Took my 1990 XJS to jaguar of Oklahoma city last summer for front end alinement and I noticed the passenger side wheel is out at the bottom in at the top, driver side is straight up and down also inside of tire on passenger side is wearing a lot. I have read on this forum about shims so I called Jaguar asking if they replaced or adjusted any shims and they had no idea what I was talking about ?

Is the radiator drain under the metal plate at the bottom of radiator ?

The metal plate on top of radiator that has all the little hoses, wires, etc. is there anything I need to pay attention to when I take it off as I want to take the radiator out to clean ?

Is the clutch fan suppose to be easy to turn by hand, the one on my Chevy truck has more resistance ?

Where can I get a new fan blade and fan clutch ?

Where are the thermostats at ?

Thank you for any help.

 

Mac,

Not surprising that a Jag dealer has no idea about your car. They have been out of production for 20+ years now so the number of mechanics or technicians with direct knowledge has shrunk. Most of a dealers knowledge base and focus is going to be on cars less than 10 years old.

As for the alignment I think you need to find an old time mechanic/front end shop and not some guy who just looks at a computer printout. You have an issue without doubt and need to get it taken car of for safety and comfort, and money.

Just mark all the hoses and pipes when you take the metal plate radiator cover off. Take pictures as a backup.
Yes, the radiator coolant drain is under the metal plate, it will make a mess when flushing.
Any number of places can help you with the fan blade an clutch, e.g. Welsh Jaguar, Motor Cars Ltd, XK's Unlimited, Terry's.

http://www.2carpros.com/forum/automo...2900_t2_13.jpg See illustration for thermostat locations. If it won't open up just google it.

 

Thank you for the info. There is only one other place in OKC that does older Jag work but he can not be trusted, he has been known to repair and screw other things up on purpose. I think there is a place in Dallas, Texas that works on older Jags, maybe someone on here will know where it is.
Today I have changed oil, air filters, 2 head lights. Tomorrow clean trash behind radiator, thermostats and order fan and clutch, probably change spark plugs.
Again thank you.

 

Have you leveled the car and put a level vertical on the wheel?

DO not go by lining the wheel up with the body, previous accident damage and even when new the bodies were not necessarily lined up with the suspension pickup points, this is from a mates experience building numerous XJS race cars.

 

Never been wrecked, car in my shop concrete floor level,driver wheel is straight up and down, passenger wheel is very noticeable out at the bottom and in at the top. Not looking at the body just the wheel.
Inside of tire is worn little over 2 inches wide.

 

I always wheel align my car myself, even my wifes Ford as the last few alignments on the Ford were not very good and wore inside edges, not enough toe in.

Jack each side up under the spring pan and check for ball joint and wishbone bush wear.

You can do the alignment yourself, it's not difficult although a little time consuming. The problem with the Jag is not a lot of shops know how to align them properly and adjust catsor by different shims back and front where the camber shims go.

 

check your upper wishbone inner fulcrum and the condition of the upper wishbone bushes. You may need to jack under the Spring pan in order to take the force off the bump stops then see if there is movement in the bushes or that fulcrum.
Rust can get into that suspension upright in bad cases.

 

Might the Jaguar shop in the Dallas are be Johnscars. Aka "broken kitties".
A time honored source of lumping kits. And at one time, did the swaps. Now, I think, source of parts. Sure worth checking out.


And, yes, a degree of dignostics and alignment is available to the DIY guy. As suggested.


CAVEAT. A "loose" front suspension can not be aligned in any critter.


CAVEAT II. aveat

 

If you own an older XJS or one up to current, you need to learn how to do almost everything yourself or have very, very deep pockets. My inboard rear brakes on my 89 and rebuilding the rear end cost me about, rear calipers, pads etc, $200.00 in parts and Jag wanted about $1,500.00 just for the brakes !! On my 02 xkr, I changed out both fuel pumps recently for $250.00 parts and the same job at Jag was about $3,000.00. Of course DIY takes longer but there is plenty of help on the forum, pictures, how to, etc.
I did find a local shop for alignment and because of all the small tolerances for a Jag, I would prefer them doing it. Cost me $80.00 for them.
This is my story and I'm sticking to it !!! BTW, I have a lift in my garage which helps an old man out... I'm 75. Took a lot of bourbon for each job but I don't count that as an expense, only the band aids !!!! lol
Ken in WV....

 

How about somebody making a video of front end alinement and putting on youtube, also other maintenance video's and upload to youtube.

I'm also on the VRCC "Valkyrie Riders Cruisers Club"forum and they put lots of how to video's on youtube.
A lot of you are very knowledgeable and could video your procedures and post a link to the video's.

 

Mac
I have tried DIY alignment. In principle it is easy to adjust. BUT the practical problems I found were as follows:

1. Actually measuring the toe is quite easily done with a laser pointer across the wheels and a white board 10 feet ahead. Advancing the car shows relative movement of the laser dots and the angles can be measured from that data
2. The problems come in adjusting. You need a dead flat garage floor and a pit, OR a four post lift (mine is two),
3. Without those conditions, whist you can measure the toe OK, you have to raise or move the car to adjust it. Without the conditions in (2) It is just about impossible to get the car back to the exact position it was in when first measured. In my case I found it impossible anyway, and could not accurately re-measure 0.25degree changes.

So it is down to the alignment garage for me.

 

I have made turn plates from 2 bits of 1.2mm steel about 450mm square these have grease between them, be careful do not jack the car with the wheels on the turn plates or it will fall off. I can push the front of the car back and forth, I could even push it off the stands with one hand, so be careful.





