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I lifted the XJ12 yesterday for an oil service and this is what I found:
My RF tire is cupped badly on the inside edge. You can see the wire coming through.
Same for the LF tire, but it’s not as severely worn.
The RF front lower wishbone bushing is badly deteriorated. I believe this is stemming from the previous transmissio oil cooler line leak I had a year or two ago. Same goes for the seat bar bushing, see how swollen the rubber is?
The LF front lower wishbone bushing is cracking but not nearly as bad as the other.
And my LF inner tie rod boot is torn...
So where do I begin? What are the suspects for the cupping? Bad toe? Bad camber? Those wishbone bushings? Bad shocks?
It appears the RF bushing is so worn that the lower wishbone could be “kicking out” the bottom of the tire, causing the inner edge wear, right?
How bad is it to replace these? I know parts are cheap, but how’s the labor? Is it something I could do at home?
In pic #4 it looks like something is bent and rusted through....not sure what the component is, possibly the subframe? Not good.
From what I can see I plan on a full front suspension re-bush. Possibly ball joints and tie rods, too. And rack boots. Do it all, do it right, do it once.
Never done it on an X300 but it's DIYable on older models. Big job, though. Needs spring compressor, a press for the bushings, lots of labor
From my eye, it appears to be a weld location, and it looks like it could be normal curvature of the subframe. I’ll take some closer shots.
I think it’ll be best to collect all the bushings and send the car in for a complete rebushing at my Jag Indy.
Does anyone have the part numbers for the upper wishbone bushes? Front and rear? I’m only seeing them listed as an assembly with the wishbones themselves in the parts catalog...
I have ordered rack boots already, they will need to go on before the alignment. I do NOT want to drop another $500+ on a new rack, that one is only a couple years old. (I think I really need to order the missing heatshields. They were there originally to protect the boots from the heat of the cats just inches away. Wonder how they got torn off???)
Looks like those tires have been carrying a 700 pound engine!
I've noticed inner edge wear and scuffing in the past too. It has mostly been corrected with a slight toe-in. Does the handling seem ok? The car might still track straight even if the toe is out equally each side. That definitely causes inner-edge wear. But it's the wear on all of the components that contributes, as you say. Some of it can be compensated for, if it is not too bad.
I also had the front right forward A-frame bushing soaked in trans fluid. Once I stopped the leak from above, the bushing dried out and apparently is still in fair condition. The bushing made a groaning noise over speed humps but when it dried out, the noise stopped!
Have you kept adequate pressure in the tires? I keep at least 30 psi. I think any lower pressure would cause more wear and affect handling.
Is that a frame weld in picure #4 above the left A-frame bushing?? I hope not.
I must admit that when I’ve checked the tire pressures, the fronts have been dropping below 30. I usually set them to 32-34 cold but I haven’t been doing the best job keeping them adjusted well.
Im still running the 16” Cosmic wheels. These tires are the ones that came with the car, they are cheap Kelly tires that belong on a minivan, so I am almost certain they are not rated to handle the weight of the car.
The bushing has dried out quite a bit since it was soaked in ATF, but It does need to be replaced, there’s no way around it.
I should also note that the front shocks were replaced some time ago with KYB’s with rubber mounting bushings. The rear of the car has the OE Black Bilsteins and I’m thinking a matching set for the front would be good.
The handling is actually quite good. It does ride over bumps a bit hard, but I get NO sensation of looseness. I noticed last week that when driving down the highway I have to hold the wheel at 11 o clock to keep the car straight. I’m not sure if it’s the tires causing this, or bad alignment.
I think the rack boots and alignment will be my first step, and two new tires. I’m very interested in seeing the “before” printout for the alignment.
So I'm looking at tires now. I'd like to stick to something with at least a V speed rating, for the sidewall strength which these very heavy cars need.
I'm also seeing some options like the Bridgestone DriveGuard, V-rated, which is a Run-Flat tire. I'd imaging that type of tire would have one of the strongest sidewalls which should be more than capable of handling the weight of the V12 without causing bubbling/blistering of the sidewalls like so many other tires will.
Any suggestions on tires? I've got 16x7 "Cosmic" wheels on this car.
The bushing has dried out quite a bit since it was soaked in ATF, but It does need to be replaced, there’s no way around it.
The handling is actually quite good. It does ride over bumps a bit hard, but I get NO sensation of looseness. I noticed last week that when driving down the highway I have to hold the wheel at 11 o clock to keep the car straight. I’m not sure if it’s the tires causing this, or bad alignment.
Having to hold the wheel at 11 o'clock is a pretty sure sign that the bushing has really given out. As you said, it allows the right side to toe out, and adversely affects the caster and camber too. The right wheel is probably pulling the car to the right which leads you to compensate at the steering wheel. That increases the inner edge wear on the tires by increasing the toe by a lot, and by having to use the tires to make the car go straight. Now the tires are unevenly worn, and they will never track straight again. All that suspension and steering stuff is inter-related.
