Ok so I just brought a new set of Toyo Versado Noir tires for my 2002 xj8. after having 4 wheel alignment the only problem is the Camber is out of spec .left rear - 1.8 deg right rear - 1.9 deg . the tech at t.f.tire told me the computer said I need shims to bring it into spec, so my question is where do the shims go and what size would I need. the tech had no idea nor do I having no experience with alignment before. thank in advance jrb53

 

As far as I know....I've never owned an X308..... rear camber is determined by the thickness of the spacer/shim between the half-shaft and the differential, item #3 in the illustration below

Halfshaft Assembly - Parts For XJ Series from (V)812317 to (V)F59525 (X308 - Canada/Mexico/USA) | Jaguar Classic Parts UK

The service manual probably states how much change can be expected by changing the spacers; that is, every .5mm difference in spacer thickness yields xxx-amount of camber change

Cheers
DD

 

Check for output bearing play - that can throw off the camber as well. With the car in the air, grab each rear wheel at 12 and push in/out - any significant play there could mean bad output bearings.

I couldn't see anything in the manual about shim to degree relation. That doesn't mean it's not hidden in another section though. If you really wanted you could measure the dimensions of the rear suspension parallelogram and math out the relation, but that will only get you in the ballpark.

I asked the same question recently, motorcarman told me that the cars come with 4mm spacers, and after a few years he found a 6mm spacer replacement would bring them back into spec. However yours are pretty far out of spec, I'd look at other things like hub pivot bearings, U joints, bushings, for play before trying new spacers.

 

The concept of adjusting the camber to be back in spec when the only reason it is out of spec is that the car is riding lower, is highly questionable.

The suspension moves in an arc, and as it does so, the camber changes. So are you going to change the shims every time you put something heavy in the trunk? Or carry 4 passengers instead of one?

If the camber is slightly out of spec, but more or less even on both sides, forget it. Slightly more negative camber means you've got a little bit more grip in the bends, but slightly more tire wear. Big deal. Forget about it, and move on.

 

thanks for the replies .I recently change the rear u joints as the was some play in rear wheels now everything is tight. the tires I just put on 235-60r 16h. I am about to go on a road trip down to GA AL and Florida so I expect to put on around 4000 miles and would like to sort this out before hand. saw a post on xk8 about shims still confused as they were for + camber mine are - camber -1.8 -1.9. I think I must be getting Alzheimer's

 

Again, which car? Your signature does not reflect a 02 XJ8! You might want to visit your closest dealer if you truly believe you have an alignment problem. My local dealer was far superior to either the local tire store or independent alignment shop at the same price.

 

I do agree here in a sense.
Cars drop over time, cause components wear and compress.
The camber consequently increases in the negative.

One way is to re-install the camber, but you should look into the ride height first, and take action there if needed and wanted.

 

just changed signature and photo . will look at ride height thanks