hi all
my 2014 xkr needs new suspension bushes. i haven't used the car for more than 5 years due to covid and sickness. I finally got it out and had it serviced. cost a packet. (jag dealer.) They provided a list of things that need doing- the car has only got 13000kms. The issues for me is that its been undercover and only started once every 3 months.
i will be using it more so now but need to find a place i can get the bushes fitted without the dealership rip.
all the bushes have perished.
also the dealership advised that FR and FL Pedestrian sensor need replacing ?? seriously the car is in pristine condition.
apparently i need the following replaced: -
*Suspension arm bushes
*R & L stabilizer bushes
* Drive shaft boots
and the front sensors.
Can I get the bushes without the arms and struts.? apparently that's how they come ?
Aust QLD .

Help us help you. Where are you? Fill out the info section in your signature block and you will only have to provide it once. Labor costs are usually somewhat different in different markets. Parts costs also differ in different countries, etc.

For what it's worth.....just about every XK150 has or will have perished boots. At one time, if the car was still under warranty, Jaguar refused to have them replaced. I've read and after speaking to techs at Jaguar, that if the suspension parts do not have play or are failing, it's certainly cost effective to wait before replacing all the suspension parts which do come with the boots. Apparently the suspension parts (ball joints, etc) are quite robust and last a long time. Many owners that have had these parts replaced have claimed they were still is good working order, but wanted it done anyway. This can be done, with a fair amount of labor. There are aftermarket kits to replace all 8 affected suspension parts at a fraction of the OEM parts cost, while some are actually equivalent to the OEM or the exact ones. Good luck and let us know how you make out. P.S. I'm sure there are many owners driving today with perished boots without knowing it..... I didn't see any posts of any actual catastrophic failures, but am sure they do eventually wear out from water, dirt, and debris.. Recently I read about someone on this forum replacing all his suspension parts with torn boots and finding none of the originals had any wear after 50,000 miles. Just something to think about.

Thanks for the reply. The pedestrian sensor is also a problem it shows up as a warning on the dash. i googled the repairs and found a lot of information but generally for old and not very well maintained front ends. seems rather odd that the pedestrian sensor should fail ?
any suggestions ? appreciate your feedback.
Jetnoosa
qld AUSTRALIA

Sorry Ralphwg I thought i mentioned i was in Australia Queensland on the bottom of the transcript. I will update my signature page.

Get a second estimate. As @bocatrip points out, the boots perish with age. Covered or stored, unless you are parked on top of plastic, moisture will leach through the ground and the boots will rot, but they can be replaced. Also, weight alone can wear bushings. A second estimate can confirm if you need bushings or boots.

I replaced my rear upper and lower suspension arms and drop links due to the bushes being worn. As stated all my rubber boots were ripped due to the material they're made from. You can replace the boots with aftermarket boots instead of replacing the entire control arm. If you do need to change the control arm use lemforder parts. Lemforder are oem parts but much cheaper than "Jaguar" parts. I purchased an entire set of rear suspension replacement parts, all lemforder included the tie rods, drop links and upper and lower control arms.
They all had the jaguar part number and logo ground off.
if I remember rightly the total cost for parts was about £750.
you can buy the bushes separately, either original or poly bushes, but they need to be pressed into the control arms.
The pedestrian sensors are a known issue, and can fail for no apparent reason.
I've read that they can be changed without removing the front "bumper" which is something I'd definitely try before removing the bumper.
I also had to change a drive shaft boot ( I think it was chewed by a mouse/rat) which turned into a complete and utter nightmare, a jaguar dealer will want to replace the entire drive shaft more likely than not, and the price for mine was £1200 not fitted.

@jetnoosa My indie mechanic installed this is kit on my 2009 XKR Portfolio Convertible, and I recommend it. For under US$1,000 delivered (plus tax) in the USA, it's a real bargain compared to OEM Jaguar prices.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/28559491786...mis&media=COPY



Note that the Seller will ship internationally. Contact him through the eBay US app. Also check eBay Australia (I assume that exists).

Good Luck!

Stuart

One more thing ... I thought about using polyurethane bushings and decided against it because they stiffen ride quality. Great for the track, but not for my back!

the normal ball joint boots and the stabilizer links aren't a real issue, you can get aftermarket boots or just wrap them in electrical tape. the main problem is the hydro bushings on the rear control arms and the knuckle side of the rear tie rod. the rear tie rod is the main concern because the rear end will be all over the place when the joint eventually gives up. the rear control arms squeak before they get super loose

thanks Stuart
I am looking at paying almost $3000 Aust dollars to get them from the US. I will keep looking. the $AUST dollar is pretty low at the moment.

