Hello Friends
Just doing some repairs to my newly appointed XJS.
Upper control arm bush's, lower wishbone Bush's and steering rack bush's.
The ball joints were just replaced by previous owner.
The upper bush's were a piece of cake, The lower bush's are giving me absolute grief! The fulcrum bolt removed easily, light tapping just popped straight out. The existing bushes with little persuasion came out easy also.
The drama is getting the new Poly bushes in. 5 hours of playing around with jacks, pinck bars and scaved knuckles ended up nowhere. Final the angle grinder came out and removed a little bit of material from a lip on the from chassis just to allow the bush to slide past it. One thing solved. I got the the wishbone in the correct position both front and back using dummy guides and and a jack. All seems good, I managed to put the metal washer in behind the rear lower bush and get the fulcrum bolt to fit into it and into the passage to the front, but for the life of me I can seem to get it get it to keep moving forward.
Is there a trick to getting the bolts back in? Cant see what I'm doing wrong or do just have to pound it!
Thanks

 

Katoh,

I've moved your question from General Tech Help section to XJS section. You need advice from members with the same model on this one. (left a redirect in General Tech Help so you get two chances of views)

Graham

 

Regarding the poly bushings - try putting them in the freezer overnight. That should shrink them a little and make them go in easier.

Regarding the lower control arms - did you take the springs off and remove the lower control arms from the car? Or are you trying to do all of this in the car? I put poly lower control arm bushings in my SIII XJ6 (same front suspension) and reinstalling them with the long bolt was one of the easier parts.

 

Hi FastKat
I have got the poly bush's in and the wishbone in place.
Yes The springs are still on and the control arms I left on the car. Mind you this just on the left side still the right to go.
To remove the wishbones don't you have to remove ball joints shocks and sway bar?
I was just reading another post then about having to drop the cradle and support the motor?

 

I have seen the poly bushes (I would not put them in the wishbones. I have them in the tops and I expect to get 10K miles from them before they need replacing).

I did the lowers in new rubber and these need to be centered in the mount. I did mine with the whishbone out of the car and used a vice large washer and socket to install the new bushes. You could do the same with a a bolt through the washer and socket to pull the bush into the wishbone

 

Wow is that all! I have bein given liftime warranty on the bush's, It's going to be interesting to see how long they last? The steering rack already had the poly upgrade not sure how long ago but they look new, still while its off, new ones are going in.
My problem is I have the bush's in the lower rack and the fulcrum bolt is through the bush and into the tube on the cradle but not far. I'm the sort of person who was taught "don't force things" so gentle tapping is getting me far. Maybe I need to put a clamp on it, bit of pressure in and then tap.
I just wish it would stop Bloody raining for a couple of days so i can finish.
Thanks

 

Gents, just a thought, would it be Ok to but the Fulcrum bolt in the other way from the front instead of the back. Would make life so easy!

 

The problem I found was the metal sleeve was significantly worn after 5K miles I have reinstalled them with a new sleeve but I think another 10k miles and I will replacing the top wishbone bushes with rubber. The bushes I have are the ones the guys in the UK use in the race cars (Superpro I think).

I have had the poly rack bushes in for much longer and they are fine. They do speed up the steering.

The other thing I found with the poly wishbone was the increase in harshness over irregular surfaces. I would not recommend poly in the suspension arms.

 

Ill Keep that in mind.
At the moment I'm committed to what I have, The top ones are in, the bottoms one side nearly in and the other to do, but snow predicted this weekend, not good for working under a car on concrete in the yard.
It will be interesting how long mine last and what difference there will be, Ill keep you posted.
Any thoughts on putting the bolts in the opposite way?

 

I am not sure the book shows them going in from the rear and this is way I did mine as the subrfame was out of the car. You could test fit them and see.

He with much wisdom might chime in ( Grant ) with a view.

 

The lower wishbone fulcrum pins do go in from the rear towards the front. The rear of cage has to be lowered on the V12 at least, so the pin can clear the sump. The pins have a fixed rear 'nut' and only the front one undoes, so they have to be pushed in from the back towards the front.

Greg

 

I think the front subframe mount will prevent the bolts being fitted from the front.

 

Lower bushings are a pain on the best day.

I've done lower busings on a couple Ser IIIs and never had too much of a problem reinstalling the long fulcrum bolt. However, the lower wishbone was disconnected from the rest of the suspension and the spring was removed...allowing the wishbone to be manuevered into the exact position fairly easily with a few jiggles and wiggles.

To be honest I can't imagine doing this job with the springs still in place, and doubly so if fighting the extra problem of bushings that are apprently a wee bit too big to properly/easily slide into position in the subframe.

