I had my Alcon brakes replaced yesterday (See my Post #64 HERE) and also had the front and rear suspension inspected. I knew that time takes its toll on the rubber bushings, but they were worse than I expected. One touch and the rubber crumbles. That was surprising because my XKR still rides great with no squeaks or rattles. Look closely and you'll see how bad the bushings are.




I decided to replace everything and use this complete kit that I found on eBay.




https://www.ebay.com/itm/285594917863

It's a lot cheaper than buying all those parts individually.
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That kit does not contain all the components complete, looking at the picture. For example there are no rear lower arms.
It looks like it has the bushes for the rear arms, so you are looking at pushing the bushes out and replacing. Not impossible if you have the equipment, but some work and skill required.
I am working through mine at present. 2006 car in UK and every rubber cover and bush failed at rear, some at front too.
I am doing the rear lower arms next , replacements arrived yesterday. I did however buy the complete lower arms , albeit not jaguar ones .
When I took my car for it's inspection ( UK MOT testing). The fellow said all Jaguar cars have very poor rubber bushes and covers , it's very common. They are generally a fail here for the annual test if excessivly deteriorated.

 

Our of interest @Stuart S , when was the last time they were done?

 

@Cliffords and @guy

I joined the Forum in August 2010, when I bought my 2009 XKR Portfolio Convertible. It is not my daily driver, has under 39K miles, and this is the first time it has any suspension work other than alignment.

This is not a DIY project for me, as I don't have the necessary skills or tools. My indie mechanic is ASE Certified and owns a gorgeous 2007 Aston Martin Vantage 6-speed coupe, among other toys. It has the best stance I've ever seen. The tires don't rub inside the fender wells and there are no wheel spacers. The aftermarket rear spoiler extension is real carbon fiber, but he removed the front CF spoiler as it was too low.



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Which rubber bushings, if any, would you recommend replacing with polyurethane bushings? Or, given the limited future use, would you simply use everything in the kit?

Stuart

 

Stuart, my two cents. Poly bushes offer a firmer ride than rubber as you know and they will take away from the suspension, but they are superior in handling. I'm built for comfort and rarely do any hard driving so I opted to stay with rubber bushes. If I were to do poly, based on my riding style, I'd put them in the arms that handle lateral movement.

 

Thanks, Sean, for the good advice. No poly for me. Ride quality is #1, particularly with 20" wheels and no sidewalls to absorb rough roads and bumps.

 

Around 2012 was the first failed bush replacement and by 2016 and around 45K miles (so they last about 4 years, regardless of mileage, as we know it's not use, it's environmental), many of the rubber bushes were on their third replacements and since I was seeking better handling and suspension performance, I switched everything to PowerFlex poly, black and purple. I didn't notice any degrade with NVH and was still on the original factory CATS coilovers (but Spires Eibach springs).

 

Good afternoon. I have a question for you all. I have a 2013 XKR. My mechanic as advised that my right front suspension control arm needs to be replaced. They related that both must be replaced. My question is; is there another brand that you can recommend. The Jaguar replacement cost dang near had me stroke out. 3129.84 parts only. Thank you kindly.

 

Purdy Jag, you will find a wide choice of control arms at Rockauto.com, for a start. I believe Lemforder parts come from the same factory as Jaguar. OEMs.

 

Thank you!

 

Due to this thread I just checked all my bushes and boots. Everything is still good, although the inner banana arm bushes are starting to get a bit ragged. Not a lot, just the beginnings of it. Pretty good for 14 years.

 

@Purdy Jag Eurospare is also a Jaguar approved brand

 

@Purdy Jag I'm pretty sure that you don't have to buy new control arms and your mechanic can just replace the bushings if he has the right tools.

I'm also pretty sure that Jaguar dealers won't replace those bushings because they're in the business of selling new parts, not repairing them.

There's nothing unique about the XKR front suspension, any ASE Certified technician should be able to do it. I suggest you get quotes from other local mechanics who work on European cars.

The 26-piece kit I bought on eBay for $1,195 rebuilds the entire front and rear suspension (except for the CATS shocks). Compare that to the $3,129.84 you were quoted just for the front control arms.

It's your car, your money, and your choice.

 

Thanks for the link Stuart. Just ordered the kit. Don’t need it yet, but nice to have the parts on hand.

 

@Stuart S . You got 15 years out of your suspension. I get around 6-7.
(Though by looking at your attachments, I would have replaced them sooner). Truly, every time the car is on the hoist, they are checked.

I wonder what kind of life you will get out of those replacements…

Best of luck.

 

Thank you!

 

Just replaced both bottom rear arms today.

Son and I ,done in about 3.5 hours . I am extremely fortunate he is a mechanic in high level motorsport, he works fast and is 10 times more nimble and flexible than me . Car in 2006, we took off non Jaguar parts , so thet must have been done at some point. Fitted new non Jaguar parts .

 

I'm happy for good weather, here's how mine looks:

 

This is what they sent to me. I am Not mechanical inclined. I honestly have no clue as to what I am seeing. I just like to keep my car in good shape.

 

To be honest mine looks nearly that good at the front , it's the rear that has suffered in UK climate. The front of my car is very clean , bushes and rubber covers all good , some rusting on the bottom of the shock. The rear has now had new lower arms,top arms, drop links and stabiliser bars , all had decayed rubber boots . The lower arms did not look that bad , however out of the car , you can see they look terrible and in a vice they have absolutely failed.