I know these have a tendency to go bad and it seems like mine have decided to follow this trend. I have a couple of questions on this topic:

First, exactly which parts need to be replaced? At first I thought I simply needed to buy the mounts, but then I heard bearings are sold separately. Do I need those replaced too? When others have done this job, what is the exact part that goes bad? The bearing? The mount? Both? I just want to know what to buy.

Next, does anyone have a write up on how to do this? I'm guessing it's in JTIS somewhere but it would be nice to get a practical step-by-step guide instead of the dry illustrations from JTIS.

Also, I got an estimate from a local independent shop for $540 to do this job. Does that seem reasonable? I know I can get the parts for under $200 from JPLV even if I do need to buy mounts and bearings for both front wheels. However, I know a couple mechanics and I have been working with both of them at one of their shops on several other things (bad wheel studs, brake/rotor replacement, etc) which I've needed done. They don't even charge me for labor, I end up just buying them something to eat. So if the three of us can tackle this job, I'll keep over $400 in my pocket. On the other hand if it is difficult except for a trained Jaguar tech, I'll probably shell out the cash.

Anyone who has done this job please chime in here!

 

emaraszek, the job is not difficult. If they can do the struts on any other Ford FWD car, they can do your car too.

As for other parts, that is a loaded question as I see it. Really, if the front end is solid and only the struts have worn out, then that is all that you need. But, some members thought they had a bad strut and it turned out the strut bearing was bad (had excessive play). For the $100 for the pair of strut bearings, probably cheap insurance. Especially since you will have them off when you replace the strut. So, no extra time for that part.

 

My car is at a shop right now for the same reason. I attempted to do it myself for the past 2 weeks, but gave up. The design of the front suspension is a b----h on this car to be worked on without being up in the air.

Anyhow, I ended up getting the genuine strut mounts and bearings from JPLV for around $160. The only alternative are the ones made by Monroe, which I don't trust.

Look over your struts and springs and make sure they won't be needing replacing anytime soon. If so, you should just suck it up and get those as well to avoid paying the exact labor charges in the near future, and those charges aren't cheap. Most shops will quote you around 5 hours for both sides.

 

Thanks for the advice guys.


Thermo, if it's as easy as you say I'm going to go ahead and purchase the bearings and mounts for both sides. I'll play it safe since these parts aren't expensive. I think my friends and I should be able to manage this then between the three of us.


Spielnicht, it's unfortunate you couldn't get it done yourself. I know how it is to pay way too much for something you feel should be easy enough. At the shop they have a couple lifts, so if this is truly the deciding factor I should be set.

My opinion on Monroe is the same and I was actually looking at getting the parts from JPLV too. Did the shop you went to allow you to supply your own parts? That would be nice in the worst case scenario where I have to take it in after already buying this stuff.

I also did the various strut tests (pushing down on the car and letting it go, tested from all sides) and both of my struts seem fine. I mean they should be with only 55k on them but you never know I guess. I'd really rather not replace them if I don't have to, but how many miles have they been known to last under normal conditions?

 

Here's my shopping list for JPLV

Left Strut Mount ($33.39)
Right Strut Mount ($33.39)
Left Strut Bearing ($39.11)
Right Strut Bearing ($39.11)

Sub-Total ($145.00)
Shipping ($18.13)

TOTAL ($163.13)

That's a steal, I'll get this stuff ordered right away

 

I'm resurrecting my old thread here:

I finally got around to attempting this repair. I went over to a shop my friend works at and we worked on it after hours.

Even with other guys in the shop working on it, we couldn't get even one strut detached and ended up giving up.

Not having the "special tools" that Jaguar wants you to use, how have other people done this repair? If it's something simple I missed, I'll attempt it again, otherwise I'll just find a shop that will use the parts I already bought.

Anyone who has done this before have any advice?

 

Sorry I don't have any technical info for you. I was just wondering what brand struts did you buy? I'm in the market for some new front struts and was looking at the Monroe's. I can get them for $70 each. I also found the Bilsteins for about $94 each. Let me know when you have a chance. Thanks!

 

At what step did you get stuck exactly?

 

I'm no mechanic, but we weren't even able to remove the strut assembly. We thought we could do it without lowering the subframe, which seemed like an unnecessary PITA. We ended up detaching pretty much everything we could from the strut assembly but we couldn't get enough space to get it out.

 

Any updates?

 

No updates yet, I will probably end up scheduling an appointment somewhere that will at least use the parts I bought.

By the way I'm not replacing my struts, just the mounts and bearings. I can't really tell you which strut of the two you mentioned is better but personally I would probably go for the bilsteins.

 

Ok I finally had this procedure done a few weeks ago when I was at a shop to have a wheel bearing replaced. They did the mounts and bearings on both front struts for about $200 and used the parts I already had.

Combined with the new set of tires I got about a month or so ago the car has never felt better. However I can still feel something that seems like a loose clunk mainly when I go over small bumps.

With all of the recent repairs I've had done, what else could it be?

 

Evan, check the rear of the car. The upper shock mount can come loose and cause the clunking that you are hearing. If it isn't that, then you may have a worn out bushing on the sway bars.

 

I have the exact same symptoms in my 2003 X-Type. Thanks to you and Thermo for the helpful information. I am going to check out my rear mounts because I'm getting a light clunking coming from the rear as well. Thanks again!

 

Good luck EuroJag!

Chris, I'm inclined to think it's the sway bar bushings because I'm almost positive it's coming from the front of the car. I can also "feel it" in the steering wheel if you understand what I mean.

 

Evan, could be. Without feeling/hearing the clunk myself, had to say what it may be.

 

Sorry for thread jacking. I have a quick question for Thermo. Are the upper shock mounts accessible through the trunk behind the carpet panels or are they under the rear deck by the speakers. I would greatly appreciate this info. Thank you in advance!

Update: Nevermind. My car is fixed........

 

Hi thermo u mentioned something about the upper strut mount for the rear can come loose. Do u mean it needs tightening or does it need to be replaced?

Also for the front strut bearing, how do u know it has excessive play? What are the symptoms of it going bad?

 

KRK, for for the rear shock, there are two 10mm nuts there that hold the shock in place. IF these back off slightly, it will give a clunk. Use a 10mm socket, a 6" extension and a ratch and you can tighten it up.

As for the strut bearing, when these go bad, they tend to make a lot of noise as you turn the steering wheel (will sound like trying to turn the front wheels on rocks). Also, you alignment shop will find that the alignment will tend to wander around due to the play in the front suspension. In extreme cases, you may notice that the front wheels will lean in slightly.

 

Is there like a shake test i can do when i pop up the hood, im not sure if the sound im experiencing is the same as you described.
Also mine, the sound comes out after maybe 30mins of driving. Dunno if that makes any sense.

Just now, i poped up the hood and felt the bolt in the middle of the shock mount with my fingers while my friend pushed the car up and down, i felt some movement under the bolt. the bolt didnt move or anything just something under it. is this normal? i tried it on both sides of the car and both had it but the driver side seemed to have more movement.