I just finished the first big project on my 1997 Jaguar XK8 and I wanted to send a thank you out to everyone who posts of this forum because thanks to the information I found here, I was able to avoid any problems and successfully change out my upper and lower ball joints.

While I was at it I also changed out the upper control arm bushings with Powerflex urethane bushings, replaced the outer tie rod ends, and switched out the shocks(I just needed the lower shock bushings, but it ended up being cheaper to buy a new set of Bilstein shocks).

Some observations I had from this project that may help others

1)I was able to remove the lower control arms without dropping the steering rack...Since i was changing out the outer tie rod ends, after separating the tie rod ball joint all I had to do was turn the steering wheel to bring the inner tie rod in as far as it would go and there was enough play to easily slide the bolt past the inner tie rod.

2)Pressing out the upper ball joints and pressing new ones in myself was not that difficult with a press, but I agree with the posts here that suggest you take the lower control arms to a local machine shop to get the lowers switched out. The angle on the lower control arm can create a lot of frustration making the $50 the machine shop charged me well worth it.

3)Powerflex makes a great upgrade for the upper bushings. The fit was perfect and I had no problems placing the shims back where they needed to be.

Thank again to everyone who posts here to help us all out, I couldn't have done it without you

 

A big Well Done for your success. This is an area where I want to make improvement to my car, and your report adds to my confidence to attempt it.

I agree with your statements of this forum and its members. It's truly an awesome place. And you're part of it!

Steve

 

Rob,

Congratulations and thanks for posting about your success.

Information like this is very useful for newcomers to Jaguar who are often concerned about taking on this kind of repair.

Graham

 

Nice going Rob. It's great things worked out so well for you and look how much fun it was.
A few guys neglect to report back on their success and failure leaving us all in the dark having learned nothing.

 

Hi Rob
I a new owner of a 2005 XK8; Both the upper and lower ball joints on the right side are bad,so will be tackling this job in very near future. Couple questions on the lower bushings- Jag doesn't list that as a part, so what number did you use. Also where did you get the powerflex bushings.
also I've seen some discussion on the ball joints themselves. Almost all the parts store list them, but I've also read that not all fit- any comments?

Bill

 

+1 on all of the above

 

sailor, most of us buy the ball joints from britishcars.co.uk -> Steering-Suspension | Jaguar XK8 - XKR | British Parts UK

 

H2Oboy is right, britishcars.co.uk is a good place for ball joints. I had no problem with fit after I put the ball joints in the freezer overnight before pressing them in.

You can get the powerflex bushings at Road Series - Powerflex - Performance Polyurethane Bushes

 

thanks for the advice.

I am toying with replacing the upper control arm since the combination of bushings/ball joint and pressing is coming close to the total price.
Bottom arm another story since its really expensive

 

sailor, I understand the cost comparison totally. I did the same...bought one new pair of control arms w/ bushings already in it, but the cost of the ball joint AND bushing pressing for the other arm was cheaper than purchasing it new. Those with presses...its almost a no-brainer. I may have to invest in one of those machines, now that my remodeled garage has alot of freed up space.

 

in the middle of this job- have top control arm off and about ready to take bottom off- not changing the shocks-
have seen some posts that say you need a spring compressor when changing out the lower control arm?
so before i take that next step, is there any problem getting the shocks bolted back to the lower control arm.
by the way, I bought all the ball joints from the uk site mentioned in a previous replay- cheaper, including shipping, than anything I could find in the US.

 

The JTIS procedure for removal of the lower control arms doesn't call for compressing the springs. The short of it is that with the car jacked up, the weight is off the suspension and you shouldn't need to compress the springs.

 

thanks- did it and arms are now down at local shop for pressing of ball joints and bushings.

a note on JTIS. It didn't say anything about loosening the steering rack, which I had to do. Saw some people had problems with the bolts (steel to aluminum) but mine all came out ok.

 

I've got a slight clunk while driving over speedbumps. I jack the car off the ground and shake the wheel but the ball joints feel fine to me. For 50 pounds it might be worth buying the kit preemptively.

How much were your shocks? I've been wanting to out in lower springs for a while now and you are supposed to change both.

 

Bilstein Shocks were about $100 a piece from Discount Auto Parts Online -- PartsGeek.com - Domestic & Import Auto Parts Warehouse

 

With the car on the ground, lay down beside it and rest your hand on the bottom of the shock, get someone else to gently bounce the car, this will show if your lower shock bush has failed, works on the rears too...
Normally the reason for "clunky" suspension

 

You are likely on the right path but pay attention to where the noise specifically comes from. Sometimes it has nothing to do with suspension. For example the corner braces in the engine compartment are notorious for making a clunk/knock type noise over small bumps when they need to be tightened up (usually the end under the cowl).

Following all safety precautions I like to wire tie an old handheld minicassette recorder with a wired mic in different places to see if I can pinpoint the location of such noises. Jac