www.jec.org.uk

I've had a bit of clonking noise from the back of the car for a while now. To be honest, I thought it was one of the rear anti roll bar bushes, but my local, friendly MOT tester pointed out that the outer lower wishbone bush O/S was worn. It was easy to see movement when looking at it, with a crow bar under a slightly raised wheel. But interestingly it actually looked a little off centre with the wheels on the ground.

Here's before and after shots: With the wheel off, you could feel the play in the bush by lifting a little on the disc/hub assembly. I got hold of a new bush from Auto reserve and already had a bush change out kit I bought a couple of years ago.

Once prepared, it was a simple matter to remove both calipers (Brembo brakes), remove the disc and remove the bottom bolt. The lower wishbone is then still held securely in place by the strut and the other mounting points and the upper wishbone and hub can be pushed upwards out of the way and supported on an axle stand.

I was then able to get the threaded bar and various cups and other bits in place and the bush came out reasonably easily. I pushed from front to back and on inspection it looked like there is a slight lip on the wishbone, perhaps to locate the bush. The new one was pressed in from the back, forwards and as far as the thick-walled cup would allow. At that point I used the Mike Kennedy method of ground-down thin-walled hole cutter to push the bush another few mm into place.

I think this turned out to be one of the easier jobs I've done on this car and clonking noise now gone.

Sometimes the bushes come out easily, on other occasions, they don`t!

My best tool for the job has to be a 44mm hole saw with the teeth ground off. Its very useful in protecting the rubber grease gaiters whilst fitting a new bush. Its also the right dimensions for the job.

New bushes are available from Racing Green Cars Ltd for about £30 each....they are not available as a Jaguar part. They want you to buy the complete new wishbone for around £175 plus vodka and tonic. Make your own choice.

It is essential the new bushes are fitted to exactly the same insertion dimensions as the original item. Any variance will mess up suspension geometry.

See my various threads on the S-type and X350 suspension sections for more info on bush changing......worry not...there are only 36 of them to change in the event of a completely worn out suspension!

Mike