wishbone bushes

[Sharfrs2]

Whilst having my car lowered it was found that the front upper wishbone bushes were completely shot and the nearside wishbone bolt had almost become one with the sub-frame with corrosion. It took the poor technician 5 hours to get the bolt out before the new springs could be fitted.

So if your car is feeling a bit twitchy or has a tendancy to pull one way or another then I suggest you get both the upper and lower bushes checked, followed by a four point tracking check. My XK now feels like a new car and is so much more fun to drive.

[Nik]

Hi , I'm suffering with a bit of tramlining and a tendency for bumps to be a bit jarring , could be I need some new bushes?Used to be in the trade myself many moons ago , but now I just pay for someone to do it for me, have not got the time or the gear to do it myself !


NIK

[Nik]

Hi Guys , Just got my coupe back from the Jaguar Centre in Hull , went in with severe tramlining and came out 101% better , what did they do ? New type wishbone bushes (they have a steel core unlike earlier rubber bushes ) and bottom swivel joints , the transformation is amazing , no more harshness on potholed roads , very little if any tramlining , and really sharp "turn in" and best of all not too expensive !!!
Best wishes NIK

[Harland]

Hi Guys
Sorry to sound such an idiot but can someone explain the term Tramlining
Have just spent £648 having the Lower wishbones replaced and a new N/S anti roll bar link fitted
Steering is much better but still a slight tendency to pull to the left - could this be tramling or any other ideas!!
My XK8 conv. is late 96 and has covered 70.000m
Peter

[mickmoor1]

Hi I am a little worried about my bushes my car is a 1998 convertible and seems a bit twichy when on a motoway and seems to catch all the marks in the road someone told me it was just because its a ragtop
i am now having second thoughts its just had a new mot, do these buses not show the wear up during the test ???? also u say have a geometry setup done is the fact that the rears are wider than the front does this make any difference???? MICK

[Nik]

I would like to die like my grandad did , in his sleep , not like his passengers , SCREAMING!!!!

[Nik]

Hi Guys ,

Well as usual I appear to have stirred up a right kettle of worms , so , I admit to a passing acqaintance to steering problems as I spent a long time in the motor trade working on Astons and other prestige cars so I know a little about it . We need to look at the basics with all problems like these posted on the forum . First of all , has the vehicle always pulled to one side / bumped steered /tramlined or generally misbehaved ? Has it just started after clipping the kerb one morning for instance??In the case of pulling to one side does it pull up or down the camber of the road ? If it pulls slightly down the camber (normally to the left on our roads) try driving the car on a dead straight bit of road straddling the white line (I say straight because you can then see the road is clear ahead and avoid hitting an oncoming car!!) If it no longer pulls its normally the camber of the road and probally nothing wrong with your car !! If it still pulls try the following . Tyre pressures (low pressure in N/S/F may cause car to pull to the left and vice versa) Are the tyres of the same make and model?If directional like some pirellis, are they fitted the correct way directionally ? If all appears correct its time to look at bushes and swivel joints etc (I'm was told by Darren at the Jaguar Centre in Hull that the old type wishbone bushes could be ok one week and show large amounts of wear next week whereas the new type have metal inserts and will probally last the life of the vehicle!!) if all is ok here the next step is to check all the geometry (front and back) If anything is out of alignment it is cureable by either adjustment or by replacing bent or worn/broken components , its as simple as that !!
Bump steer is where you hit a lump or pothole in the road with one side of the tyre tread , this has a tendency to steer the car , the amount is variable but will depend on the width of the tyre , the profile of the tyre and the size of the wheel . For example a 255/35 X 20" tyre will generally be more prone to "bump steer" than a 245/45 X 17" (the wider and less height the tyre sidewall has, generally makes it less able to absorb deflections so they are transmitted to the steering (the size and type of wheel/tyre combination chosen by someone like jaguar is normally the best compromise after many days/weeks/months of testing so have you chosen a "better" wheel/tyre combination or are we just concerned with how sporty it LOOKS!!) Tramlining is normally where the car tends to follow ruts in the road often caused by HGVs and is difficult to pinpoint a "cure" other checking allignment , tyres etc are correct and of course nothing is damaged/worn . The simple matter is wider , lower profile tyres are more likely to give problems with the above mentioned and generally speaking the lower the profile , the harsher the ride (the sidewall is less able to absorber shock energy and simply softening the springs counteracts the handling advantange of the lower profiles) As for the question about rear wheels/tyres being wider than the fronts causing a problem , I would ask Jaguar about that , after all they did a lot of R&D on that one and came to the conclussion that was the best setup !! I really hope some of this helps , best wishes NIK

