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as mentioned, the foam in the upper shock mounts deteriorates over time - while you're at it, may as well replace any bushings/ball joints in need - get it done once rather than tearing apart multiple times
as mentioned, the foam in the upper shock mounts deteriorates over time - while you're at it, may as well replace any bushings/ball joints in need - get it done once rather than tearing apart multiple times
I did replace all the bushings and ball joints. Everything is as tight as it can be. What a difference!
@Redjags, you definitely got your money's worth out of those top mounts
I would say that just about everything was original including the bottom shock bushes. As the car will be a sunny day and Sunday driver, I would say that these new parts will see me out.
I took the covers off mine yesterday and after 111000 miles and 25 years they look perfect. No evidence of any other suspension parts being changed.
Yea it's weird mine also still look perfect even though they are 19 years old and have 78k miles on them. They are a pink colour though and I know they are meant to be yellow. When I come to rebuild the suspension I will be changing it all.
I always consider two things when I work on the car ....The thing only cost £2999 so dont spend money unless you have to .Having said that I have fitted a new starter motor, alternator,water pump, 4xdiscs and pads ( warped rear discs give you terrible brakes ). All this stuff was cheap ie two front discs £25,Starter £64. Pump £16 etc. I would love a respray as the boot lid was attacked with brake fluid and the respray was not the best but that would cost as much as the car so no.
Your car only has a life as long as it MOT (annual roadworthy test) so a catastrophic failure could reduce its value to zero
I always consider two things when I work on the car ....The thing only cost £2999 so dont spend money unless you have to .Having said that I have fitted a new starter motor, alternator,water pump, 4xdiscs and pads ( warped rear discs give you terrible brakes ). All this stuff was cheap ie two front discs £25,Starter £64. Pump £16 etc. I would love a respray as the boot lid was attacked with brake fluid and the respray was not the best but that would cost as much as the car so no.
Your car only has a life as long as it MOT (annual roadworthy test) so a catastrophic failure could reduce its value to zero
It's such a shame that rust and the relatively harsh MOT take their toll on UK cars. My recently purchased 98 XK8 does have the usual issues of a 25 year old car, but one thing it doesn't have is rust. Not one bit that I can find, and I've had it up on my hoist several times, wheel arch (fender) liners removed, and thorough examination underneath. The Aussie climate is quite forgiving on cars, similar to that in California, I understand? As an example, in the UK, I was up for an exhaust system every 18 to 24 months. Here in Australia, I have never had to replace a single one in 30 years.
Due to their relative rarety, XK8s command very high prices compared to UK cars. Even some of the earlier cars fetch over $30,000 Australian - That's approximately £14,000, so our investment is significantly higher over here. Later models are closer to $50, 000!
I went through the whole drama of replacing my top shock mounts with the only option we have here in the US the URO mounts, only to find that when I hit the first pothole the fabric inside the mount collapsed and the whole thing started to rattle! It was then that I decided to make my own! I found the perfect POLYURETHANE flexible material, made some molds and now I ship them all over the world. These parts are a permanent, perfect, solution to the problem and mke a huge difference to the way the car handles!
