This is just a bit of light relief for those who need it. About 6 days ago the handbrake went funny and the car did not want to move. Luckily it happened at home after a trip to the shops. Drove into garage, up on ramp (retirement present).

The RHS outside handbrake pad (inboard axle, Dana diff) had come off its backing and jammed against the caliper and disk inner unswept area. Impossible to drive it out as no access available to get a drift and a hammer on it. Axle out of car (3 hours thanks to all new fixings a year ago). Also thanks to chickening out a year ago on an axle refurb, when it was out of the car prior to being reinstalled, this has happened.

Once out 5 mins to free disc. Order new HB pad set. RHS rear hydraulic calliper looks a bit frayed at the dust seals, so order one of them too, hydraulic pads look a bit worn so order some of them too. Radius arm small bushes shot so order some of them too

Time to remove calliper. First remove driveshaft from RHS diff output studs. Studs/nuts absolutely stuffed by 12 years of road salt. Heart in mouth they come off with help of 3 foot breaker bar. Now for disc, which CANNOT be removed on a Dana axle without the calliper attachment bolts being loosened/removed too. Holes in disc for this purpose not correctly aligned with calliper bolts into diff, so no go. JUST room to get spanner down to the bolts when the pads are out of the hydraulic calliper. Eventually after much pain off it comes.

Handbrake self adjusters cleaned and regreased with 100% synthetic supergrease in the hope they will continue to work for the indefinite future.

Assembly is the repeat of disassembly. Also true for cuts and bruises to aching hands. Threads on diff output studs so terrible it is necessary to rethread them. Lack of leverage room etc etc makes this torture. Even though LHS calliper not changed, LHS output stud nuts undone and studs rethreaded, otherwise in another few years it will be impossible to change the disc or the calliper. Threads protected with open gear grease, also with vow never to use the car in the winter.

All reassembled and just the brake bleeding to go. As I explained to Madame, so fine is the design of the Jaguar XJS, that it is the only car where it is necessary to remove the rear axle to change the handbrake pads...

DANA diff info request: Everyone in the UK seems pretty spooked by them. Does anyone in the USA know if rebuild kits are available, and if so, also a book on how to do it? I have a spare (Dana) axle, and I intend to get it all ready to fit, straight swap, so if any of this nonsense happens again, in it goes and I fix the other one at my leisure.

Greg

 

@Greg

My "madame" also doesn't understand why an XJS requires 2 fire extinguishers, or why it takes 3 months to fix an overheating issue...... something that took 2 hours and a $100 radiator to fix on her Acura.

 

Good one Greg.

My Dana diff went hissy, so I simply swapped it for a Salisbury I had under the bench. My decission was easy when all I could find via my suppliers for the Dana, was pinion seal, output seals, that was ALL.

Emails to mobs advertising Dana bits/kits still are unanswered some 12 years later, so I guess it got toooooo hard.

Handbrake pads, and "madamme", what a top mix.

When HER S2 V12 needed that task sorting, more the output seals than pads, the subframe was OUT in 2 hours, and that is how always do that to any of these now. There is always something else needing attention, and it is much easier outside the constraints of the fitted area.

The more important reason, is I usually spill my drink whilst under the car, so why waste good JD, mmmm.