When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Good day to all members. I successfully replaced the front springs on my friend's X300 thanks to members here.
It passed the MOT but the front shock bushes are worn and require replacing.
I understand that these bushes require a press to remove and replace. My question is can this job be tackled with a workshop vice with suitable sockets used to seperate and reinstall the components, or do I have to take it to a friendly garage with a press ?
Thank you
Kind regards
Danny
The front bottom shock bushes can be replaced in situ. (You would need to remove the springs again and the lower wishbone arm to use a press or a vice)
The traditional threaded bar and sockets or bush remover tool works just fine without removal of the arm. For the receiver, you will need to cut it to a C shape as the wishbone arm does not have enough space around the bush at the bottom. I made a tool from an old inner bearing race.
I have done this a couple of times mainly because the OEM bushes don't last very long. I R&Rd the bushes in situ and rather than lots of words the attached pix should explain it.
I supported the car on jackstands under the body jacking points and used a trolley jack under the lower suspension ball joint to support it while I had the lower shock mount disconected.
I eventually got sick of replacing the OEM bushes and having them fail so I made some replacement bushes using the metal parts of the old ones and some poly bushes which fitted nicely and they have been in service for around 20 years with no issues.
Cheers,
Jeff.
You can see the lower ball joint supported by the trolley jack and a piece of wood with the bush puller in place.
On one side is a suitable socket and on the other end is a piece of thin walled pipe. The old bush is still inside the puller.
Thank you both for your kind replies.
I am guilty of failing to state that it is the top bushes that require replacing
So sorry.
The plate that bolts to the body has to be removed from the car to expose the top bushes. These are the ones I was thinking I could remove and replace with standard sockets and a bench vice.
My apologies once more and thanks for your time and courtesy.
Kindest regards
Danny.
The plate that bolts to the body has to be removed from the car to expose the top bushes.
Not on the X300 - that applies to the X308 only.
The top bushes on the X300 are very straightforward. It's simply 2 hard foam bushes and large washers that sandwich the inner wing. There is a spacer tube but it's a loose fit in the bushes. They can just be removed by hand.
Take off the top nut and washer inside the engine bay and pull off the top bush. Then from the wheel arch, compress the shock by hand and pull off the bottom bush by hand.
You might have to undo the coolant tank and move it out of the way for access but not disconnect the hoses.
When you have the top nut off you should be able to squeeze the shock down far enough to remove the lower bush. Don’t for get to support the lower suspension arm or things could go twang.
The front bottom shock bushes can be replaced in situ. (You would need to remove the springs again and the lower wishbone arm to use a press or a vice)
The traditional threaded bar and sockets or bush remover tool works just fine without removal of the arm. For the receiver, you will need to cut it to a C shape as the wishbone arm does not have enough space around the bush at the bottom. I made a tool from an old inner bearing race.
This illustrates the problem with the bottom shock bush well, I've opted for a slightly different approach in the past by simply grinding a couple mm of the bottom wishbone with an angle grinder and therefore allowing normal socket to sit in there, either way, this is the only way to fully remove the old bush and press the new one(they are a tight fit), without either grinding the wishbone off or using this C shaped receiver you will not be able to press the bush in fully and it will cause it to wear quickly.
This only applies if you want to use original Jaguar metalastic bushes. The aftermarket rubber ones are total garbage and even when pressed in fully will fail again fairly quickly.
The alternative is to just drill the original bush out with progressively larger drill bits, until the outer metal bit is thin enough and can be simply punched out with large hammer, it's fairly easy to remove it that way. Then you can use poly bushes as replacements and you can effectively press them by hand. Out of all bushes on a Jag that is one space where poly bushes work really well.
The top bushes are easy enough but be prepared for replacing them regularly, on a UK based daily driver they last about 18 months, hence why I've replaced them with bushes(and spacers) from the rear shocks which still look good after 5 years.
Btw, I found poly bushes at the top too hard, everything gets transferred into the cabin and the ride gets very harsh, hence I got rid of them very quickly.
Replacing front Shock absorber bushes.
