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Looking for some advice and insight. Okay here is the scenario. I was taking the wife for a little top down cruise last Friday evening when our jaunt was cut short by a bone jarring impact with a class 10 pothole! The impact destroyed the overhead console mount (shattered might better describe it). The console was left dangling from it's wiring and even some of the tabs the metal spring clips attach to were broken off of the console itself. I have found a replacement mount and have been trying to run down a matching LHJ replacement console but I may have to repair mine somehow. I am of course open to suggestions on repair or replacement of the console but I may have bigger issues.
Most of the impact was on the front right tire, rim and suspension. Amazingly, the nearly new Conti's didn't blow out. However, when I got out and examined the tire and rim, I noticed that the impact had actually deformed the tire enough that it had left rubber on the outside of the rims edge before the rebounding back to shape! And as we limped home there did appear to be a slight pull of the steering to the right side. The tire has continued to hold air this last week but a bent rim is a distinct possibility, although I can't visually see it. So I guess the rest of the question is, just how strong are the rest of our XK8's suspension components? Would a 50 MPH dive into a 6" deep pothole be enough of a lick to bend additional suspension parts? How susceptible are they to that kind of a hit and what kind of damage would you expect? Will an alignment take care of the slight pull or do I need to have the shop take a closer look at other things as well?
As I’m in construction, I regularly have to take the XK8 on bad roads to a Construction site office. The XK8 is designed as a grand long distance tourer not an off road vehicle. So hitting a deep pothole at any speed has many potential issues.
1. Wheel rubber split and cracked rims
2. Suspension damage - destroyed bushes and the infamous top strut mount. Hope no wish bones etc were bent as it could get expensive
3. Steering set up alignment
If you’re car is now not steering straight, I would work on the list above top down.
Sorry to hear of your woes from hitting a pothole. It's always wise to check the suspension and steering after any knock - but my experience of these cars are that the lower arms, springs and joint are large, heavy and can take a lot of force without breaking. Nonetheless, any strange sounds or unequal steering are worth checking - especially the wheel bearings which will take the greatest forces from uneven pavements. Stay safe!
There are two ways to rate a suspension as “robust”.
To me robust means the suspension can control the car at high speeds. To others, it might mean being able to tolerate potholes and / or hitting sizable debris without any damage.
I don’t think one suspension can meet both definitions. I prefer to have a suspension that can control the car in relative comfort during high speed cruising, and I believe that’s the suspension that Jaguar has delivered.
That said, my biggest fear while enjoying the open road is not other drivers or hitting an animal. It’s surviving the abysmal condition of the roads. Even with no relaxing of my vigilance it’s a rare day trip that passes without me making contact with some road hazard.
So far the car has come out unscathed, but I know I can’t be that lucky indefinitely.
Z
PS. So far I have not found a state that has uniformly quality roads.
I would suspect shock operation to have been degraded after probably bottoming out so hard.
Rim could be bend, but easy to check at tire store:-)..
And once you are there, definitely replace the tire as the harness in the sidewall has now probably weakened to a point that blown tire at high speed is a probable risk.
Thanks for the advice and opinions folks. I appreciate it. I haven't yet gotten the car to the tire shop as I am trying to repair the roof console that was broken loose before taking it. Can't find one of the same color and I don't really need the electronics, just the housing but it doesn't appear available that way. So repair attempts are underway to fix the anchor points for the snapped off tabs for the spring clips. A new roof mounting block arrived last week to replace the one that was snapped in half by the impact. I think I have fixed one clip location but still have to figure out the other. Mount location with snapped off mount pieces still under the screws. broken tabs for the spring clips! broken rear spring clip tab broken spring clip tab for mount block one replaced clip
pretty tough, especially the rear. i slid into a curb at high speed and destroyed all 4 wheels and 1 rear hub carrier. slapped a new hub\flexible brake line and all is well
Well apparently mine is not quite as robust as xalty's. Finally got it to the shop today to have them check the tire, rim and alignment. The tire was given the okay but the rim is dented pretty badly on the inner rim (you can see it with the MK 1 eyeball when it is rotating) and slightly less badly on the outer rim. And after checking the alignment, they didn't do it, as something in the right side suspension seems to be bent also. Right front that took brunt of the hit is at -1.9 degrees of camber, left front is at -1.1 degree of camber. Caster is 5.9 on the right front and 5.8 on the left front. Toe is -.02 on the right front and -.13 on the left front. The shop seemed to think something was bent but did say replacing worn bushings, shock mounts and other rubber components might get it close enough to allow a proper alignment. Opinions?
So it looks like I need to do some suspension work although not entirely sure where to start?
And I need to decide whether or not to see if the factory rims can be repaired and refinished or if I should just go with an aftermarket set?
...... The shop seemed to think something was bent but did say replacing worn bushings, shock mounts and other rubber components might get it close enough to allow a proper alignment. ......
I think "bent" suspension is unlikely although a distorted wheel is a high probability. The aluminium crossbeam is known to crack under severe impact and similarly the cast iron wishbones will shear if overstressed. Here's an example:
Although the XK8 front suspension is structurally "robust", it is hard on bushes. The Upper Wishbone bushes can last as little as 15K miles.
I don't have a direct reference but l would be very surprised (and somewhat disappointed ) if the front control arms were cast iron.
l think they are more likely steel forgings.
I don't have a direct reference but l would be very surprised (and somewhat disappointed ) if the front control arms were cast iron.
l think they are more likely steel forgings.
I'm sure they are steel. I'll resist the temptation to edit that line in my post.
Have the Welsh poly upper shock mounts gotten any better or are there still issues with them? I hate to think about going back with the factory foam based pancake!
Last edited by XK8 Rebel; Apr 11, 2021 at 08:11 AM.
No indication at this point that Welsh has addressed this problem. But Wayne (cjd777) is in the process of creating his own solution now....
I found and read his thread on that. Subscribed too. It looks like he is really close to a real fix for this terribly designed component! What a blessing that would be! Go Wayne! You have another cheerleader in your corner!
I bought a set of Welsh front upper shock mounts in the last 6 months and haven't had any problems YET ( this was to replace another set of Welsh mounts that were CRAP)... this new set appears to be working out for now
I destroyed the right front wheel in a pothole near a decade ago in my 00 XKR and the suspension was fine; I just had to acquire a new double five front wheel and swap the tire (which was fine). The suspensions main enemy seems to be time that degrades the rubber more than the strength of the metal bits (notwithstanding the upper arms issue that Graham pointed out).
How Robust is the XK8 Suspension?
The impact destroyed the overhead console mount (shattered might better describe it). The console was left dangling from it's wiring and even some of the tabs the metal spring clips attach to were broken off of the console itself. I have found a replacement mount and have been trying to run down a matching LHJ replacement console but I may have to repair mine somehow. I am of course open to suggestions on repair or replacement of the console but I may have bigger issues.
Right front that took brunt of the hit is at -1.9 degrees of camber, left front is at -1.1 degree of camber. Caster is 5.9 on the right front and 5.8 on the left front. Toe is -.02 on the right front and -.13 on the left front. The shop seemed to think something was bent but did say replacing worn bushings, shock mounts and other rubber components might get it close enough to allow a proper alignment. Opinions?
