this type of thing is not uncommon.

 

After much prayerful attention to the stuck shock mounting bold, i asked my daughter to bring me the sledge. There are some jobs that the ballpene hammer just cannot do. A few licked with sister sledge, and the bolt came free. I highly recommend an impact wrench and a sledge hammer be put in the tool box

 

MudJag, are you attempting to replace the bushing while the control arm is on the car? I'm preparing for the same repair this weekend and am undecided if I am talented enough to do it while on the car using the ball joint tool as a press. Is that what you are attempting? Keep us informed, it will help more and more members as these cars age and bushing fail at an increased rate. Thanks, Joe

 

what i am doing and almost finished is to replace the shock tower bushings (on both sides) with the kit(s) from Black dog. There is a video for all of this on this site. The upper (WISHBONE) bolt was tight, but eventually came out. The other troublesome bolt attaches the shock was stuck inside the bushing but with the help of the sledge it came out. I read that someone had cut the bolt, i was close to doing that when i used the sledge hammer to knock the shaft lose from the shock mounting bushing. If anyone wants to know the kit is relatively easy to install (contrary to the video) . Dont over lube the bushings . Also Leave the nuts tightened down (all the way!) even after your install the pop rivets until the coil spring is completely released so it wont slide around. cant say enough about the impact wrench and sledge hammer. Thanks to advance for the free coil spring press. questions you are welcome to call

 

Replacement of the lower shock strut bushing is very doable, but NOT while on the car. That too may be doable IF you can figure out how to press the old bushing out and the new bushing in. I didn't have the tools for that, but taking the lower control arm off is not too difficult. There are many bolts making connections to, or through, this piece. Some are an unusual size, 15mm, 18mm, 20mm. and T60. Some need special consideration, I'll try to mention those below.

I've got JTIS, but once I removed the wheel and looked at the job, I just started by first seeing if all the nuts would move by loosening them a turn or two. They did. There might be a proper order to removing these pieces, not aware of that, but eventually you will want to support the knuckle assembly.

Special attention needs to be given to the following;
1.) ball joint. The ball joint bolt needs to be held in place while that nut is removed. A 5mm allen wrench inserted into the top of the bolt while turning the nut did the trick for me.
2.) The lower control arm inner (closest to the center of the car) bushing bolt/nut have special elliptical washers that need to go back on the car in the exact same position that they were before removal. There is a raised mark on the washer to identify the position. You might also be able to tell by the color/condition of the metal underneath the washer. Then, only turn the nut while holding the bolt in place. The nut takes a 20mm wrench and is close to steering rack boot, but will come off.
3.) The shock bushing bolt takes a T60 torx, the nut is welded on to the strut.
4.) After all the nuts have been removed the only thing holding the lower control arm to the car is the tight fit of the control arm to the lower ball joint. I'm hitting it with a sledge, but the whole knuckle assembly which is still attached to the upper control arm is moving. More PB penetrating spray. More hitting. Eventually, it will come off.

Once the lower control arm is removed, the old bushing needs to be pressed out and the new one pressed in. Note how far the old bushing is located in the control arm. The rubber on both sides of the bushing makes pressing in the new bushing difficult. You don't care much if you damage the rubber pressing the old one out, because the new bushing has new rubber. BUT you do care if the new rubber is damaged while pressing the new bushing in. All I can say, is be patient and use care.

Installation of the control arm is easier than removal. Took me an hour or two to remove, a half hour to do the press work and only 15 minutes to put it back together and that is with hand tools, no air.

Hope this helps.