I just noticed today that my 2010 XK 5.0 with 25,000 miles was leaking black fluid from both front lower control arm bushings. My Indy told me he could replace both bushings by pressing in new ones as the new original arms are very expensive and the aftermarket arms are inferior. 1) Do most owners replace the fluid filled bushings alone? 2) Shouldn't the outer bushings on the other end of the arm be replaced at the same time even though they look fine? 3) How long can I drive with the old bushings that have leaked out before I notice any irregular suspension behavior? 4) Approximately what should the cost range be to replace all the bushings and reinstall the arms? 5) My Indy told me he marks everything so that an alignment might not be necessary. I'm skeptical about that and thought any time a suspension part is replaced an alignment is necessary. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

The dealer had replaced the larger bushings for me. For the upper's always the comple arms.
I'm with you, for a mere ~$100, why not do the alignment?? As opposed to a strange wear on the tires and other components.
FYI, I'm also of the opinion that you always replace the bolts when the bushings are replaced.

 

My uppers are fine. I replaced the boots for the uppers about a year after they deteriorated. What bolts are you referring to? I was talking about the outer bushings on the other side of the lower control arm. Are you saying that the Jaguar dealer replaced just the fluid filled bushing and pressed them in for you? I'm surprised as I assumed dealers only replace the entire part. FYI....There is no such thing here of a $100 alignment.

 

On my 4.2 08 XKT on the rear I have replaced both hubs, upper and lower control arms, drop links and track rod ends. The most difficult was the track rod end due to limited access under the rear bumper. I did not go with Genuine jag parts I went with an OEM kit from a British Car parts in the the UP, its as good if not better than jag I think it was about £450-500, yes I replaced the bolts whilst I am at it. As the rear brake pipe goes though the upper arm you need the copper washers and if the pipe looks a bit perished worth replacing. BE ADVISED jag charge a small about for UK drivers side pipe and then about triple the price for the passengers side pipe and stupid amounts for the copper washers like £3 each which you can get a pack of 25 of them from anywhere else for £1.

If you have had a ball joint go then it has put strain on the other so slow cascade failure. you can in the interim us a needle ands syringe to inject grease in the joint.

I can say and I do like to do some hard driving now and again the rear of my car is solid. if doing yourself, remember to put the rear suspension under load with a jack before tightening everything up. let it bed in for a week or so then revisit to check everything it tight

 

Can I drive my car after all the fluid leaked out of the bushings of the lower control arms? It just happened and the car seems to handle ok. My 2010 only has 25,000 miles. My Indy gave me a price of $715 to replace both front bushings on the original control arms. What do you guys think? He didn't mention anything about replacing the bolts.

 

On the rear of mine the rubber round some of the ball joints or bushings as you are referencing them had perished so that meant the grease had leaked and it meant water and dirty/dush would get in. As mentioned earlier if the rubber round it is still in tact and interim fix is to inject grease this will pack the ball joint and make it stiffer. What is happening if the rubber is split and there is limited grease it will mean its floppy and not as stiff (lol puns) and therefore will not be working as strong and put pressure on the others. You can use the car but it is something you want to address sooner rather than later. You want the others checked whilst they are pulling it apart, simply because you can do one or two now and then others like the droplink s/ track rod fail and its another trip in and more money to pay.

It does look daunting when you pull the wheel off I found doing the entire rear was easier than doing the rocker covers less fiddly and complicated if you go some decent sockets, breaker bars and impact gun it something you can do on the weekend just make sure you have the parts once i had done one side took 6-7 hours the next side only took me 4 hours to do and that involved replacing the hub so would likely take you less time.

 

I'd say yes...

but $715 sounds cheap...

 

If one of the bushings was shot, it is likely that the others are not far from being shot too. Since labor is a substantial part of this job, replacing all of the control arms and related suspension parts at the same time is probably a good idea. You won't be tearing things apart in a year or so to replace the next bushing or tie-rod end that goes bad.

A fresh alignment is necessary after replacing front-end suspension parts.

The original Jaguar control arms were made by Lemfoerder. If you get them, you'll probably discover that the original Jaguar name and part number have been ground off.

 

on the one question...

Had my indi say one bushing was leaking last year , front lower...

since I just put in an alternator waited since it was smooth as can be..

One year later,,no difference,,smooth as silk....

waiting

 

I assume we're talking about the banana arm, not the lateral arm. If memory serves, only the banana arm has fluid in the bushing. If the banana arm is what you're referencing, it might take you while to notice it. Its wear affects castor more than anything. Hit the breaks hard and you should feel it in the steering. A weak or bad bushing there will allow the wheel to literally shift and you lose positive castor. If it's me, I'm replacing them and getting an alignment. alignment is mandatory.

