My XJR has a failed rear strut.

I had a slow leak that could wait while the new shed is being built. It took a week or so to go down. While we had earthworks going on the car was stuck at the top of our driveway (200m long). My wife moved it after that without waiting for the strut to pump up. Result one ripped airbag.

Now its parked on the grass on the bump stops, with the hand brake jammed and I cant get a jack under it

I need to lift the back wheels up to get to the handbrake cable

I can lift the wheels and get it on stands with the bobcat (fitted with fork tines) but I fear this will be too much chassis twist.

Im thinking of welding up a "H" cradle to go under both rear wheels then lifting both wheels together using bobcat

Anyone have a better idea?

I just need to get the wheels off to release the handbrake so I can get it the 100m to the new shed

Cheers
34by151

 

So the immediate goal is to release the parking brake, correct?

And I'm sorry I couldn't see details of your year XJR, but... do you guys actually get a brake lever or is it the common electronic one? If you have an EPB system, then I'd just release it by jumping wires through the trunk.

That way, you don't have to play British roulette with that hunk of aluminum suspended over you (I don't like to get under cars when the non-drive wheels are the only ones on the ground, even chocked).
Ya know, unless you've done this before and are sure you need to go underneath.

 

Yeah I need to release the handbrake which means wheels off

For some reason they are not releasing which usually means a stuck cable.
In any case it is easy to remove the cable from the EPB calipers

The issue is the sills are 50mm of the ground and I cant get a jack under it
I cant get a tow truck forks onto the wheels as there is not enough room to get between the car and our creek.

I cant use wheel skates either as its parked on the grass

Cheers
34by151

 

Well, if attempting to release the EPB by bypassing the module won't work, then I suppose it's time to get under the car.

Personally, I wouldn't be scared of momentarily raising one side. The other side will go up too, and you can slip a jack underneath it.

 

sounds like you have to dig a trench to fit the jack into.

 

My EPB was once jammed before; it refused to release and car was stranded at a parking lot. A tow truck came and what followed was a long story and lots of learning. Anyway, disconnecting the battery for a long long while might allow the car to automatically reset the EPB at which point the brake would be released. Then I also read about another option of unplugging the EPM module which is located inside the trunk (on the right side ?). If all failed and the cable was physically stuck, you can try what the tow truck technician did - he pushed a thin piece of wood under the wheels to raise the car a little first. In your case you can try Sean W's suggestion to dig a small trench to fit the jack in.

 

Qvhk, the EPM way is what I was talking about. I like the crowbar/ lever idea too.

I hate to come off as promoting my stuff, but here is a video I did when my parking brakes froze on me.

 

Not a good option to do that while its on the bump stops. If the wheels cant move all the jacking motion will be taken up by chassis twist. Something that is not recommended.

That may work but its a big trench to get the jacks under.

I think I will go for a H bar under both rear wheels.

Re the EPB it is a jammed cable not a motor or battery issue. So I need to to either remove cable from the calipers which is easy to do if the wheels are off.

It will be a few weeks before I deal with it anyway. Although my new road is graded it is blocked with about loads of asphalt. Im waiting for the crane truck to erect the shed steel before paving the road. Once that done I can can look at moving the car back up to the house. That's about 200m up the new road. Ideally Ill wait a bit longer and finish the shed so I can put it on the hoist.

Cheers
34by151

 

Can you rent air bags to raise the car?

 

We have a bobcat and a tractor both fitted with forks thanks to my 2 neighbors.

So the plan is to lift both rear wheels at the same time using the 2 machines.
I can then get some stands under and the wheels off

It will be a few weeks before we bother as the drive will be blocked for a few weeks.
In about 6 weeks the new shed will be up and the driveway back in place.

That will be the time to fix everything. Have a long list of items that have been waiting for the new hoists. The big ones are replacing all the suspension rubbers. At the same time change all the air struts, do a trans pan and oil change plus all the normal service items.

Thanks everyone for the ideas

Cheers
34by151

 

Managed to lift the car.
Ended up using a section of RHS (50 x 50 x 5.0) that I had laying around

Just welded a pair of pads on it to line up with the rear jacking points
I then welded a plate on each end for a shackle point
Finally lifted the bar using a sling onto each machine.

This let me get the wheels off and the parkbrake came loose with with a tap in the EPB caliper lever.

This has let me move the car to a better location ready to install the new struts when the shed is finished in a few weeks (just before Xmas)

Cheers
34by151