Front Sway link advice
 

Howdy all, I have a quick question that a search only got me halfway towards.

My '03 XJR eats front end links like tic tacs. I'm ready to chalk it up to the cold weather and horrible roads, but before I do, I thought I'd just ask others for advice. I originally replaced them with some of the cheapy UROs (yeah I know, I know) and predictably, they didn't last very long. Replaced with a set of Moog's in June of last year at twice the cost. By this spring, gone. And while they do have a lifetime warranty, I thought perhaps I just needed to try something better again. So I went up up to some nice AC Delco's, Which failed these last couple weeks,

So, either I'm doing something wrong installing these - I remembered seeing someone mention somewhere about having them under tension on both sides when installing, which is a bit harder with a single jack and a couple jack stands but if it's really something that could be causing this mess, I'll find a way - Or, I'm just destined to drop money every 6 months to replace them because of my area. That said, I'll be replacing the car in a few months, not selling, but parking it, so I'm trying to decide to throw cheap back on it, or what.

Everyone says to avoid the cheap stuff, like the URO mounts, and I can certainly concur. But having both Moog and Delcos fail in about the same time frame, makes me wonder. However, if those should've been closer on par with the OEM links, I'd prefer to not drop $100+ for the pair if they're going to not last any longer.

Long story short, is there a possibility that there's something to the installation technique that could affect durability, or is it a matter of even the more well-known brands still not being good enough, or is it that the roads and weather are just going to doom whatever I put on this thing?

Charlzo, I can't think that the roads you travel can be so bad as to eat sway bar links at such a rate, but I can't think that they can be incorrectly fitted either!

I wouldn't think that UROs, Moogs or Delcos can be that fragile either.

Will be interesting to hear if anyone has some fitment suggestions, but I think maybe I would go with a pair of OEM genuine Jag parts next time.

https://www.jaguarmerriamparts.com/p...iagram=4721200


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I put Lemforder links on my XJR a couple years ago, no issues. I have always had good luck with Lemforder products.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/jag...link-mnc2105aa

Is it possible that you are over torquing them?

It could be possible, I hadn't really thought of that. In my cases, it's been the lower bushing separating, which I wouldn't have thought that would cause, but it could be.I have to let my jack thaw out so I can check for sure. Love winter.. lol

I think that given I'm parking the car soon enough, I'll go mid-range again and try to get the tension correct before tightening things down, and not over-torque, and call it good at that point. I guess if they break after that, I'll have a better handle on a reason to move West

There is no need to apply any tension on the sway bar link before tightening the nuts (it would actually be a wrong way). With both wheels off the ground, just insert the links and, as per the Workshop Manual, install both nuts but do not tighten then tighten the top nut first to 41-54 NM and then bottom nut to 60-80 NM (but I don't think this sequence of tightening is really important).

The sway bar of the X308 is very thick and it exerts a lot of force on the links when the car tries to roll (in turns) or when going over a bump with only one wheel so the quality of the rubber insert of the link is essential - so much money, so much rubber (life). With such thickness of the sway bar, the links probably need relatively frequent replacement anyway.

As long as whatever I put on gets me rattle free for three more months, I'll be happy.

Charlz, I also put Lemforders on (from FCP) my 99 XJR and they seem to be working well. I did this two springs ago but that's only been 10k miles as I take my XJR off our salty roads every winter. I would expect that Delcos should be good quality but I now avoid Moogs as I've had trouble with their sway bar links failing on my manvan.
The earlier info (M's) about torsion on the joint is correct. Essentially having both wheels loaded or hanging so the sway bar isn't being twisted makes getting the links on easier so you don't have to fight the bar but other than that they shouldn't be too fussy.
FCP warranties their stuff for life so you can get a failed part replaced (you have to ship the bad part back). I usually don't take advantage of this sort of arrangement though as I like to have the new part in my hand so the car spends as little time out of service as possible it's just nice to know it available.
Of course I got the same warranty on my Moog sway bar links from Advance Auto Parts but didn't bother replacing them under warranty because I have better things to do than replace failed parts on a monthly basis. For my manvan I just coughed up the extra money and went to the dealer...

Getting them installed has never been an issue, I've always done it on jackstands, and then push the jack under the lower arm to jockey into position. I guess that qualifies as slightly under load anyway, but I wasn't sure if maybe I should leave them loose until the full weight is on both sides at once and then finish tightening or not. I'll get some and throw on, just enough to keep it going until spring. I'll update with the next set and see what happens lol

Those links as most of them are not a high failure rate at all. Usually only for boots. Are the washers on the bolts/nuts to retain the rubber bushing? That is about the only thing I could think that is causing the bushing to come out. or you have something else in the suspension really allowing a lot of movement when hitting potholes. If there is not a washer covering the bushings it will eventually allow the link to pull away from the bushing leaving the bushing still bolted up and the link seperated. And if this is how i am understanding your description

Hi,

I went with the Lemförder parts as well and never had to replace them ever again since then. Even with 25k mls on them they're still good!

As a side note, I reckon that if these repeated failures were due to the roads, you would probably need to replace other elements on a regular basis -- tie rod ends, ball joints, bushings, maybe even shocks... It would be odd that only these links take damage.

Oh, it's not just the links. I know KYB's are ill-advised in most cases, but I thought I'd test the theory, and they blew out rather quickly. I also have gone through a couple front wheel bearings - both instances I had chalked up to being issues with the quality of parts that the roads have just accelerated in their demise. Surprisingly though, after replacing the Vee Mounts a few months after getting the car, and not buying top of the line on those either, they've held up fine over the last 3 1/2 years. Control arms and ball-joints thus far, have been fine too. Maybe I'm just fortunate to keep breaking the weaker links in the chain, no pun intended. But I also put the miles on, so on that hand, I can't complain. I guess it's that part of my brain that goes, how did it make it 100k miles on the stock parts, and then I've replaced these same parts countless times in the 120k since then? But I haven't always sprung for OEM parts either. So either the aftermarkets are really that poorer in quality, or the fact that the first half of it's life was spent in sunny California, and then I've delved it into a life of torture out here have sped up things.

I ordered another Moog that'll be here Tuesday, just to quiet it down until the weather breaks, and then I'll formulate a bigger refurbishment for the suspension after it's off the road and I can afford to have it apart for longer periods of time. Using it as a daily without a backup does present challenges!

Actually, where is the noise coming from: I would hazard a guess that your shock mounts are worn out or are the hard rubber ones. Changed everything on mine, to no avail in the cold winter months -- new shock mounts, problem solved (Uro on left, Mehle on right).

In 21 years here and buying both oem and aftermaket on my own jaguars i can attest to much better quality for oem over aftermarket as especially when it comes to suspension pieces. I now put a good used oem over new aftermarket suspension on mine. And also keep in mind that a manufacturer may makes oem parts, and yet often what they supply aftermarket is lessor quality and cheaper. Kinda like the lessor cheaper x type vs the more expensive and better xj, xk, etc. Both made by the same manufacturer but you have to cut costs somewhere to drop a price :)

Upper mounts were replaced when I put the first set of KYBs on, so they are probably on the way out. I had a slight dull thunk that was leading me to that conclusion. Appearance, they look fine, but I don't trust that they really are, and easy enough to swap. But it was on the way home one night that suddenly I got a very constant rattling consistent with every time the links have gone before. Also a chance the lower shock bushing is worn too, but my jack is frozen (can't make this up) so I won't get to actually pull the wheel until tonight, hopefully.