Found some blown bushings in my STR's front end yesterday, wondering if anyone happens to know if replacements can be sourced,

There are some listed on rockauto, but by the descriptions, as you can see, are very difficult to gauge which are which, as well as concern that some of these might be for 99-02 s-type applications...?

Anyhow, here's what I found blown,


On this lower wishbone, the smaller bushing for the shock mount is blown, edit: i suspect this may be the right bushing... BECK/ARNLEY Part # 1017517 {#C2C18350, C2C36866}


On this curved wishbone, both bushings are gone, edit: big bushing is ÜRO PARTS Part # C2C39683B, small bushing, not available, but likely not blown, edit2: small bushing does in fact seem worn with lots of play, trying to source one again...


Rock auto's available bushings...

 

I recall Brutal offering re-bushed curved lower control arm on this forum. Given the credibility of the person making the offer and the cost of bushes by themselves, I would recommend contacting Brutal for at least for the curved arm replacement.

 

ok... well if i was to take a stab at it, here's what i think so far,

The second one on the rockauto listing there,
BECK/ARNLEY Part # 1017517 {#C2C18350, C2C36866}

Looks to be for the lower strut mount... Does anyone happen to know if the CATS suspension/R-model cars had different strut bushings in the lower arm?



And the third last one, ÜRO PARTS Part # C2C39683B
looks to be the big hydro-filled bushing for the curved wishbone... which after some searching, confirmed it, also, the smaller bushing in that curved arm, doesn't seem to be available, but according to a post by brutal, he has never seen one go bad... so maybe skip that one,


Although I just stumbled across some threads regarding this topic on the diff jag forums... some reading to do there now too...

going to add some links here:



http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/f32/def...ead-28413.html

http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/f32/dis...ead-28418.html

 

tonyX, thanks for the advice, i am aware brutal offers rebuilt arms among other suspension bits,

I have a fully equipped shop on hand so rather spend the money on just bushings and press them in and out myself,

 

I think that thread on the UK forum is still the best one. So far we are all waiting to find several of the bushings by themselves. Also would like to see the lower and upper ball joints separately too.
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okay... well this may potentially be the right bushing for the front lower control arm, shock absorber mount,

BECK/ARNLEY Part # 1017517 {#C2C18350, C2C36866}


Although, I am concerned about it being yet another 99-02 S-Type application being listed as working on an 03+, not to mention, the R cars or CATS equipped S-Type's might have a different bushing...? Don't think so though, as that lower control arm appears to be universal across the 03+ s-type and XJ range...

 

Apparently, all the front lower arms are the same across all 03+ S-Types,


heres a couple of pics that may be of use, looks like #8 is the right one, so I just ordered this one, BECK/ARNLEY Part # 1017517 {#C2C18350, C2C36866}






I'll let everyone know when the rockauto order comes in, and press out the old bushings and replace with the new ones, and confirm if these are in fact all the right components,

I'll also be replacing both uprights/lower ball joints in my suspension overhaul trying to address a steering wheel shimmy under braking,

 

Good to know all this. I need to check mine as well for play

 

When you swap out the original bushing, C2C39683B, can you see if it's indeed hydraulic type? Thanks.

 

I do have the remanned curved control arms, but youre in Canada and that poses a shipping issue for me

 

Hi,

Took the front end apart today on the STR,

The big bushing in the curved control arm, appears to be completely rubber. The replacement that came in, appears to be the fluid-filled / hydraulic type everyone talks about.

I'm guessing the STR cars got less compliant, more sporty, solid-rubber bushings, while all the other S-cars got the hydraulic type.

Regardless, I'll be replacing the STR rubber bushing with the hydraulic one, as it appears everything else is compatible, so not too concerned with it not being to the exact spec.


I'll be pressing in new bushings among other things tomorrow and have the STR back on the road soon to report on improvements/steering wheel shimmy fix...

 

Ive never seen a non fluid filled hydro bushing in those arms, ever

 

so, here is the original arm,



original bushing, doesn't appear to the hydro,


replacement uro parts one, def looks like hydro inside the white plastic interior part there,


pressing the old bushing out,


I then gutted the original bushing, as the sleeve is very useful in helping press the new bushing back in, also gave me a chance to cut the guts of the original bushing in half in my bandsaw, and as you can see, looks totally metal and rubber in composition


and here it is getting pressed back in with the help of the sleeve,

 

Great pics!

 

Theyre both hydro, the white piece comes out and is solid, so does the black piece on the factory one. The hydro part is what captures the inner metal bushing and the outer shell. And you did clock them correctly in the arm didnt you?

 

eh... didn't really pay attention to clocking them to be honest... although i do think looking at it now, i got it right. whats the right way to clock the big bushing? glad you mentioned it now though

 

Great pictures and thanks for posting them.

However, looking at the close up of your original bushing, how did you determined that they needed replacing? To my eyes I did not see anything that raised any red flags.

Again, thanks for taking the trouble to post your experience.

 

eh, appeared okay, but with a prybar check, it had way too much play in it, noticeably looser than the right side arm which was rock solid.

trying to track down some play in the suspension, so figure i would rule it out, and at $42 it doesn't hurt to replace it,

although I wish i could have replaced the smaller outer bushing on that arm as well, it doesn't appear to be available, and I also came across a post by brutal which said 'i've never seen them go bad' so figure its okay... guess i'll find out soon if a few new bushings and new lower ball joints fix the steering wheel shimmy issue i been having.

 

if you draw a line down the center of the ovalof the bushing, that goes inline with the center of the arm and inline to the small bushing. You do have to be carefull when pressing as you can **** them in crooked and break the new bushing making it leak.

 

thanks for the heads up brutal; dumb luck in my case, i happened to clock the bushing just right in the curved control arm despite not really aiming for it,

in other news,

took the passenger side front end apart today, man, that particular lower control arm was a lot more of a pain to remove, i'll be doing the lower damper bushing and post pics of that tomorrow,

with that said, my curved control arm on the passenger side is 'rock solid' as i described it earlier, but it also gave me a chance to check out the smaller, outer bushing on that curved control arm, and it is noticeably stiffer than the the driver side one i had apart...

makes me think, the smaller bushing on the curved control arm-driver-side is in fact blown too, and a wise thing would have been to replace that one too, wonder if i can hunt down a replacement bushing for that one... if not... might need a whole new arm, ugh!

upper ball joint on the passenger side might have a tiny bit of play too... too bad that would call for an entirely new control arm too...

this front end refresh is turning out to be a real expense... although will be satisfying to get everything back into spec thats for sure...