Car then goes on my stands to level the car I use vinyl tiles under the turn plates and/or rear wheels. This shed floor is level enough I do not need the vinyl shims. This gets the car high enough so I can get under and adjust the tie rods.

I use fishing line between 2 lengths of copper water pipe fixed to the body, this way when settling the car I do not have to re-centre it in the box.



The process.

1 - The line between the 2 pipes needs to be the same distance apart front and rear.
2 - Centre the car in the line, I do this by measuring from the hub to the line and move the pipe back and forward until it's perfectly centred, this is the most time consuming step.
3 - To set toe just measure front and back of rim to line and set toe as required, I use 0.25° toe in.

 

What about the shims ?
You all are a lot more familiar with alinements than I. Reading your procedures is going over my head. I did talk to 2 different Euro alinement shops in Norman, OK and both of them had bad things to say about the other. I had a custom cabinet shop for 40 years and I never ridiculed the competition.

 

I need you all to give me a list of questions to ask them so I will know that they know what they are doing before I let them touch the Jag.

 

Mac
Only the toe in is easily adjustable on the front axle of the XJS. This refers to the extent that the front wheels SLIGHTLY point inwards instead of parallel. 0.25 degrees (ie one quarter of one degree) toe IN is ideal, not l more than 0.5 degrees IMO.


The camber (the extent to which the wheels are not quite exactly upright) should never change from factory spec UNLESS the front subframe has bent or failed.


The toe in adjustment MUST be done with the steering rack exactly centrally aligned, and MUST be adjusted separately for each side: ie you adjust the LHS wheel's toe by adjusting the threaded adjuster on the LHS track rod and the RHS by adjusting the RHS one.
Greg

 

Macdoesit.


Whether you decide to attack alignment yourself or farm it out, I suggest doing some home work to understand the principles involved. A lot of geometry, but in multiple planes.


1. I think I've read that the Jaguar spec's are set with the car locked in a load simulating position. Special tools and the know how to use them. Another way. Yes. but the Jaguar spec's not to matter much.


2. Toe in. As already described. The front wheels not parallel, but each points to the other, just a touch. The inside wear on the subject car might well be excessive toe out of that wheel. Think of the big toe on each of your feet. "pigeon toed" or "duck toed"?


2. Camber. Expressed in - or + degrees. The road wheels are not perpendicular to the street. Usually set with the top inclined toward vehicle center, again a mere tad.


3. Caster. Think of the front wheel of a bicycle. The forks are not perpendicular. Thusly, in a car, the top ball joint is a tad rearwards of the lower ball joint.


4. Four wheel alignment. The rear wheels also are adjusted, but in toe and camber. And point in the same direction as the fronts.


As already stated. Vehicle on a reasonably level floor. Use a carpenter's bubble level. It well not measure, but will verify what your eye says, or negate it.


For sure, the tire tells the tale, something ain't right!!!


Carl

 

Toe is easily adjustable for any shop, whether they get it right or not is another story.

From what I have heard shops adjust castor, how far the front wheel pivot is angled forward, by adding different thickness shims to the back and front of the upper wishbone mount, this is incorrect for the Jaguar, these shims MUST be the same, castor is adjusted by the shims on the upper ball joint.

So the question I would ask them is "how do THEY adjust castor in the XJS". If they know about the castor shims in the ball joint then there is a good chance they know what they are doing.

 

What is the name of the special tool needed for alinement ?
About a year ago I went to Hibdon tire for alinement, tech said he could not do it because of the shims needed and a certain tool that he did not have.

 

Mac
No special tools are needed. All items that can be adjusted only need normal spanners (wrenches as you guys say). It is also a myth that the front end or rear end needs to be height set by special tools, even though the factory manual suggests their use. Providing the springs and shocks are factory spec and not sagging, the alignment can be set completely properly as the car stands on level ground. IN 19 years of XJS ownership I have never used special height setting tools.
This thread seems to be a bit disjointed, so in case it is useful here is my full understanding of aligning the XJS.
Front wheels:

• Toe adjustment: By adjusting the track rod separately each side with the rack centralised. Ideal toe in 0.25 degrees
• Camber adjustment: Not easily done and never necessary unless the front subframe is bent or collapsed somehow. Factory spec 0.5 degrees negative
• Castor adjustment: by moving shims front to back each side of the top balljoint. Factory spec is 3.5 degrees positive, again this should not change unless something in the suspension is worn or bent, or someone has changed the top balljoint and not replaced the shims as they were.

Rear wheels

• Camber adjustment: By undoing the driveshaft from the differential output shafts each side and removing or adding the large rectangular shims. Ideal setting 0.5 degrees negative (ie top of wheel sloping inwards).
• Toe: Not adjustable, but rear wheels should be parallel, + or - 1/32 inch (0.08mm).
• Castor: Not applicable

 

He's probably referring to the "mid-laden" links that fix the suspension at xxx-ride height before the settings are checked and adjusted. The real world necessity of using these links has long been debated. I never have and have suffered no negative consequences that I'm aware of. Maybe one day I'll source the tools, have the setting readjusted, and see if I've been missing something all these years. Or....maybe I won't

Some shops won't do a Jag alignment without the special tools. Others will.

The shims are a bit unique but in reality this is seldom an issue. If camber shims are needed the shop probably has a whole tray of shims that will work....even if they look a bit different than the Jag shims. Caster shims are not needed unless someone has been in there before and mucked things up. The idea, as mentioned by others, is to change the location of existing shims, not add or subtract shims.

Cheers
DD