 

Thank you Sean....That is exactly what my Indy told me. He said I might feel it in the castor. So you say I should get it done now even before it gets noticeable? I'm planning on it because I find it best to take care of things on our vulnerable cars when things first pop up. I also think that the $715 is not unreasonable to replace both front bushings as the labor to get the bushings out and to press in the new ones is the majority of the work. I'll consider the alignment after if I can find a reputable alignment shop which is another story all together. PS... My indy is using Jaguar Bushings and they still produced them with fluid inside. I guess that's what gives them a more compliant ride.

 

Yikes that's a lot of $. You could buy Lemfoerder's for about $400 for the pair. They are OEM and the bushings are hydra bushes. Aside from Jaguar, they're the only brand that don't use hard rubber. FWIW it took me roughly 30 minutes per side to change mine so at standard Indy rates, It might be cheaper to go the route. Because he still has to remove and replace them anyway. I hate to say that seems high but yeah $700+ is high for that job.

 

Sorry Sean, but I I made a typo and corrected it in the last post. What I meant to say was..... I thought that $700 WAS NOT unreasonable to replace the bushings which require a fair amount of labor to remove and press in the new bushings. I've heard the aftermarkets are really inferior. By the way, I hope we are talking about the same suspension part. I believe it's called the "banana arm". I've heard that Lemforders are OEM but I haven't gone that route and trust this Indy more than I can say. He's been around for over 35 years at the same place and only works on really old Jags.... but works on mine... I'm grateful. His place is loaded with XKEs and XJS.s The fact I have an "honest" mechanic that knows his stuff willing to work on my car is a blessing.. Even if its a few extra dollars, I'm willing to go that route for peace of mind. I'll check out the Lemfoerders and mention it to him regardless. Thanks again for all the info.. PS... I checked the Lemfoerders C2P16879 and they were $250 each. Again, I believe these are the "banana arms". .Sean, can you tell me where you purchased your Lemfoerders for $400 a pair? and the exact part number will help... Thanks again.

 

I'd like to be specific that the control arm I have been referring to is called the Lower forward control arm or the banana arm. There is also a Lower Lateral control arm which I don't believe has been an issue. Is there any one who knows of issues with the Lower lateral control arm on the front suspension? I am not able to find a fair price for the Lemfoerder lower forward control arms (banana arms) and because of that I am planning on just replacing the bushings.If I found a fair price for the Lemfoerders (Lower forward control Arm) I might reconsider.

 

just as a possible point of reference, this is what my local jag specialist quoted for similar work:

Front Suspension:
• Replace both front lower control arms (forward and rearward)
• Perform four-wheel alignment after installation

Estimated Total – $2,775

Rear Suspension:
• Rear toe adjustment link replacement – $825
• Rear sway bar link rod replacement – $450

Needless to say, I’ll be doing it myself (other than alignment) this spring. $4k for 8 suspension parts just isn’t gonna happen.

Boca, if you weren’t so far I’d grab my parts and do both over a weekend down there.

 

And yet, directly from Jaguar, bushings and bolts are individually available for the lower control arm. I'd find another dealer.

 

Is the replacement bushing for the lower forward control arm (banana arm) fluid filled as the original? I'm talking about the bushing purchased from Jaguar. I believe the part number is either C2P17097 or C2P17090... Thanks all.

 

You can reference the parts you need here: https://parts.jaguarlandroverclassic.../brand/jaguar/

 

I changed both my large oil filled bushes on the banana arms a few years ago
i was lucky to get from EBay a couple of Jag genuine bushes from a Main Dealer for £25 the pair. It took a good morning to do and then in the afternoon I took it to a have a wheel alignment done.
I did mark it all up with felt tip pens.
I believe the bushes went through many versions and eventually ended up solid .

I seem to remember there was a thread on here a few years ago where a poster listed most of the suspension parts and equivalents and these banana arms are used on Fords and Lincolns . I am not sure if Costco or Rock Autos was listed as the place to get them
There was definitely a thread on here so perhaps a search may help

If you do it yourself than a press is needed

 

30 years working on Jags, same location says a LOT! He likes what he is doing. He is good at it. That he is confident enough in his ability, to put his reputation on the line, to avoid an alignment, saving YOU money, wow. That says he respects YOUR money.



His estimate: at 60 (maybe 70 or 80) years old, he may be living in the past and doing things too cheap.

We had a sheet metal specialist here, about 80 or so, who loved doing the work and teaching the young guys. Problem was that his labor rates were way out of date.
His wife took over invoicing and made up for lost time.