The steering column in my 2002 XKR has vertical (up/down) play of about 1/2", and the rear hubs also have about 1/4" play- almost like bad wheel bearings feel. These 2 things caused the car to fail state inspection, and because it's a Jag the shop is refusing to attempt diagnosis. Unfortunately there is no Jag (or import) shop within 100 miles that does state inspections else I would have gone there.

With the column, it seems there is no mechanical lock on the column that might be loose a'la Ford, and there is no side-to-side play which seems to me would eliminate any bearing issues. Regarding the hubs, the slop doesn't seem to be coming from anywhere... I checked the typical things such as loose lugnuts and such to no effect.

So, with the wealth of knowledge present in this forum, perhaps someone can provide a starting point for these things?? Thanks very much!

 

If the play in the rear wheels is felt when turning the wheel backwards and forwards in their normal rotational direction, such that is feels like slop or backlash in the differential pinions or universal joints, then that is normal for the XK8. This caused some confusion in the UK in the early years but all garages are now aware of the issue following a statement from Jaguar.
If the play is felt when pulling or pushing the circumference of the wheel towards and away from the body of the car, then that is not normal and, almost certainly, the wheel bearings need replacing.

Richard

 

Hi Richard, thanks for the fast reply. Do you happen to have the service bulletin for this condition so I can show it to the inspection guy? I called him and he can't take my word for it. Thanks again.

 

The output stub axle shafts in the diff need some play and a certain amount is normal.
The axles ARE the upper control arm of the suspension.

 

Thanks very much. Is there any documentation from jaguar that confirms this? Where might I find it?

 

I can't now remember how garage in the UK were notified that some play was acceptable as this was all 20 years ago but I'll have a search. One thing that you can do is check that the four grease nipples in the rear universal joints and fully pumped up with grease using a grease gun with a zerk fitting. This definitely makes the play less "clunky" and therefore less noticeable. It is part of regular maintenance on the X100's but it's possible that yours has not been greased for some time.

Richard

 

So, I decided to take a looksie to see what I could see. After removing the lower cover directly behind the steering wheel I discovered that a solid tapered pin that went through the knuckle was falling out. I tapped it back in and the problem disappeared so I labored to put the cover back into place (2 screws :::whew!:: ) and took it for a ride, all the while attempting to move the thing up and down.

It stayed in place for about 100 moves then became loose again. Removed those 2 screws, found the pin that backed out again, touched it with a bit of Loctite, and put it back into place. Waited an hour for the Loctite to do it's job, slapped everything together, did a test run and :::voila::: all fixed. We'll see how long it lasts.

Regarding the rear wheel movement, the inspection guy did an online search and found that what he saw was "normal", and passed it.

Thanks for all your help.

 

Well done....