Hi, I have just joined the forum and to be quite honest, I am a real newbie when it comes to cars in general.

However, on to business: my rear lower control arms on my 99 S-Type v8 4.0 have rubber bushes which have perished slightly.

The arms themselves are in good working order so I spoke to Jaguar Stratstone here in Edinburgh about replacing the bushes. They tell me that they don't offer this service and in fact, the left is on back order with Jaguar (with no expected delivery dates). Of course, they want £420 each plus £90 per side labour to fit them.

I looked on eBay and there are poly bushes available at a very reasonable £95 each but after calling around a few garages here (and in Fife) no one seems to be able to do the work needed.

My understanding is that an industrial press with a rating of 15 to 20 tonnes is needed but when I mention this they all seem to think I am talking crazy.

Does anyone know any good garages in my area that are up to the task?

 

I've moved your question from XK8/XKR section to S-Type section. Members here with the same model as you will be able to help.

I'll just add that you have a 1999 S-Type as you haven't put this detail in your Signature.

Graham

 

I can't help you with a shop to chose in getting your lower bushing replaced, but I can help regarding what bushings to have installed.

- A few weeks back I posted about my experience with Red urethane bushings that an UK E-bay seller is trying to sell. Whatever you do stay away from the urethane ones being sold there. They are way too soft and created an unsafe driving situation for my car! A complete waste of time and money! There are 2 other companies selling urethane bushings in the UK, Polybush and ? I don't think I would recommend using either of them and I will tell you why.

All the rear lower control arms use a pair of fluid filled mono-ball bushings that are very rigid and precise in controlling the suspension geometry. The rear inner bushing and outer rear bushing. One is 54mm wide, the other is 59mm wide and both use 14mm diameter bolts. (Replacements only come 54mm wide and provide washers to make it fit 59mm wide) The 3rd rear lower inside front bushing is significantly larger than the other 2 monoball bushings and is a formed rubber bushing with a thin outer shell and inner steel shaft. This larger bushing comes in 2 varieties. One for the STR and the other for all the rest of the cars. (I believe the STR version is stiffer, but don't have any data to prove this)

The problem with the fluid filled mono-ball bushing is that the outer covers rot and crack in 5 to 7 years, and all the lubricant either leaks out or gums up.
Eventually they have to be replaced, and they can be.

All three bushings press out very easily, but you need a smaller width press with a narrow mounting platform to be able to get the bushings centered beneath the press.
(I used my 10 ton press. My 20 tom press was too wide and the arms wouldn't fit in far enough. It hit the angled surfaces of the aluminum control arm, and couldn't be properly centered.) Whomever presses out the bushing needs to be able to figure out the right diameter cup to use below the bushing and the right size push rod to press on the bushing.

When you install the new ones you need to be sure they are evenly centered in the bushing holes.

I've seen bushing kits for sale on the UK Ebay, so I know they are available.

Good luck!

 

Since I am still irritated about my Urethane bushing experience, if you see bushings for sale that look like these, DON'T BUY THEM! They are way to soft and create unsafe driving conditions

 

Here is mine recent experience with PF poly bushes. I only managed 150-200 miles on them.. and car just start to side step by rear to neighbor line when braking harder than slight.. scary feelings






The guys quickly sent me replacement but of harder version.. and now I just doubt to install them as don't feel confident they don't fail same rate and same way.

The interesting thing that when I did my order for X350 XJ PF had not the listing of this car in their catalogue, I had to compose bushing from two cars (S-type and mystery XJR for front bushes) and explain that set fits X350-X358 but today they have and do not offer soft versions for these locations, only hard ones (black).. Did I provide them free R&D info?! Don't want to step on the same rake once more.

I also installed black (hard) bushes into front upper wishbones.. I only managed same miles to put up with disgusting squeaking from them and have to disassemble them tu cut excess material then regrease and install them back. Very bad design right from the factory..

PS Tuning is wrong!

 

Be sure and look at the UK forum too. They have a great thread on suspension bushings!

The definitive wishbone bush thread
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As stated in a past post, I had a bad experience using urethane bushings. I was motivated and tried to find another source for a mono-ball style bushing that I could make work for the rear lower S-type control arms. 2 of the 3 worked great but the outer one has so much lateral load on it that it kept popping apart. I took my home-brewed bushed arms off and haven't had time to try to come up with another outer replacement bushing.
For now, the best source for the smaller inner and outer bushings I've found is E-bay. Yes you will need a press, or a bushing extraction tool to do the job. Pushing out the old ones and pressing in the new ones isn't too difficult.

So far, I haven't found an off-the-shelf replacement for the third larger bushing, so if it looks ok and the rubber isn't rotten or severely cracked, don't remove it from the arm.

The mono-ball "Hydra" bushings that are used are very rigid and have little, to no, side flex. This is very important on the outer bushing that attaches to the hub carrier.
The only problem with these bushings is that the rubber boots that keep the lubricant inside the bushing starts to rot within a few years.