Good morning all. I have all the components for changing the front struts on my wife's 04 X-Type ready to go. The factory manual is indicating that the subframe will need to be lowered slightly? Is this for room to get the lower arm out of the way of the upright when removing? Has anyone here done it without lowering the subframe? Just looking for insights from anyone who has done this job before.

 

I would think that if you used a coil compressor, you could shorten the strut enough that you could get it off without having to drop the sub-frame. But, I have not personally done this.

 

Rather than lowering the subframe, there’s a YouTube video showing that the strut and entire steering knuckle can be removed as an assembly, making replacement of the strut fairly easy.

 

@ olesailorman's ‘Instead of lowering the subframe, there's a YouTube video that shows that the strut and entire steering knuckle can be removed as one assembly, which makes replacing the strut pretty easy.’ Yes, and a lot of unnecessary extra work. @ jluvzcarz Are you sure you know what you want to do? What do you mean by all components? We have never lowered the subframe even though we have the necessary fitting bolts to mount the subframe. No matter what was to be replaced, the shock absorber was always removed and fitted as a complete unit. In the videos you can see that a spring compressor is always used, it doesn't work without one. We tried it once to see if it was possible. Forget it.

 

Or = you might consider the "already loaded" type

https://completecarparts.com/product...640-259990-001

 

Thank you for the replies. I will look for the YouTube video to see how others have done it. My biggest concern was whether the job could be done without having to drop the subframe. The upright has to come out with the strut so I will give it a go without lowering the subframe and see if I have clearance. I have a professional strut machine so swapping the strut and the upper steering unit is not the issue. I just chuckle that Jaguar made changing struts such a chore for an X-Type. Plus being awd the half shafts have to be undone at the uprights too to get the assembly out. It is easier to change the air struts on my XJR than on this car. I'll report back how it goes.

 

It is hard to get a compression tool safely in there to compress it enough to pull it out. I was going to go that route but deemed it too hard which usually equates to unsafe. However, it's honestly not that big of a deal. You don't have to lower the subframe as much as the repair manual says. I loosened the bolts and pried down on the lower control arm enough to get it out. I think if you can lower it down like 2 in or so then that is enough clearance. However, you need to be careful with the lower control arm because if the bushings are not in good order, you can certainly rip them, especially the back one. I will say that you definitely need to drop it if you were going to ever change the lower control arm because the front horizontal bolt cannot be pulled out or put back in for that matter without the subframe clearing the things around it. That was a huge pain for me.

 

And should you ever drop the subframe to replace the control arms, follow a Jag Tech member who told me to reverse the bolt (put nut on top) thereby never having to drop the subframe to replace the control arm(s) in the future. As he said "it may be you". Well my thread just a couple of weeks ago with arm failure at 30,000 miles (****!), proved prudent advice.

 

I did my front struts without dropping the subframe. Undid the top 3 nuts, pop the ball joint out, remove the whole thing as a unit with the knuckle. Reinstalling was tricky, it's hard to get the knuckle inboard far enough to get the ball joint to seat. I ended up having to loosen the control arm bolts (or remove the forward one? I can't remember) to swing it out just a hair to get it to seat using a jack under the arm. Now, if you decide to go through the effort to drop the subframe, i would very highly suggest you inspect and consider replacement of the sway bar bushings... Now those are truly diabolical (although possible) to do with the subframe and inner tie rods in place

When I replaced the arms on my x type (decided to do them at the same time as the struts i mentioned above due to the bushings looking terrible), my subframe bolts decided to just spin.... The captive nuts broke the spot welds in the body. I ended up undoing the nut on the notorious rear bolt, lifting it up, and sawzalling the head off of the bolt so i could slide the arm right out. Then i just replaced both bolts (and used a new nyloc but w/ thread lock). Rather than mess about with the broken captive nuts, I had those bolts cut and the arms off of the car in under 30 minutes

 

For getting the ball joint to seat, a good trick is using a pry bar under the LCA with the tip near the subframe and a small chain near the ball joint. You have way more leverage and control this way. I used this method when I did a suspension refresh then later with both front wheel bearings. Unbolting the swaybar endlinks helps too.

Similar concept but with a tool (OTC 6007) made to do this:

 

Great tip. Sure could have used it when I replaced most all of my suspension earlier this year. Getting the ball joint out and back in on the first side kicked my tail end. The second side I had learned a way to do it so didn't take nearly as long.