I must say, this is clearly the most challenging single auto repair I personally have ever done. Timing belt replacement on my other cars? Cakewalk compared to this job. Change both bushings today in about 5 hours total time. Car was up on Jack stands in the garage. Did not lower the frame or suspension assy. Anyone that wants to do this, better have patience and take a break when needed. Two people would help a lot when doing this, as I was under the car then out at the wheel and back and forth many many times. Driver side is easier but not much easier than the passenger side. Followed some of the info I found on this site, having a ratchet wrench with a swivel head is a must, if not do not attempt. Also installed new MOOG endlinks, these have grease fittings on them. The existing end links did not seem loose or anything but the sway bar was loose and could be easily moved around by hand. After completing the car is much tighter in the front and quieter as well. I hope this is the hardest job I ever have to do on this car. Going to do the rear next but I know it will be an easier process.

 

Wow Lynnpt2001 I have the front bushings in hand I bought and have this on my list to do, but you have me worried about this. Can you give more details about how you did it and what challenges you had? Thanks

 

1. I removed both end links to give movement to the sway bar.
2. Sprayed the bolts on the bar clamps with penetrating oil and let them soak.
3. Driver side, use the 13mm wrench on the rear bolt from under the car, they are tight so if you can put some type of extension on the wrench it will help.
4. Front bolt accessed from the wheel well, takes time to get them out, once both bolts out wiggle the old bushing and clamp over the bar until you get it out in the open and remove, reverse to get the new one back in, I was able to start the bolts in by hand and tighten.
5. Passenger side, the rear bolt is in a tighter area with less room to work, used a longer ratchet wrench in from the wheel well on the rear bolt with a bar on it to extend it to loosen, the worked on it from under the car to get it out.
6. Front bolt, use the same longer ratchet wrench with bar to loosen from the wheel well, when you get this bolt almost out it will hit the rubber covering the steering, I used a smooth large bar to wedge it in an press upward into this rubber covering to make some room for the bolt to come all the way out. Then you can wiggle the bracket and bushing down the bar toward you until it is free, then reverse the process to install.

(Can't stress how tight of an area all this has to happen in, and a second person would certainly make it easier, wish I would have had a second pair of hands)

It can be done, all hand tools, no power tools will fit, and it is worth the effort now but there were frustrating moments where I was considering throwing in the towel.

What would have helped me is knowing from the beginning that is was a 4 - 5 hour project.

I check this forum every day or 2, and I will try to answer any questions you may have.

 

That's great info. I have planned this out using my Haynes manual guidance and other posts I have read. I did not want to have to disturb subframe at all and read others saying they did it too without lowering subframe.

So can you loosen the bolts that secure the bracket that holds the bushings enough to give room to slide the bushing down the sway bar and not have to remove the bracket bolts completely? In my mind I was preparing to try that when I tackle mine. I saw that technique done on another vehicle on a YouTube video where they couldn't remove bolts due to clearance without dropping subframe. They slid old perished bushings sideways down the sway bar to open the split and remove, then did the reverse to slide them back over the sway bar and then under the loosened bracket. Will that work on Jag XType?

 

In my opinion it is easier to remove both bolts and slide the whole assy over the bar out far enough to take the bracket off and remove the bushing. Because the bushing has a lip around each side that sticks above the bracket I could not get the old bushing to slide out past the bracket so I decided to remove the whole assy which was easier for me. You can make that call when you are removing the bolts, maybe you can get them out, then you have the challenge of getting the new one in without damaging it.