P.S £648 sounds like a lot of money !!!! I have just (last Saturday) had a service carried out ,drivers door switch pack supplied and fitted ,gearbox and axle oil levels checked , front wishbone bushes renewed with new types and a new lower wishbone swivel replaced including parts etc for less than £680 by the Jaguar Centre in Hull (they are Jaguar agents so its Jaguar money !! but I get a bit of discount under jaguar alliagance scheme )

[Harland]

Thanks Nic for your excellent reply - I have tried driving on a straight stretch of road straddling the white line and the steering is almost perfect - however it still pulls slightly to the left on a normal cambered road - perhaps I am just getting fussy !!
With regard to the £638 I paid for the lower wishbones to be replaced I have come to the conclusion that I need to look for another local Jaguar specialist. I live in Poole and have spotted an ad in the JEC for a company based in Ringwood which is only 20 minutes away - have arranged to see them tomorrow to discuss the dreaded timing chain tensioners!!
Peter

[mickmoor1]

WOW Nick what a reply you certainly have got a lot of knowledge on the subject, and gives a lot of food for thought I will be looking at all the points that you have raised, and get done what needs to be done thanks once again MICK

[Nik]

Hi Guys , sorry to ramble on a bit with my last post , but believe it or not I've just skimmed the surface on steering/suspension/tyres , Message for HARLAND (Peter) , I too used to live in Poole and Bournemouth in fact I was born in Boscombe hospital , there used to be (over 20 years ago!!) a Jaguar specialist in Ringwood that went by the name of VINCENTS , don't know if they still exist but they were a good source of S Type parts when I was restoring one on behalf of a client , I do believe they also did work on Jaguars old and modern , hope this is of some help ,
all the best NIK

[Sharfrs2]

Best place near Poole is Dorset Jaguar in Sturminster Marshall, near Blandford Forum. My brother in law uases them all the time and when I'm down there I usually pop in. Very knowledgeable and helpful.

[jagdaveh]

My 1998MY XK8 convertible wanders around all over the place when the road is rutted (like M-way lane 1). All checked and found to be OK & dealer said the bigger the wheels and the lower the profile the worse it is - suggested driving in lanes 2 or 3!! They did spot a torn lower swivel boot (which is not available as a separate part) so the whole joint will need replacing - quoted me £400 for it!!! Anyone know of a good reasonably priced independent in the Swindon area?? Or has anyone done it themselves?

[MikeDoggart]

Daveh,
Is Melksham close enough? Just south of Melksham there is a small independant garage in Broughton Gifford called Townsend Motors. I haven't used them myself but "I know a man who has". One of the mechanics is Jaguar trained and they come highly recommended. Telephone 01225 783068 and ask for Chris or Neil.
Regards, Mike.

[mike020150]

XKs, being heavy cars capable of decent cornering speeds, do wear suspension components and wide tyres magnify that wear and the wandering effects. However, in good condition, the cars drive very well. Over the years, Jaguar has changed the hardness of the lower wishbone bushes to reduce the tendency to wander. It may be worth trying the latest bushes but fit them to both sides. The lower ball joint can be replaced along with half the wishbone as a DIY task but be warned that it's all very tight and without a lift access is restricted. Just to add to the joys of DIY, the wishbone containing the ball joint is expensive (more than £150 from Jaguar). Separate ball joints are becoming available from aftermarket suppliers but these definitely require a large press and a degree of care to fit properly. Among others, I believe Dave Marks at Nottingham offers a reconditioning service for these lower wishbones. Mike.

[scallan1956]

On the subject of front suspension and steering, I had my 1998 XK8 Motd
the only item it failed on was n/s bottom shockabsorber bush, eccessive wear. The garage offered to do the work by replacing both sides shockabsorber at a cost of £300. As they said the bushes was not available. However i contacted my local jaguar dealer and they advised me that the bushes are available at a cost of around £50.00 each.
Because like dampers you have to do both sides. with the upper wishbone
bushes i noticed quite a lot of wear, so i decided to replace them as well
also top ball joint which is joint only and not complete arm like the bottom
balljoint which is complete unit. I did all the work myself with the aid of mitchels jaguar on demand repair manuals the cost of parts was £230.00.
The hardest part of this job was releasing the fulcrum bolt from the subframe which was siezed solid. After completing the work the car now drives very positive. steering and suspension. by the way my car has covered 100000 miles.