Thanks MT2024.
The car has only done 13000 kms and always garaged. its in pristine condition. i cant believe the sensors and bushes have all failed. I am trying to find parts at reasonable pricing. the dealers here want $7500 to replace the bushes and sensors.

I'm in UK, up here we have MOT tests, a yearly safety test which should identify any worn bushings. Do you have the equivalent in Australia? Could you not take your car for a safety inspection, at least then your not dealing with a Jag main agent who will want to replace everything they can.
I know the front lower control arm bushes (also known as the banana arms) are oil filled which I suppose could deteriorate over time and allow fluid to leak, but i have to agree, 13,000 kms is nothing. I'd jack the car up and get under it with a friggin big breaker bar and see if I could detect any movement in the bushings.

hi
the safety checks are only done if you sell the vehicle. That pretty much tells the new owner about any foreseeable issues.
I cant seem to work out why the sensors would fail. Looking online i see that moisture could be a problem but that really shouldn't be the case as the vehicle is seldom used in the rain.
thanks heaps for your support. The car wont be sold just need to start using it.

Is the battery 100% anything less really messes these cars up, inducing shed loads of false codes and extremely strange behaviour with the electric system. Do you have a code reader? Be worth checking the battery and seeing if theres any codes. My pedestrian sensors triggered once for no reason, hadn't bumped anything or parked really close to anything. I changed the battery shortly afterwards and the sensors haven't played up since. This may have just been a complete coincidence, but it was well over a year ago and hasn't reappeared.

Hi no to the reader. The battery got replaced 4 months ago i keep it on trickle charge all the time. I took the car into the jag dealer and they came up with the bushes need replacing. They charged me a heap to do a service based on time . They gave me a "triage" report,... funny i am the one bleeding. I cant find sensors online here do they sell them in the UK and ship to AUSTRALIA ? I have a mechanic who services my wifes toyota and can probably fit the bushes etc, not sure about the sensors. From what i can see it looks like a big repair. i may have to pay for the sensors through JAG dealer and try and get the bushes sorted myself.
again thanks

There's a few places in UK selling the sensors, there's used on Ebay but I'm not sure if they would post to Australia.
Theres also a site called Auto reserve which sell new and guaranteed used parts, Ive used them, they're very good. And theres SNG Barrett, they have sites in Europe and USA, but they're close to main agent prices on some things. A code reader would be a good investment if youre keeping the car, and could save you money if you buy two new sensors and it turns out to be something else. Apparently if you run on a kerb and contact the under tray, that can trigger the sensors or a slight impact on the bumper.
I saw this on another part of the forum...

UK spec 2007 XK 4.2, I had the check pedestrian protection system warning for a couple of months. I changed the impact sensor (most common problem ) which didn’t resolve it, so I bought a code reader and identified the problem was the RH bonnet latch actuator.
(My understanding is that when a pedestrian impact is detected the RH and LH actuators release the bonnet catches before the airbag is deployed which raises the bonnets by 5 inches preventing the pedestrian impacting the solid engine block)

I was considering using Rescue Tape as an alternative method of replacing ball joint boots for such places as our upper control arms. Not sure if it’s necessary to clean the old grease off or just wrap them and add grease as needed. I wonder if any other owners have tried this.

I ordered a boot assortment off amazon or ebay and replaced the boots. pretty easy job, just need to unbolt the upper control arm ball joint and it will release. If necessary, may need lockjaws on the joint above the arm to prevent rotation. Front on Jack stand, and a jack below the lower control arm to release the ball joint. Once the boot is removed (box cutter), clean up the ball joint, put some grease in it and install the new boot. If you cut off the old retaining rings, which is the easy way, use some thin wire wrapped around the boot groove to retain in position.

As mentioned by others I would have an independent check if it’s the boots that have perished vs the actual bushes. I have recently purchased a 40k mile 2009 XKR and all the boots needed replacing and 2 bushes.
I detailed it in a thread (XKR Ownership Journal), Jaguar do not offer the boots or bushes as a replacement parts, so I presume they are recommending replacing all the arms for $$$ when it may only be a $2 boot that has failed.