Front suspension clunks and feel sloppy over bumps, only 45K miles, has gotten very bad in the last year.

 

Welcome to the forum 06victorybw,

I've moved your question from General Tech Help to XK8/XKR forum. Members here with the same model will be able to help.

Please follow this link New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum to the New Member Area - Intro a MUST forum and post some info about yourself and your vehicle for all members to see. In return you'll get a proper welcome and some useful advice about posting to the forum.

Graham

 

Check your front shock towers, under the black cover. If it has what looks like a crumbing sponge and the bolt not centered, you have bad shock mounts. Lots of information in the DIY area at the top of this forum about that. Not unlike most strut systems in todays cars. Your shocks may be good, but the bushings are a weak area here and replacing is only a few dollars more than the bushing, go figure.


Wayne

 

^^ What Wayne said....

 

Looks like crumbling sponges to me, easily crumbles with my finger looks like a great place to start. Thanks again.

 

While you have it apart, replace the upper control arm bushings, they are soft rubber and don't last all that long, consider Powerflex ploy bushes. Also, replace the sway bar bushings. The end links generally last well, but the sway bar bushings themselves don't.

 

Appreciate the advice, need to get it right if its coming apart

 

Yes, I did piecemeal, not replacing all at the same time. Wish I had just done it all at once. But I got really good at it. Turns out none of this stuff really is all that difficult, worst is compressing the springs to get the top shock mount off. Borrow a decent compressor from the autoparts store, one that has the safety locking pins, otherwise the thing will slip off. I had a set of my own without locking pins, then went and borrowed a decent spring compressor from Napa. i also recommend getting a shock nut socket tool, it is a special machined peice that holds the shock threaded rod from the top and allows a deep angle box end over it to remove the nut (and tighten) the tool is avaialbe at most autoparts stores for around $10 if you don't have one. I couldn't tighten the nut enough on my new shocks without it. I also had replaced my upper control arm bushings with OEM bushings, but shortly after I changed them out with the Powerflex poly bushings and the difference was noticeable. The OEM rubber is just too flexible for me...that's my opinion, not shared with everyone though.

 

Steve, thanks for your input, I have been online looking at the parts and repair process.