Ok, I am stumped a tad.

My Black beast, X200 L85213 Vin number, and 150000kms.

Front suspension squawking when driving over speed humps etc in a straight ahead steering position. Driving over the same, one wheel after the other, so a tad sideways, NO noise, and I do understand the front sway bar is "loaded" in that manoeuvre, as apposed to "unloaded" in a straight drive.

Same when I turn from the street to the driveway, NO noise, but a slight undulation in the straight driveway, got noise.

I replaced the "D" rubbers, 2 years ago, as per the TSB, with the new "pre lubed" style, and checked the D Brackets, due to my Vin being in the suspect range, all good, and that work stopped the front "clunking", and NO noises at all until 3 weeks ago.

Bugga, so off with the "D" mounts, top task, NOT, and checked the shaft, and mounts, all sweet, so a coating of Powdered Graphite on the mounts, refitted, NO change, mongrel.

What I have NOT done:

Spring seats, those Eurothane pads at the top. I know the X300 REARS have the same seats at the top, and they will squawk it not lubed prior to assembly.
Sway bar drop links, look OK. but at 17 years who knows. Do they make noise???, or simply rattle like any other Jag.

What I HAVE done:

Balljoints are NOT dry, I fitted grease nipples, and they are just fine.
Tierod ends are NEW.
D mounts are new and rechecked.
Shocker shafts have been lubed with Silicone Spray, NO change.

Any bright, dim, sensible ideas would be great, or do I speed up the XF replacement, HA.

Thanks, as always, in advance.

 

Hey Grant,

I would hold the control-arm bushes in high suspicion, though I cannot fathom why they only squawk straight-on and not individually. Maybe go out bounce each front corner up and down as if testing the shockers in the old days and see if it squeals?

I've got a left side upper rear making the rusty-bed-springs noise on the 03 X202. Removed same from the 03 V8 parts car yesterday with an eye toward swapping...but with the bushes and ball-joint rubbers all chewed-up, I've decided it would not be a suitable return on an alignment investment, so I'll just order a couple new ones and renew both rear uppers.

 

Update:

Looking intently at this thing today.

Nothing out of whack.

Then, this plastic section of the guard liner/undertray was spotted rubbing on the LH lower wishbone.

NO WAY.

No idea how it got like that, maybe ET got upset, dunno.

Thought of simply cutting off, NAH, not the proper way, so made a simple metal strap thingy and installed it under the retaining screw, and now holds the plastic well clear.

Test drive time, and NO sense of achievement at all, but NO noise, silent, and yes, the same roads I got the squawking from were used.

Cheapest fix on any Jag in nearly 50 years of ownership.

 

OK,

Updating as required when something gets sorted.

I have been a while working slowly and carefully through everything that pivots in the front end.

Silicone spray on each arm bush, one at a time, and nothing altered.

Graphite grease pumped into the lower balljoints, no change.

Sway bar "D" rubbers off AGAIN, and Rubber Greased, NO change.

Foe some ODD reason I removed the drop links, and worked the sway bar up and down, "feeling" for any oddity to the travel, nothing.

The links "looked" fine, boots intact, etc. BUT, the movement of the pins was "roughish" and erratic, mmmmm.

I had a pair of Whiteline Universal, cut to length 10mm drop links, on hand. What the heck, why not. Cut them to suit, and installed them. The "ball" end is larger than the Jag link, and appears heavier duty???. MUCH smoother operation than the old units.

4 days now, NOT A GROAN, and to my aging seat of pants feel, the ride is smoother. The car "appears" quieter, and that is "her" words, and she is picky.

The Whiteline cost me $40, and the Jag units are more than that EACH, maths did not up.

Looking at the parts listing, the part number for these links changes many times, so maybe Jag do have a problem with them, dunno.

 

Wait! Grant....I thought you sorted it at the end of July with the plastic undertray fix?

Got any pictures of these Whiteline units?

 

I thought so too, but it returned a few weeks later, so I just worked through it bit by bit.

W23180 is the Whiteline Kit #.