Hi everyone. I have a lot of hours on an X308, but the X350 is fairly new to me... and I have some front end 'noises'.

I learned with the X308 to do research before asking questions, but if there's one thing I cannot find an answer to on the X350, it's the lower front ball joint! I have searched for the correct parts, but I keep coming up against which type of ball joint it is... interference fit, or bolted on with 4 bolts and nuts. Mine is a 2006 Jaguar Soveriegn TDCI 2.7 diesel.

I have to admit here, that I am a disabled person, so getting the car jacked and whipping the weel off could pose as an almost mammoth task. Usually in the UK, we just give the car's registration and much more often than not the correct parts are listed. Using this, I was supplied with a pair of new joints that have the 'nut and bolt' fitting. However, checking (only by feel without the car jacked) I couldn't feel any bolts holding the orignal joints on? Can anyone throw any light on wether or not there are two or more different fitings for these ball joints please?

Thank you in anticipation... I know this all sounds a little bit unusual, but disability would mean I am stuck without transport, and that's a difficulty I could do without. Thank you for your understanding
Paul

 

You've been sold the totally wrong parts for your car if it is the X350 all-aluminium saloon built and sold from 2003. The front suspension is all-aluminium, with ally top and bottom wishbones, each one of which is secured to a balljoint on the allly hub carrier. The upper ball joint is pressed into the wishbone, which is a single casting, (or may be a forging), the lower and larger ball joint is pressed into the hub carrier.
Here's what the top wishbone looks like: -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204497616...IaArzbEALw_wcB
and the uppright with its balljoint: -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401257412...AaAo64EALw_wcB
The above is a used one.
And here is the lower ball joint: -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355861528...AaAsDeEALw_wcB
Apparently it is an absolute PITA to press in, easier to press the old one out. The new one has to be pressed in from the top, and if you look at the casting, you'll see there is no way for a straight press, one has to use a special tool.
These uprights complete with ball joint as new items are eye-wateringly expensive, see here: -
https://www.sngbarratt.com/English/#...SPENSION(14714)
Of course the ball-joints do last a very long time, it's just your bad luck if they wear out during your ownership !

 

Having personally pressed in a set of ball joints on the uprights (AKA Vertical Link) on my 20 ton press and I can confirm its a real pain in the !@#. I had to jury rig all sorts of fixtures to both press-out and press in. To do it all over again, I would have gotten the ball joints and found a good machine shop with a serious professional press to remove and install. You can purchase just the ball joint from several sources, check FCP Euro or Berkshire Jag.

The attached should help you identify parts by the Jaguar P/N

 

Big shout out for both ctsemicon & Fraser Mitchell. I contacted my supplier and sure enough I had the wrong ones.

I have access to a 20 ton press, so will likely tackle this at the weekend

Thanks to both of you for your help and advice
Paul

 

Hi to all following this... been away, in hospital.. all sorts of reasons why I didn't get it down earlier!
The bottom ball joints are now fitted, though I had to rush out and get hold of another wheel knuckle, one of the originals cracked when pressing the joint in. it rendered the knuckle useless. I also took the opportunity to replace the lower air suspension bushes / ball joints, front control arm bushes, and upper wishbone arms. Now - the 'knocking' has gone from the front, but I think I have messed something up?
The suspension is uneven. After the work on the front I lowered the car where it went straight down to the bump stops. I then tightened all the joints etc as per the manual, then started the car.. I had a message on the dash saying "vehicle too low"... left the engine running for quite some time, but no change to the suspension height, not until I drove it just a few miles. It came up and the warning went off.. but, it's lower on the driver's side (UK RHD car) by about a 1/2".- This doesn't sound a lot but it's noticeable when driving.
I am new to this Jaguar model, my X308 doesn't have anything that compares with this. I dont understand the full workings of Air Suspension.. only the principals of how it works. As for Resetting it, I have no idesa what I need, or how to do it?
Is there some kind person out there that can say "you need a hammer, some nails, and a wood saw"... etc etc?
I will always be gratefull to all who can chip in and help me with this.
Many thanks...
Paul
BTW. I have an Autel BT808 Pro that isn't throwing any DTC's

 

Being a 2006 and later, it only has one ride height sensor for monitoring the front ride height.
The air management system cannot easily tell that the front right is out of sync with the front left, as only the left front has the sensor monitoring it, whereas there are individual sensors on each rear suspension point.

Chances are that with a bit of driving the system will successfully re-balance the front ride heights naturally.

If you need to force the issue you can manually activate the air control valve block to bring the RH side up and hope that once there it will be maintained as per normal.
This was a recent thread that discussed how to manually activate the valve block.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ssible-279165/

 

If the manual activation of the valve block does not work, you will need someone who has access to the IDS/SDD software suitable for the car (usually V125, V130, V131 should work) to re-calibrate the suspension.

Best regards,

Thomas

 

Many thanks 'ho2osteam', I had hoped there would be a manual way to resolve this and you came up with exactly what I need... thanks!

It seems I need to 'relearn' with this X350, I thought most things would be the same/similar... no! lol
Once again, many thanks
Paul