When I purchased my 04 jag it came with 245/45/17 tires. You guys see any problems with that? Tires were brand new so I kept them. It is a great ride no rubbing or steering problems. Lug nuts suck as they seem to make a whistling noise. Noise sounds like it needs brake pads and of course it doesn't. Anyone experience that also?

 

3rd Jag, if the tires are not rubbing, then I would not worry about it. You may notice that the speedo is a little off (should be running about 2% slow). But, otherwise enjoy the tires.

As for the brakes, what I would tell you to do is if you have some mechanical ability, stop by your local auto parts store and pick up some stuff called "pad glue". The stuff I have comes in a 4 ounce bottle and is a pinkish red color. Remove the pads and then you apply a little bit of this product to the surface where the caliper touches the pad or the piston touches the pad. After you reassemble the pads (with the pad glue still wet), let the pad glue dry a little bit and then take the car out for a drive. I bet you will find that your noise is gone. The $5 is good for about 20 pad replacements, if not more. You don't need much. The big thing is once you get the brakes together far enough that you can push the pads against the rotor, do so. You want to try and squeeze out as much of the pad glue as possible to use the caliper as a heat sink for the pads. This will help ensure long pad life.

If you need more help with anything, let me know.

 

Thermo, Been reading a lot of your posts and I have great respect for you as you know your stuff. The noise seems to stem from the 2 piece lug nuts. No matter how much I tighten them the outer piece is always loose. Meaning that when i turn them they seem to squeak. Mind you they do not turn all the way (like 360 or anything like that) just a hair so when i jiggle it makes that noise.At first I thought It was my front bake pads so I changed them and put plenty of lubricant on the pads. It has to be the lug nuts. Ever hear of anything like that? My rear pads are almost brand new. Seems like they are metallic cause of the dust. the fronts I replaced with ceramic even thou they were like new but dust was everywhere.Should I replace the rear pads?

 

3rd Jag, can't say that I have heard of the noise that you are talking about. Granted, does the screech that you talk about (brake pad noise) only happen when you are braking or any time that the car is moving? maybe that will help me figure out where the noise is coming from.

As for the rear pads, I would say to replace them if you are worried about the dust. If you are not, then keep them on till they are worn out.

When it comes to the lugnuts, the outer piece may be a little loose. But, if you are able to turn it more than about 20 degrees, I would replace the lugnuts before you have issues. The Jaguar lugnuts are a multi-piece design that was meant to keep the manufacturing costs down while still providing a higher level of noise isolation. What happens is the decorative cap on the lugnuts can come loose and then it will spin on top of the lugnut. In extreme cases, the cap can prevent you from being able to remove the lugnut.

 

Thermo, it happens when the car is moving. Are the rear brake calipers same as front? if so i will try using the pad glue you mentioned then see how it goes from there.

 

3rd Jag, the rear brakes are very similar to the fronts with the exception that the rears also have a "second actuator". This is where the e-brake cable comes in and will engage the e-brake when you pull the lever. So, as a result, instead of just pushing the piston in like you do on the front, the rears you have to push in and twist (one side is clockwise, the other side is counterclockwise) to make the piston go into the caliper. It is easiest to open the bleed valve a little bit to allow the brake fluid to come out there vice trying to push it all the way back to the reservoir. Don't forget to bleed the brakes afterwards to get any air out. But the rest is the same.