Five hours with no success is a bit of a clue that an entirely different approach is needed . I'd remove the spring and see if that doesn't ease the problem. With the spring (and possibly the lower shock bolt) removed you should (hopefully?) be able to get the lower wishbone into proper position with a few jiggles and run the fulcrum bolt right thru. Leaving the ball joint and sway bar link attached should be ok....as the wishbone can still be moved about a bit with them in place.

Just my 2-cents

Cheers
DD

 

Mmmm.

Been busy, a V10 XJ-S needed sorting, now a V12, sweet.

The lower pins are rear entry only. The other way the nut etc will foul the steering rack, so forget it.

Others have addressed it, but here goes.

The pins sliding thru the cradle tube should be a firm slow push fit. Maybe a tapping with a small hammer just to assist.

These pins should be lubed with anti-seize, or grease at least. The "angle of the dangle" of the eye of the wishbone, front and rear, is CRITICAL, as that pin can/will jam in the tube, and all hell will break loose, as will the language.

With the spring intact, there is way too much misalignment happening, and I reckon getting them in will be just good luck. SORRY, its not the answer the want, I do that.

The 5 hours you have consumed could have had the 2 springs out, bushes in, springs back, and a drink or 2 consumed, SERIOUSLY.

I did a S2 6 cylinder a few years ago, as YES, I have the Jaguar spring tool, and serious arthritis, one hand virtually useless, and it took me 1 day, all bushes/balljionts/swaybar "D" rubbers/rack bushes/clean and paint.

As already said, I only use genuine Metalastic on those lowers, and poly if requested on the uppers. Wear here is savage on poly. The poly rack bushes will outlast the car as no rotational action is happening.

I realise you are "committed" but think carefully on these lowers, been there done it, never, ever again.

My X300 is getting OE Metalastic only soon.

 

Agreed, fighting that spring is a tough job. I made the mistake of trying to put the lower spring pan back on the front lower control arm without using long guides studs, and I had to fight the spring with a homemade spring compressor, nylon ratchet strap, and pry bar just to get the bolts started. It took me almost two hours just to get those bolts started. Never again!

 

having just done the job on a removed unit with springs sitting on the bench watching me, I can't for the life of me see how you could defend yourself from the power of the recoil should something go wrong, you are either very lucky or totally mad.
lol

 

Gentlemen
Thanks for all the wise words of advice,
I'm not as mad as most people believe me to be, I have a home made spring compressor /holder on the hold while undertaking the works, I have had experience with car coil springs before.
Ok I will try removing the spring altogether and disengaging the shock and sway bar.
The point about the fulcrum bolt fouling the steering rack is duly noted, and agreed can be a problem.
About the poly bush's not lasting could be a problem, I paid a premium for these and their claim to extra long life, could be see some disputes coming up in the near future if they don't last.
Thanks to all!

 

I want to suggest taking the coil springs out by using six (I think) 3/8" threaded rods and nuts to lower the lower spring pan. After getting the car up in the air, replace each of the bolts that hold the lower spring pan, one by one, with a piece of threaded rod and a nut. Then, after all six have been replaced, start loosening the nuts with the threaded rod still in place. This will lower the lower spring pan and should allow you to remove the spring.

Reverse this process to reinstall the spring.

I want to throw out there that I learned about this method after I did one set of bushings. Getting the spring out with a homemade spring compressor wasn't bad, but reinstalling was miserable. I had a very difficult time lining up the bolts with the spring pan because the spring kept on pushing the pan off center. I am definitely going to use this method when I do the other side in a few weeks!

Good luck and be safe!

Also, I think the only person I've heard of that had poly lower control arm bushings wear out is warrjon. I don't know if he got a bad batch or what? I only have 500 miles on mine but so far they're great. Remember to grease them up - I think you need to use synthetic grease.

 

I used this approach with the threaded rods - worked a treat but mine are 7/16 now as I had an issue with the original spring compressor and X threaded one of those pan bolts.

I have only had poly uppers never lowers I installed rubber when I saw the wear on the uppers after only 5K miles about 8000km.

 

Very clever and very good idea. I will incorporate that with what I am using now. At the moment I have a threaded rod M16 with two nuts and two flat plate 65x65mm washers on either side, This goes straight up the middle of the spring. Top plate hooks straight over the top fulcrum bolt and the bottom plate holds the bottom of the spring pan. Just wind up and down.
Ill buy some more rod and use both methods should help.
The weather is absolute woeful and I still can't get out there to do anything, next time Ill do it undercover.