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Hi Guys
I was getting a thump from the REAR suspension a while back. It was a "thump" more than a "clonk" if you see what I mean.....sounded as if the whole rear axle was about to fall off !!
I remembered something in the notes from the last X308 seminar about pebbles being flicked up onto the rear suspension A frame mounting brackets by the tyres and getting trapped in the narrow gap between the bracket and the floor pan.(behind the metalastic bushes)
Up on the ramp, a quick poke and a flick with a modified wire coat-hangar and out fell a piece of gravel from my driveway.
Job done !!
I am told this is quite a common occurrence and many cars have had their rear suspension dismantled and unneccessarily renewed because of it.

Hi -

To check my understanding, we're talking about between the bracket and the floorpan, and NOT between the arms themselves and the bracket?

Had a quick poke around earlier but I'm not sure I was in the right place.

Best regards, Paddy

Just to complete the tread, it turns out the lower rear damper bushes were at fault.

£30 via eBay and 2 hrs of labour for my mechanic - if only every fix was so cheap!

Incidentally, this was a speculative change as old bushes didn't demonstrate any play when checked.

I just wanted to say thank you to Dave. This thread saved me an expensive trip to the garage.
They have been resurfacing roads around here and three fairly large rock chips had become stuck in the gap. The noise from the rear offside was horrendous.

Thanks again.

Mark

Just to complete the tread, it turns out the lower rear damper bushes were at fault.

I have worn lower rear damper bushes on my '98 XJR. I'm having my local garage replace them next week when the car goes in for annual service. Can I just check though: is this a straightforward job, or are additional parts / special tools required?

Many thanks.

John.

Just a postscript -- I had the "gravel" in my XJ8 Sport that only showed itself rarely. Otherwise the ride was next to silent. After being told twice that: "it's your rear bearings, guv!" took it to Ray at Surrey Jags in Croydon. Wry smile and four pebbles later, click-click gone. Luckily he was changing water pump at that job, otherwise it would've been £60