I would suggest you replace the coil springs as well...since you'll be taking everything apart, seems only natural to do it all....do it all right the first time. You'll also need a alignment when complete.

The price you quoated isn't bad. Normally front struts,(sport type) cost around 500 for a pair.

 

You won't need an alingment.

If you look at top of the strut, there is a rubber/foam stopper. grease both sides of contact. That might reduce some of the
rattle.

 

Also, the sway bar bushings will cause a rattle type sound. You might want to try that first since they are cheaper than struts.

 

No, no "known" issuses with the coil springs, just that they get saggy. I suppose you can measure their height and compare them to a new set, and if they are in tolerance, than i suppose you can re-use them.

As for the wheel alignment, anytime you remove the struts, you need to re-align the front end. Your call, like Envy said, you don't need need it, but if you have new tires are you willing to take the chance?

Been in the business for quite some time....taking short cuts is fine....you just pay the price in the long run....

good luck

 

Sounds good bo and if only they could quote you for a decent price on labor! I have noises at all 4 corners of my car...who would I have diagnose the problems since it seems like jag doesn't do a very great job of diagnosing their own cars?

 

Actually, it's not a "known" problem with the springs, but it is a somewhat common occurance that X front springs break and rattle.

And, technically, ANY time you touch the suspension, an alignment is in order. If you change bushings, springs, etc, you've altered the geometry of the car. Even if you haven't touched a tie rod, touching a part that changes the the suspension geometry with thusly alter the toe.

If you change a strut, you affect the caster, thus affecting toe. Often, over time, struts become slightly bent from taking the road abuse, epecially the RF which takes all the potholes in stride. Even though it is only a front and rear toe adjustment, you should still align the car after your work.

Also, before you chase struts, have you considered control arm bushings? What else have you already changed?

 

Sweet do that! Plus when you have an alignment machine you also get to hassle people with rims and make them feel stupid when they have to swap the stock rims on to fit the car on the machines! Gotta love mechanics!

 

Heh. No offense, but you guys need some facts before you bash "mechanics." Some of us are on these boards to help and educate, not to rip you off or make fun of you.

If you don't have AWD, you might not have rear toe adjustments. If you do, there are rear toe eccentrics; I know this for a fact becuase I've done multiple alignments on my own X. If you were to put your vehicle on a proper rack prior to throwing parts at it, you may have found bent struts, collapsed bushings, or sagging springs right off the bat, saving you lots of money. In general, if a bushing or ball joint goes bad to the point of causing rattles, it can usually be seen by measuring the vehicle's geometry.

You've changed a whole bunch of parts and still have not found the problem and you are pretty much saying alignments are a rip off. A good alignment tech uses the rack as a tool to diagnose, repair, and readjust a vehicle's suspension. I perform alignements at least 3 times a week, sometimes as many as twice a day. I feel it's an great tool.

A while back I had an issue with my car bump-steering in the rear. I also developed a rattle when traveling over bumps. I put the car on the rack and found the rear camber was too negative, but the toe was, for the most part, unaffected. Seeing this symptom pointed me to the upper arms. Some careful inspection revealed the bushings in the upper control arms were partially collapsed, something which is often difficult to see unless the link is removed. I replaced the arms, realigned the car, and the bump-steer, rattle, and excessive negative camber all were a thing of the past.

I'm a car junkie. If I can help, I will. But please don't generalize and say that all "mechanics" are jokes or rip-offs. It hurts some of our feelings! And those of us who are honest, have a passion for cars, and take pride in our work like to be called "techs" or car geeks, not mechanics.

 

Heheh. I was just breakin' stones, you didn't really hurt my feelings!

I know where you're coming from. Trust me, I've had my fair share of poor service experiences. I refuse to go to the dealer I purchased my car from because I had too many shiddy experiences, come-backs, and customer service issues with them. I searched for a new dealer and found one that treats me and my car right.

Crest Jag of Woodbridge, CT is awesome!!!... just a little plug[8D]

I was just saying that not ALL of us suck. There are quite a few dedicated and passionate people working in the trade. It just takes a bit of searching. Unfortunately, I work for Porsche, not Jag, so I can't do much help to the Jag community.


BTW, how do your strut mounts look? If you're doing struts, I'd do the mounts too. Make sure they aren't collapsed.

God luck, kepp us posted.

 

Hey sonic if you're talking about me bashing "mechanics" it was just a joke! If you re-read it you may be able to sense sarcasm but if not oh well...the reason they've forced me and people I know to remove rims was only to get a correct alignment and to not have the responsibility of damaging aftermarket rims...it was just a joke but if you weren't talking to me I guess disregard this post!

BTW any luck in selling the car?

 

eh, no luck selling so far. Not even a question about it!

Bojangles: where did you hear the X has fancy upper strut mounts? KYB replacement upper strut mounts are available for about $30 a piece, but I believe the bearing is dealer-only. Don't be intimidated by "twin bearings." You'll laugh a little when you see it. If the bearings don't feel gritty and don't explode upon removal, reuse them. I suggested the mounts becuase that may be another source of a rattle.

Look here:

 

Why don't you be a sport and hook us up with the user name and password??