likely in over my head.....attempting to put my 2000 XK8 back on the road......current issue is front end suspension.......upper and lower control arms......How hard is it to replace their bushings vs buying new control arms???......I am located in the US (norther Virginia )....any suggestion of good local shop or independent....Are any of these parts compatable with other xk models......i was considering used later models.......I am the least likely xk8 owner....love the car..but on a very tight budget....

I do go to "Go to the garage" ....John here.......If John is on this Forum.....I find you both entertaining and informative

 

Upper control arm bushes are super easy unless the bush shims have rust-welded to the fulcrum bolt. Once the control arm is out, the hardest part should be removing the ball-joint. The upper ball-joint is simple to remove. It's easy if you have access to a hydraulic press. The C-clamp method also works, but it is much more labor intensive. The bottom control arm bushes and balljoints are a bit tougher. You will need a special tool or to press in the lower ball-joint; alternatively you can take an angle grinder to make a flat surface for the press to be able to work on the lower control arm. The lower bushes also have to be pressed out, and for removal of one of the lower control arm fulcrum bolts requires removing the steering rack mounts and letting it dangle because the bolt does not clear it.

However, the price of new control arms far exceeds the difficulty of the lower control arm challenges if you are going to DIY.

 

Steve06,

As giandanielxk8 describes, the lower bushes are quite difficult to remove.
I used the destructive method seen in pictures in this previous thread:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...shings-150804/

I then installed Poly bushes which do not require a hydraulic press to install.