Can anyone that has placed the front of the XJ on stands offer me clues what they used to avoid twisting the car - based on the warnings in the manuals / handbook - how many tyre centres just whack a jack under one side and pump paying no heed to these warnings.

The jacking point at the front and the location for the stand are in direct conflict. Even if I can get a jack under there it occupies the space on the floor where I need to place the stand in order for the top to be on the pad designed for the stands. I also in all my years messing with cars have never encountered a stand with a round top pad.

I need to get both front wheels off so I can pull the front bumper and undertray.

 

Well you won't like it?

Here is the diagram from the official Jaguar workshop manual;



Here is the thread explaining it and yes it makes no sense at all what Jaguar did. Anyone with half a brain would see this!

Jacking Points

Now being from the UK you will probably understand this but I worked for a company out of Aberdeen for a number of years. The UK Engineers have a great term and I use it a lot. The design of the jacking points is "not fit for purpose".
It a complete design failure as it's useless for what it's intended to do. Sad, Sad, Sad!
.
.
.

 

Well dead right on one count for sure - I don't like it - how in the blue **** are you supposed to jack and put on stands - so I totally concur unfit for purpose and clearly designed only for use on post lifts, beyond unfit for purpose made worse by the warnings about twisting the car frame. There isn't a snowballs chance of getting a trolley jack to the rear jack points and still being able to get it on stands safely.

My XJS is sat on my quicklift jacks - has been for 2 years now -

Think I'll buy another scissor jack, I don't plan to work under the car I just need a smidge more space to get to the 2 nuts and 3 bolts on the front splash tray (I'd rather 2 nuts and 5 bolts than mess with all the fasteners around the front of the tray, the wheels will stay on the car mostly except when I pop the wheel well liners out - unless you reckon the bumper cover can be removed with out doing so.

 

I've found that a set of ramps worked great for getting under the car with plenty of access (depending on your body).
They're good for any work I need to get under it for, other suspension, brakes or than anything that the wheels need to come off for.
The ones I have have a 6500 pounds EACH capacity and a 6 inch lift and are plenty solid that I'm fine getting under the car with it on the ramps.
I don't believe the retailer I got them at is in the UK, but it's a Chinese tool outlet (called Harbor Freight over here) so then again they may be, possibly with a different name.

For Brake/suspension work, I have and still do lift a corner as needed, as carefully as I can.
I prefer to lift both sides, the car jack under one side & my floor jack under the other - gradually lifting each side.

For those who don't mind investing a little more than most would, there are smaller, portable car lifts available (over here anyway) that work like larger installed lifts such as Quickjack that lift the vehicle by the frame:
Portable Car Lift for your Garage or Shop - QuickJack

 

Ramps I have a plenty - but they aren't much use when you need to take the wheels off. I am less concerned with the front being on jacks but I wouldn't be so happy with the rears. It will only be elevated long enough for me to get the bumper cover undone, once I have all the fasteners etc out the wheels go back on and I can put it down.

I have a pair of quicklift jacks that lift the entire car in the same way as a post lift - but my XJS is sat on them - I haven't finished replacing the suspension so putting its wheels back on is a non starter.

 

Okay, so you're a step ahead of me there.

It is ridiculous that Jaguar would design a frame that can be damaged by flexing when a roadway flat tire that would need to lift the car with the supplied jack to change the tire would permanently damage the vehicle - that just makes no sense.
That's why I'm suspicious of it. I think they may be considering extreme lift of one corner, not what would normally be done to change a tire.
But still....

 

I am more than certain that a lot of tyre shops just throw a jack under one corner and pump, the consequences of which I am uncertain also, read a few posts here that indicate sills have been damaged by such practices. The jaguar docs do state clearly to lift the car no higher than necessary to remove the wheel, I could of course think a little laterally - I could run the car up ramps, remove the 2 nuts and three bolts, then I can work on each front corner to pull the arch liner and the bolts holding the bumper cover at the sides, I also need to replace the right hand headlight so the arch liner has to come out on the right - not sure about the left - I may see how much clearance I can get with the liner but the wheel in the way won't help any.

 

One other statement from Jaguar about jacking the car is DO NOT use the rear diff "pumpkin" as a jacking point! I had been doing just that with other cars for years too.
If just removing the front bumper cover I like to use ramps. You can reach the plastic wheel well liner fastener's too but it is a bit tight!

Yes when I had my 2 post lift all this did make some sort of sense.
One other thing I have posted before is Jaguar cast in arrows on the body sills to indicate where the jacking points are. These are difficult to see unless you are under the car but I thought to post this again just as added information.



Note that curved black plastic piece. Depending on how the car is placed you might need to remove this for better access. Apparently it is a small aerodynamic device to keep air from under the car and especially the rear tire. These are also installed in front of the front tires. I have heard them called Aero-Flaps.
They explain them here;
Aero Tabs
.
.
.

 

I've replaced the right side headlight washer which also requires removing the front bumper cover, which was pretty easy really - although I did not actually remove the entire cover. Just the right side so I could replace that washer.
The wheel arch liner fasteners that attach at the front are easy to remove with an offset driver. I have a small cheap ratcheting kit that works fine. Also a 1/4" drive ratchet with a bit fits in between the wheel & fastener.
Or you could turn the wheel to give you access, before driving it up on the ramp of course.

 

I have stuff that can get into tight places but my dexterity isn't what it was, in any event right now I need the weather to be favourable, too damn cold and wet for my old bones to be rolling around on the floor