FCP Euro product shock mounts? I don't see them on their web site.

 

Then give them a call and ask about the product. Perhaps it is brand new and has not been added to the website yet....

 

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/jag...res-mja-2170bd

 

In my ‘02 XKR. some 60,000 miles ago a previous owner replaced the shocks and shock mounts with the genuine OEM Jaguar parts. Everything appears to be OK, mounts are still centered and not crumbling, the ride height is only about 1/8” below spec, I don’t consider that amount to be indicative of anything being amiss.

with all the resent dissatisfaction with the Welch mounts, is there reason not to be going with the factory parts, when the time comes, aside from more cost ?

Z

 

I think the original idea was that the Welsh mounts were polyurethane, which were supposed to be a little stiffer and more durable than the originals.

 

I still believe that the Welsh components of four or five years ago will turn out to be longer-lasting than the OEM components as long as you can avoid the potholes. Time will tell....

 

I understand that, but in light of the recently reported failures, the playing field seems to be leveling out.

Z

 

Those appear to be the same old URO parts that are known to fail about same as Welsh version.

 

The images are (I think) the same, no idea @ the actual part they sell but the Life Time Guarantee is certainly different.
wj

 

Welsh Enterprises sets a high standard of customer service and the products we bring to the market. Thank you for your feedback and for letting us know the product did not meet your expectations. We have taken the past week to examine the mounts on our 2003 XKR with the same mount installed in 2016. The XKR we inspected using these mounts did not reflect the issue outlined. We did not replace the springs and spacers upon installation. We found no fault reflecting this issue. Installation of springs and spacers may or may not contribute to this issue. Welsh has made contact with the customer to resolve this issue. Something like this will be handled on an individual basis, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@welshent.com or call us at 800-875-5247.

 

So, basically they denied the problem exists.

 

yeah that's how I read that too. shame.

 

To be fair, the circumstances described by Welsh re their car is almost identical to my own XKR and the Welsh top mounts l fitted even down to time elapsed.
l do not have any signs of a problem either.

 

You should conduct testing with a more recent batch. Here's a picture of what happened to your mounts which I fitted to my car after only 7,344 miles, and a 1 year and 4 months. I think you will agree with me that this is not normal wear. I already bought another set from you in hopes that this was a fluke, but from reports in this thread, it seems unlikely to have been an isolated case. If this happens again in as little a time frame with the new set, I will have to bite the bullet and buy the OEM foam units.

 

Welsh is not denying that a problem exists. They are stating that they have not experienced the problem with their own XKR with the poly shock mounts installed in 2016. For those of you experiencing failures with their product, I would certainly encourage you to contact Welsh now. And be sure to report your results after doing so....

I would still like to know if Welsh changed suppliers, manufacturers, or design of this product within the past couple of years. No question that there are more failures being reported from recent purchases vs. purchases from 2016 and before....

 

I spoke with John Welsh about these mounts; the major difference between the mounts on their XK and ours is that his is not driven much, is pretty much a show car, so does not "see" the roads like most of ours have....for sure not like mine.
I think the off-centering is due to miles and rough roads...not time.

 

My Jaguar mounts had 6 years and 25K miles and so I just decided to change them in February as I was replacing my springs to restore ride height. Those are the ones I have put back on replacing the welsh mounts with 4 months and 1k miles.

 

What I have read on this forum over the past year includes several individuals accounts of 'early' failures with the welsh mounts, who did in fact contact welsh with their concerns @ the early failures and who ultimately got -zero- consideration from welsh.
Everyone can make their own judgement.
As to the off centering...my new, uninstalled mounts have one of the pair with a slight (but noticeable) off centering of the center metal fixture...I'm certain based on the images I have seen of these units disassembled that it will not 'center' itself when installed and driven down the road.
wj

 

The OEM Jaguar upper shock mounts are prone to crumbling into orange dust over time. The recent Welsh poly upper shock mounts appear to present more degenerative problems now compared to the pre-2016 version. The longest-lasting and most cost-effective solution may be to do what an owner did a number of years ago when he used a couple of hard plastic kitchen cutting boards to create his own custom pair by carving, sanding, and drilling them to fit....

 

Yes, but what will I cut my meat on?