I agree with RJ the OEM centers would be better suited to rough road conditions.

If it were me I would marry the good Welsh outer with a new foam URO inner.

 

Now that's an interesting idea.

 

^^^^^^^ +1

On my 2002 XKR, and under previous ownership, the wishbone bushings (and all the dampners) were replaced on 08/25/2015 at a milage of 114,216. The car now has 156,500+ miles and all appears well with the suspension, & ride height, etc.

Is this normal longevity ?

The car has been my daily driver for over 2 years, during which time it's been my pleasure to rack up a little over 40,000 miles on roads that vary A LOT in surface quality.


Z

 

Is there any issue using the URO part as an assembly? I assume they might give up a bit of direct feel vs the 2year Welsh product but other than that???? They even cost less @ Rockauto.

wj

 

I have been less than satisfied with the quality of various URO parts I have purchased over the years. I think URO would be my last-resort option for shock mounts....

 

I wonder if we can even get the original mounts, maybe SNG Barratt, jagbits?

 

To my knowledge, the early "fix" for these mounts was sort of a rebuild. The mount had to be disassembled (rivets drilled?) and then put back together with new "inserts". Maybe the path for you guys driving on rough roads is to procure more reliable inserts and expect them to wear out every now and then. The added bonus would be to have the ability to control the thickness of the insert and therefore ride height for optimal tire wear. For me, driving most days on mostly decent roads, the Welsh mount is still the answer, though.

 

I'm still in process with mine so I'll post later. However, I'm sure that will be better than what I have now. TM

 

My first set of replacements were URO parts. They lasted around 2 years before the outer foam collapsed. In my case the inner foam donuts were still pretty good.

My Welsh replacements lasted a little bit longer, but the failure was different in that the inner donuts fell apart while the outer ones were still good.

Considering that the outer failure results in severe tire wear, while the inner failure just causes a floppy shock and clunking noise, I think the Welsh ones are still the safest bet.

Perhaps Welsh will address the issue and produce a hybrid poly outer foam inner version. I would buy that version next time, or perhaps even buy a set of each type and build my own.

And I do expect a next time to occur. With just over 100K miles I am on my fourth replacement set already.

 

I remember back when I had the XK8 convertible, I replaced the shock mounts with URO foam ones as they were the least expensive and Welsh had not yet created the polyurethane ones. Those lasted me less than one year and yes, I also had to replace my tires.

I bought new Welsh mounts from Ebay at an 8% discount with free shipping. I'm going to avoid potholes like the plague. My town has been fixing up their roads so where I really have to be careful is when I go visit my girlfriend. Might take the Jeep in that case.

 

Okay everyone, I'm a believer...no URO parts.
thanks

wj

 

I replaced both shock mounts today. I guess I must have hit the biggest pothole at speed. I am incredulous and flabbergasted by the carnage. The rest of my suspension is in great condition.



The passenger side Shock mount was absolutely destroyed. Both the inner and outer bush failed. I’m glad it began clunking immediately or I may not have caught it in time. My tires are intact!



Drivers side shock mount was in mostly good conditions, but it did look like it received a whack at one side.





New shock mounts are perfectly centered. I torqued everything and took it for a drive. There were no squeaks, no rattles, no clunking, and no alignment problems. The suspension feels tight and the Jag feels very responsive in handling.

I hope this pair lasts more than the previous one.

 

Wow that is way worse than the inner only failure I had. Glad you caught it in time Daniel.

 

I’m thinking of sending a picture to Welsh. Hopefully they take note of it and improve their product. They may need to go to a higher durometer polyurethane.

 

I am joining this club. Put the Welsh mounts on 10/28/2016 at 65146 miles, along with new shocks and upper control arm bushings. Had an alignment a few days later.
Just today I discovered front tires are worn into the belts on the very inner edge. A week past I noticed the upper shock bolts not centered any longer, mileage is now 100512.

So I to get to replace the mounts...again.

 

Update on Welsh Upper Poly Shock Mounts/ New Front Springs. Measured the Right side this AM to see if any problems was evident. They are still at 15 5/8" roughly from W/O Mldg to hub center. Installed Sept. 2015 and 28K miles traveled. My tires were wearing quite a bit on the inner edges, but they show no additional wear since. Apparently the Front Springs were sagged. My center bolts have moved off center, but no deterioration is evident.

 

Your problem could be excessive toe. Maybe your inner or outer tie rods are bad.

 

I am certainly no expert on Welsh but my 2003 XK8 with only 13,000 miles on it seems to need new mounts. From what I read no vendor really seems to have "nailed down" an improved product. What surprises me is that Mr. Welsh seems to take a beating and does not choose to respond the issues that all of you depict.

If it were me I would be posting and telling all of future plans to address this issue and taking care of the few people that have experienced failure shortly after the warranty period. Public relations is what makes a company a success and those that ignore their customers seem to get an opportunity to familiarize themselves with trials and tribulations of a business failure. I guess that what I am saying is that when a fish stinks it usually starts at the head.

 

I have to agree with your assessment. If any other company provides a shock mount with at least equal longevity and quality but better customer service I would choose them immediately. Surely the problem is starts with Dave Welsh. In my experience, Amy is excellent, eager and willing to help, but if her boss is opposed there is nothing she can do even if she agrees with out sentiment.

 

well, just found out I joined the Welsh failure club - mine are shot with ~26-30k miles on them - just over 2 years of driving