October 2009 (about 60,000 miles on car) I renewed the front upper shock mount bushings with "polyurenthane" ones I ordered online.
I got a small manual press at Northen Tool and equipment so it was completely easy to the do whole job.

Sometime in 2014 a rather bad rattle began over bumps on the front left.

Over the past year these items have been renewed:
1. lower shock bushings (me)
2. sway bar end links (shop)
3. sway bar bushing (me)
4. lower ball joints (shop)

Yet, my noise was still there. I completely ignored the upper shock mount bushings since I did them in 09.

However, Upon inspection and review they were completly soft. Ordered and installed new ones today (84,000 miles )and the noise is finally gone.

So as a tip to all of you - don't ignore items you previously fixed as they may be your problem again a few years down the
road. I'm not sure if my old ones were a bad batch that were not chemically suited to last for years or what. See images for comparison of flex.

using my scientific finger clamp set at moderate pinch you can see the difference:
old


new

Thanks! -Cole

 

Okay, so where did you order online? I need to change mine out also. It's crumbling and I don't want to buy the entire front shock mount.

Thanks!

 

Rock Auto has the entire mount with bushings now for about $58 per side.
Vector

 

It does not work with an '03 XJR with active dampening suspension....

 

I also have CATS suspension, I got these:
Jaguar XJ8 XJR Urethane 1998 2003 Front Upper Shock Mount Bushings MNC216869K | eBay

People say you can press the metal things apart with a big hammer and a socket and I'm sure you can but the precision and ease of the press is worth it in my book.

Thanks,

Cole

 

Really? I did not realize that the mounts were different.

That is one reason I made sure my XJR did not have the active suspension, one more costly thing to repair/replace with, IMHO, not much added benefit.
Vector

 

Was thinking the same, since it plugs into the top of the shock itself, I never thought to check to see if the mounts themselves were somehow different.

 

Can you post a pic of the CATS suspension mount and explain the difference?

This is the first time this question has come up in X308 front shock bushing threads.
Vector

 

Here you go, please see attached photo. The black plastic dome cover was removed. I think the diameter of the shaft is larger that the non-adapting shock. BTW, that adaptive shock runs about $350 new.

 

That's true, I hadn't thought of the diameter possibly being different. I do have to add it to my to-do list, so I'll have to make sure I'm looking closer.

 

The mounting plate "looks" the same.

But without having both of them in front of me, it is difficult to tell if the Rock Auto parts could be made to work, but if all we are talking about is the diameter of the shock shaft, I am thinking it is doable.

Probably worth a try since I would guess the CATS mount is dealer only and probably in the $300+ range?
Vector

 

you can swap out the plates/tubes from the CATS suspension and put it on the new bushing and plate.

I did this exact thing on Friday.

 

That is what I was thinking in doing... However, how did you break it apart and how did you press it together again?

 

First one I just pulled apart and pushed back together on the shock. Second one would not give. Took it to local indy guy and he pressed it out for me for the price of a Mt. Dew.

 

as I reported in a separate thread, the rebuilt upper front shock mounts with the hard neoprene are noisy: "It is cold here in Virginia, so the annual clunking started. Pulled the upper mount on the right side to see what was wrong: the mount bushing had come undone (large washer on top had separated from the bushing; the neoprene material on the bottom had deteriorated, such that the shock rod was beating against the mount frame once the temperature got below 50*F."

As Vector suggested, Bought the replacement URO unit from Rock Auto, ~$53 plus shipping. Good looking part; took ten minutes to replace the old, rebuilt unit. Dead quiet. Good buy! Unfortunately, the left mount is out of stock: hoping they get one back in soon.

 

So, Jim, just to be clear, if you get the shock mounts you got from Rock Auto you don't need to go through the pressing stuff, right ? Mine are about due, and that route sounds less painful. TIA.

 

They come as a complete unit (looks just like the one in post #12, above). Raise the car about four inches with a floor jack; wrench off the top shock shaft bolt; wrench off the 10mm bolts holding the mount; pull it off; put the new one on; tighten it all down; lower the car.

Problem is: Rock Auto is out of left side replacements. Coventry West (I think it is them) has them, but twenty bucks more).

28*F this morning: right side, which has the new unit is dead quiet; left side hammering its *** off. I may take it apart and install the temporary repair I had made to the right side -- {I had some of the original yellow material in two isolators originally bought for the rear shocks (my independent used ones he had instead); so I cut it to fit and refitted the bushing (which still is not staying together -- apparently the hole in the top retainer was enlarged enough that the bushing won't stay together); reassembled, raised the car, bolted in the mount; bolted down the shock using an extra washer to keep compression on the upper retainer. Seems to work; quieter, no vibration, no movement.}

Or, bite the bullet and order from Coventry.

 

Got the new left mount from Parts Geek today; took about twenty minutes. Both sides now quiet when it is cold (19*F this AM).

Right side made by Uro $53, from Rock Auto; left made by Meyle $76. Meyle unit seems better built, thicker foam.

 

I can confirm the CATS shock is bigger in diameter. I have a VDP and a XJR with CATS. While pressing one of the mounts for the XJR I was distracted by a friend and crushed the inner metal tube .

I needed the car for a trip, so like any good Jag owner, I have a second one for parts and I swiped the plate off it. It didn't fit. The CATS shock shaft is larger in diameter.

I ended up sourcing a used non-CATS one and drilled out the inner metal tube to fit. The tricky part is there is an internal stop. Ideally, one would use a lath to mill a copy. I used a drill, thus my stop has an angle to it. In the end it worked out.

CATS top plates appear to be made out of unobtainium, but it is possible to machine one of them to fit. It is also possible to use a new plate just to source the bushings. Press them out of the new plate and using the hardware from the old CATS plate, carefully press the CATS hardware into the non-CATS plate. TLDR, the only difference between CATS and not CATS is the inner diameter of the metal tube - everything else is the same.

-Mike

 

FYI,Both sides mounts are available on rockauto again, I just purchased some.