All
I live in the UK and have a 2001 Jaguar XKR which I recently purchased.
I appear to be having a few issues with what I think is the suspension and was after your thoughts.
I have read numerous posts on here and other forums and I am still slightly baffled what the issue could be and the best way to rectify.

At around 55-70 mph the steering wheels shakes, almost like the wheels need balancing, however wheel alignment and balancing has been done, (just before I purchased it)

Also there is a squeak coming from the front passenger side, which sounds like the suspension, this only appears when going over bumps.

The car has done 110,000 miles and I cannot find anything that shows that any proof the bushes or suspension has been replaced, so I am thinking the best course of action will be to re-build the front suspension.

A lot of discussion seems to be around just replacing bushes here and there but, I feel if I am going to do that I may as well rebuild the whole lot.
I am looking to do this work myself, I am fairly competent when getting my hands dirty, although it is quite a few years since I have even touched a car mechanically.
My questions are:-

Am I better just completing a full rebuild or changing each part, bush etc. individually until I find the problem .

If I am to complete the work what do I need to replace.
Front Ball Joints, Anti Roll Bar Links, Roll Bar Mount Bushings, Wishbone Bushings, lower shock absorbers – anything else?

Can I buy a Full front suspension kit from anywhere or am I best buying the parts from various places. I Have seen that BritishParts sell them but have read on the forums that some parts did not fit?

Also do I need any special equipment to perform the task other than Spanners and socket sets, Vice etc. I read that the Bushes are difficult to replace as they need pressure to re-insert them.
I have seen a video showing them done in a vice?

Any info would be greatly appreciated

Thanks John

 

For the shake, you may have a distorted wheel or have lost a balance weight. Never assume what the vendor tells you is 100% accurate!

The ideal on an eleven year old car with 110k miles and unknown history would be a full rebuild BUT it's an expensive proposition, even when doing most of the work yourself and would then lead you to a similar no-expense-spared rebuild of the rear suspension.

I'd be doing a full appraisal of the condition of bushes, mountings and shock absorbers to assess and prioritise the work.

You can easily do the upper wishbone bushes but will need garage facilities to replace the upper balljoints. It's usually cost effective to replace the lower arms rather than the balljoints.

Decide whether you want to go with OE pattern bushes or aftermarket Polybushes. Take care when sourcing either type for the upper wishbone as there's big differences in quality from various suppliers.

I can see a stream of follow up questions coming on this one.

Graham

 

Thanks Graham.
Your correct about the follow up questions

I have a reciept that shows the wheel alignment that is dated a month before i purchjased the vehicle so to me this shows that the previous owner had come accross the issue and tried this fix. but as you say that is probably the first step to take just in case.

When you say it can very expensive even if doing the work myslef, what is defined as expensive?
I am still trying to get my head around what a full rebuild consists of so I am possibly missing kep parts that need to be replaced.

I was kind of looking at it from a perspective of, if I am stripping down elements of the susspension then I may as well replace whatever I can to make sure. maybe I am going overboard.

In regards to OE and Aftermarket, what is the difference? is it purley down to OE being a gauranteed fit? or are there adavantages to aftermarket.

Sorry for all the questions, but Im hoping once i have finally got to the bottom of this and got it in my head properly, sometime down the line I can help totasl newbie's like myself

Thanks

 

It does sound as if the PO has had a go at rectifying the suspension and steering issues.

Expensive? Loads of suppliers around the country but some UK prices I've seen recently: original pattern Upper Wishbone Bushes from £64 for aftermarket to £120 for OE; Polybushes approximately £75. Lower wishbone from £100 each exchange; shock absobers - £200+ pair

OE always fits. Aftermarket can sometimes have tolerance issues. On the other hand can sometimes be an improvement on the original.

If you're going for a full front suspension rebuild including cross beam mountings, as a guide think £1k and upwards doing most of it yourself.

Graham

 

While attempting to sort out the shakes and vibrations over a period of almost a year; I ended up replacing the complete front end in piecemeal fashion. If I were you, I would buy the complete kit of bushings... it was about $250 or maybe a little more. Doing it all at once means you break it down completely and rebuild only one time. I had my car half apart a dozen or so times. Do it right and be thorough the first time.

 

Thanks guys

I will give it a go when the weather is fine and keep the forum posted.

I was expecting to pay around 1000.00, That is expensive but after reading some of the stories on here and other forums I guess I kind of got it in my head that was not too expensive.

I sort of realised before I bought the car that If I wanted one i had to be prepaired to spend big on it.

When I think about it i have bought Cars for less than that

Thaks again.

 

If you're planning on keeping it and driving it you might as well do the whole thing. At 110K the shocks should be replaced...and the upper shock mounts. Those are pricey at a bit over $200 each for the good oem type, but worth it when done. With the shock R&R you have to disengage the upper A arm bushings anyway, so you can check them out and probably replace them. I found a source in UK that was much, much cheaper than the so-called going rate.

Sway bar bushings and end links should be replaced, and a close look at all the brake components is needed. This would be a good time to test the wheel bearings if you can stand it, too. Once done it will all be good for another 100K+. If you don't need wheel bearings it shouldn't add up to $1000 if you do it yourself. There are some very good tutorials and videos on how to do all of this work.

 

upper mounts, definitely! all the rubber is a good idea, if you have CATs on your car, perhaps keep the shock and just do the lower bushing. The price for new active shocks are crazy steep!

Also, if you didn't state tie-rod ends, i'd do that too. It tightens up the steering just a bit, and with all of the other new parts and bushings, might as well.