Did you try to move the suspension components around with a crow bar when the vehicle was up? If not you can jack up the right front and try moving the A-arm around to confirm the bushing is really shot.
I'd say at a minimum you'd want to have the four lower bushings done at the same time (or BEFORE) you get an alignment and new tires.
So I'm looking at tires now. I'd like to stick to something with at least a V speed rating, for the sidewall strength which these very heavy cars need.
I'm also seeing some options like the Bridgestone DriveGuard, V-rated, which is a Run-Flat tire. I'd imaging that type of tire would have one of the strongest sidewalls which should be more than capable of handling the weight of the V12 without causing bubbling/blistering of the sidewalls like so many other tires will.
Any suggestions on tires? I've got 16x7 "Cosmic" wheels on this car.
-Nick
Here's how I shop for tires:
I buy my own tires and bring them to a shop to be installed. I've used Walmart recently.
I search various sites including ebay for my size and speed rating (V). Sorted by price.
Then I pick the cheapest ones that I've heard of (or used) before, that have a 97+ load rating, decent tread ratings, and a tread and sidewall design that I like.
Maybe this method isn't suited to everyone, but I've had good success with it. I've used brands such as Mastercraft MC-440, General Altimax, and Futura VR.
This year, I settled on new Definity HP800 tires. I really like them so far. They meet all of my desires in a tire! 98V, 6-ply, 400 A/A. They came from the same seller of the Futura tires I used before and liked a lot... Pep Boys. Ironically, I did not have them installed there.
This method saves me a lot of headaches in terms of making a decision. There are so many choices out there, and so many reviews of different tires, a guy could go insane.
I may receive criticism for choosing $75 tires for my car, but like I said... they suit my needs and the needs of my car!
Keeping them aired up well is important, especially with the heavy XJ6 or XJ12. Like Nick's!
It's pretty urgent that I have the tires done as I need a state inspection this month. I haven't been driving the car much to keep from further wearing out the tires.
Jack, my Jag Indy will mount the tires for me, and like you, I prefer to buy the tires myself.
I'll order the 4 lower bushings and drop them off at MyCar for Jack to install. He can also pop the tie rod ends and slide the new boots I've ordered on. Then I can bring the car back in for a final alignment. I have a lifetime alignment package on both my Jags and it's definitely paid off over the years.
I had similar wear on my tyres when I bought my Jag and a quick front alignment sorted it. Mind you a lot of these places will just do the front and according to rear wheels so if the rear is out, they will set the front wrong too possibly. Rear is done with the big bolt in the rear hub and if the fulcrum bearings are shot(not unheard of, mine were), it will be all over the place.
Front bushes are a right pain, each side took me full weekend to do. All part numbers are here:
So I'm looking at tires now. I'd like to stick to something with at least a V speed rating, for the sidewall strength which these very heavy cars need.
I'm also seeing some options like the Bridgestone DriveGuard, V-rated, which is a Run-Flat tire. I'd imaging that type of tire would have one of the strongest sidewalls which should be more than capable of handling the weight of the V12 without causing bubbling/blistering of the sidewalls like so many other tires will.
Any suggestions on tires? I've got 16x7 "Cosmic" wheels on this car.
-Nick
Don't forget to look at load ratings. There are many tires out there that are appropriate.
I ran two sets of BF Goodrich Touring TA on my X300/XJR, size 225/60x16. They carry a V-speed rating, 98 load rating. Good tire, no vices or complaints, got about 50k miles use out of each set, about $100 each.
Don't forget to look at load ratings. There are many tires out there that are appropriate.
I ran two sets of BF Goodrich Touring TA on my X300/XJR, size 225/60x16. They carry a V-speed rating, 98 load rating. Good tire, no vices or complaints, got about 50k miles use out of each set, about $100 each.
Cheers
DD
Thanks Doug. From what I saw, just about all the tires I'd be interested in had at least a 98 load rating which more than covers the car at its Gross Weight of 5400 lbs. Now it's just about brand, speed rating, and reviews. I'd go with at least H-rated, but I'd prefer V or W if I can find a tire that's good enough in the wet and possibly light snow.
This car only sees 5,000 miles a year. It's my daily driver in the Summer/Fall, 10 Miles R/T to work. In the Winter/Spring, I loan it to my grandfather who goes out to get his paper around the corner every morning (assuming it's not snowing or raining out). I drive my 1992 XJ40 Sovereign then, which is my Winter car, with Altimax Arctics at all four corners, mounted on a second set of 15" Jaguar wheels. Come Summer, he gets the XJ40.
It works well for us, keeps the mileage down, and keeps the cars from sitting without use. And he gets to brag that he drives two Jags.
11-05-2018, 04:35 PM
Front tires cupped badly
