Hi all, I just purchased a new to me Jaguar. I've never had one before and am very much looking forward to the experience of driving it, I do have some things to do before that is possible. One thing for sure is the rear wheel bearings. I plan on doing the work myself but have a question. The guy I purchased the car from told me that to get the hub off I will need a special tool, some sort of clip, I've read through a lot of post from hear (great source of info) and can't recall seeing anything about it, I've also watched a few videos that it wasn't mentioned on. Any info that could help me in this endeavor is appreciated. I will also be buying a new battery and was wandering about suggested cranking amps, also all fluid changes. Thanks for any help on info that will make my job a little easer, Bob

 

Hi Bob,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums! It's great to have you with us.

I owned a '93 VDP for 16 years or so, and have a lot of photo albums on various service procedures, including the rear wheel/hub bearings. You do not need much in the way of special tools to do the job, aside from a torque wrench capable of measuring around 250 ft. lbs., which you can probably rent if you can't borrow. It also helps to have a bearing driver set (Harbor Freight has an inexpensive one that I've used for years), and a long drift or tapered punch. Unfortunately the large photos are down at the Jag-Lovers forum, but you can still view my thumbnails and descriptions of the job at these links:

Jaguar XJ40 Rear Wheel Bearings Part 1 of 4
Jaguar XJ40 Rear Wheel Bearings Part 2 of 4
Jaguar XJ40 Rear Wheel Bearings Part 3 of 4
Jaguar XJ40 Rear Wheel Bearings Part 4 of 4

As you're preparing for this job, check your differential output shaft bearings (oil leaks or howling noises from the rear end are clear signs the bearings and seals need to be replaced). I have photo albums on this job also. This will also be a good time to grease the rear axle U-joints.

Regarding batteries, Jaguars require strong, healthy ones, so buy the most CCA you can find. Also, some parts guides will recommend the next size smaller than the original battery. You want to use the largest battery that will fit, with the most CA, CCA and mAh you can find. The battery I've been using lately for my own vehicles and those I service is the Exide Global Extreme, available at, of all places, Home Depot. They use calcium technology and at our local HD they're priced from $99 to $119 depending on size. The only downside is that not all HDs have someone who can install them for you, and one of my friends got one and found it needed to be charged before it would start his Jag. Our member Box discovered these batteries in his search for one that would meet the requirements of later X350 Jags.

One other tip: The battery power connections and ground points in your Jag are susceptible to corrosion which can cause battery charging problems and various hard-to-diagnose electrical gremlins. See my photo albums on cleaning all these connections.

Cheers,

Don

 

Thank you Don, The info you gave me is very helpful. Luckily I have a friend that has a garage with a lift so it will be easy to get under the car. I will check everything that you mentioned. Are there grease fittings I should look for that should be done? I think I read some ware that the rubber bushings on various parts go bad, I thought while I have it up I should check all of those also.

Thanks, Bob

 

Hi Bob,

Yes, there are zerk fittings on the rear axle U-joints. The ones at the outer U-joints can be a little difficult to access with the hubs installed, so while you have everything apart to replace the bearings it will be the perfect time to grease them. I think I show this in my photo albums.

Regarding rubber bushings, yes, the entire suspension is full of them, and they do deteriorate with age regardless of vehicle mileage. The primary ones in the rear are the large subframe mount bushes and the rear shock bushes. You can check for metal-to-metal contact between the subframe and the outer edges of the body while the car is sitting on the ground, indicating failure of the subframe bushes. To check the upper shock bushes requires removing the shock/spring assemblies, compressing the springs and disassembling everything, so you may as well be prepared with all new bushings. The large yellow foam rubber upper spring isolator "donut" bushings and the small hard rubber "top hat" bushings only last several years at most, so if they haven't been done in awhile they probably do need to be replaced. See my photo albums on rear shocks. Clues that these bushings have failed are a low ride height in the rear end or knocking noises from the upper corners of the rear seat.

This will also be a great time to check everything for any rust that may pose a safety risk.

Cheers,

Don

 

Thank you Don, It will be next week before I can get to this project, but that's a good thing. I can study and order parts that I need prior to start. I am looking forward to completion of this job so I can move on to the next phase, after I get it mechanically sound, I want to paint it. Just finished a 90 Cadillac Sedan Deville during last summer and I love that car. Hoping this one is just as enjoyable or more when done. I will keep you posted

 

Bob,

I always change all fluids on any new (to me) Jaguar. It picks up on anything that may have been overlooked by the PO and gives me a reference point for future scheduled maintenance.

Graham

 

Thanks Graham, I will definitely be changing all fluids (Older car 101), Besides fluids I guess there is a tranny filter to think about, I would normally look/smell the fluid then make that decision. I have a strong feeling, this is going to be a long process but I'm one of those guys that starts and will not stop until its done. Some times gets me in trouble with the Boss. I also know that I'll be posting more questions because, I don't know everything about Jaguars, probably just enough to get me in trouble. Thanks to this Forum, people can find help that they need.
Thank you, Bob