Problem fitting vee mounts - help please

[timedwards]

Hi

Is it only me or has anybody else had problems fitting new vee mounts to their x300? I bought aftermarket ones (ebay for £29.95) ages ago and just come to fitting after replacing road springs. The holes do not line up so if I bolt the one side down the other side wont quite reach far enough so I can't get the bolts in. Is this a general problem and I am missing a simple solution or have I done a stupid thing to buy aftermarket?

Crossmember was taken off car due to chassis welding and has been painted up but I am sure the paint wont make the difference as on the one side it is short by quite a bit.

Thanks Tim

Veemountforum.jpg (71.4KiB)Viewed 3627 times

[Andy P]

Hi Tim,
Give the supplier a call,they might know of the problem or be able to help.
Take Care.
Andy

[timedwards]

Hi Andy

Steve says he always uses genuine Jaguar ones and I think therein lies the moral of this story. He is helping me out and I have just contacted the company through ebay. I will let you all know how I get on. Looking on the bright side, better to find out now rather than after it's back together. If the manufacturer can't even get the holes in the right place then how long would they have lasted anyway? Hopefully the company will take pity on me

One day I might even be able to drive this car to a JEC bash and say hi

Cheers Tim

[robv12]

got to say I always use genuine parts for this job, twice the price, but they last twice as long and do in fact fit

[timedwards]

I have to say the company have been very good and so I am posting back to them now for a refund. Steve is selling me a Jag one he did not use for bargain price and I will get another genuine to go with it.

I will post up my findings re the hole alignment as I think it's worth knowing for newbies like me doing this job. If the Jag ones do not line up for the crossmember holes then I will presume that they all spread under load to meet up. However like Rob says lasting twice as long is definitely a biggie since I don't want to be replacing them again any time soon.

Cheers everyone

[ptjs1]

Tim,

It would be helpful if you could hold the pattern ones until the genuine ones arrive and then compare the hole alignment so that we can understand if the pattern ones are just not fit for purpose.

Good luck

Paul

[timedwards]

Hi Paul

Due to the shape of the mounts I found it very difficult to compare them as you can't hold them on top of each other. However I did take some photos. They are pretty poor quality though.

one side bolted in forum.jpg (29.95KiB)Viewed 3552 times

offside forum.jpg (28.02KiB)Viewed 3552 times

A little bit out but enough to stop me being able to get the bolts in this side.

nearside forum.jpg (32.28KiB)Viewed 3552 times

Quite a bit out as you can see. N.B. the semicircle mark around the bottom is blue thread locker so it is at the top when looking at the pic where the problem is.

I am still not sure if it may be my error and inexperience of fitting so the jury is out but I am hoping the Jag ones drop sweetly over the holes. I will take pics when I get them.

Tim

[timedwards]

O.K. guys so here is my update. I fitted the genuine mount posted to me by Steve NO PROBLEM at all. I have today purchased another genuine from Stratstones (Jaguar dealer) and again easily fitted! So the only conclusion is that the aftermarket ones are rubbish, with the holes seemingly drilled in randomly. Also I have to say that there is definitely a difference in quality but then they are twice the price. I am no engineer but like I said to the retailer if they have to be contorted to make the holes line up then surely this will shorten their on the car life anyway.

In conclusion, lesson learned by me in that there may be some things that are o.k. aftermarket but with vee mounts I would rather pay the money, have the holes in the right place and not have to re-do the job six months or so down the line.

Here is a pic of the one vee mount in nicely.

N.B. the company however have been very polite and promised me a refund although saying they cannot understand this and never had any complaints before and having received the mounts through the post fitted them onto their frame with no problems. All I can say is they would not go on my frame at all. I am hoping my refund comes through shortly. (It did so happy in the end)

Tim