I'm re-posting this comment as I need some advice - I had added it to the bottom of my previous post and as a result not many have probably noticed it.

My issue is a 'sloppiness' in the right rear and an occasional bang over bumps. The bang could be an exhaust catching the body - I know the clearances are tight in places, but I see no marks and pushing the exhausts around gives no bang... The sloppiness is the main concern as its weird, going round a right turn slowly it's like I have a flat tire! the car moves up and down slightly and I can hear almost a rubber squashing or twisting noise so I have to slow right down (the noise relates to speed and load - making me think drive shaft/UJ)), it has the movement symptoms of a UJ worn out, but like I said they are tight and solid as a rock. The rubber cage support blocks look good and don't appear separated - even when jacking up a side they don't separate, I'm wondering if I replace those before dropping the cage to see if they are the problem, what do you guys think?

All looks really solid other than surface rust, last year I replaced: the flexible brake hose, springs and shocks, rubbers in the trailing arms. I can't find nothing loose - I can feel the bolts on the top of the cage I thought maybe loose, the diff bolts are tight and more importantly I've pulled back the covers on the UJ's on the right hand half shaft - the UJ's have no play at all in them, I was expecting a worn one....

Looking at the condition of everything in the cage other than surface rust and a clean-up I don't feel the work of removing the cage is needed...other than the issue I can't track down...

 

is it a Power lok LSD ?
sometimes when dry or worn they can lock and unlok , may have wrong diff oil? doing a weird dance on corners.
ron

 

Hi Ron,

That's a good point, I don't actually know if it has an LSD but would explain to some degree some of the symptoms. I haven't checked the level as I've only just got the xjsc ladder off to start looking....still trying to decide whether to drop the cage... It has been very well maintained by a Jaguar enthusiast and has only 83K klms on it, so nothing is really worn. I've been replacing as a matter of safety all rubber components. Car runs really well other than this.

 

Just read the diff section in the bible (Kirby) and all xjs' have LSD's. As to mine being power lok - don't know

 

no problem all LSD are power lok,, LSD ( limited slip differentail)

 

never heard the term 'power lok' Ron! Limited slip yes - I'm from the UK!

 

Halfshaft universals ARE a wear item. To a lesser degree to others, but still need maintaining/replacing as the years mount up.

They have a grease nipple, and rarely get greased, then, as Greg in France has found, not ALL the cups get a grease supply. His thread is recent and on here, and also being a Pom, his wording is well understood.

Kms really means zero, if those stupid tin covers have not been removed, so access to the nipples is possible, as well as the visual to confirm the grease "squish" at ALL the cups. NOT an easy item to get at, but must be done annually.

 

Hi Grant, I've been following Greg's UJ thread with keen interest, I agree those covers over them are just stupid, when I removed the ladder from my cage (XJSC) I managed to pull the covers back and check each of the four UJ cups condition, they had good signs of grease on the edge of each one and as I said earlier have no play in them I can find. When I got the car about 18 months back I did grease them up on my first maintenance routine and I recall they were pretty dry....

I'm thinking I will drop the cage after Christmas then I can do a thorough check along with all the obvious maintenance the cage drop allows.

 

Very smart idea.

Do it once, do it all, repeat in 20+ years. Quote from Doug in Seattle, and used by us all now.

Greg had NO play in his at all, and when that roten spoke/trunnion was disclosed, took us all by surprise.

Good luck.

 

My UJs had no symptoms of wear at all, and they had been regularly greased for the last 20 years. I will post pics of the reassembly when I have finished both sides (one side now done) but what is interesting is that the axle is significantly easier to turn, now that one side has been done, than it was before.
Based on this experience, I am pretty convinced that changing the rear axle UJs is something that should be done after about 100,000 miles. Also convinced that they can be failing quite badly and present no obvious symptoms of failure.

 

Great advice from two of the Masters

Very interesting you had no play Greg and now its much easier to turn, wonder if we all should change them considering the age of our cars now...

I've been thinking of the noise that I can hear when I get the movement on right turns, I think as whatever is tightening up (diff or UJ) as the wheel moves up and down and twists (or skips), it is probably my new trailing arm bushes that are taking the hit and that's the squishing noise.... I'd better plan on replacing those again once I've nailed the issue doing the cage drop.

Not a good idea to drop the cage this close to Christmas, the task of converting greater volumes of BEER and WINE into by product over the festive period does not make a good combination with V12 work... And I like to take my time working on my Jag, it's therapeutic and I feel I'm looking at engineering racing history albeit the XJS was not actually a race car its pedigree certainly was.

Merry Christmas Gentlemen

 

Noise on right turns is certainly UJs or the diff going home. Diffs normally whine, rather than make other noises, when they fail.