Hello, I will be replacing the rear bushings on the front sub-frame in the near future. I do have a couple of questions before I start.

When searching the bushings, I find pictures of bushings with the hole in the center and some pictures showing the hole biased toward one side. Which are the correct bushings? If the mounting hole is biased to the side, which way should they be installed? Short side toward the front, rear, top or bottom or is there another determining factor?
Lastly, can I lower the rear of the sub-frame enough to replace the bushings or do i need to drop the entire frame? I'd prefer not to pull the whole thing down if possible.

Thanks much for the advice!

 

I don't think you won't be able to lower the rear enough without risking damage to the rubber in the V mounts at the front if the subframe is still attached there.
If you do unbolt the V mounts you then need to support the engine before the frame is dropped. Dropping the frame means in some cases messing with the steering rack.

I find it better to spend longer removing things to make an easier job at the end rather than risk damage or tight working spaces for the sake of saving a few hours.


My bushes were off centre and I replaced them in the same position as the old ones.

 

Hi David,

I think you'll find it necessary to drop the entire subframe to do the job properly. Even if you could drop the rear of the subframe far enough for access to the bushes, I'm not sure if they can even be removed and installed with the bolt-and-socket method. I used a small hydraulic press. If you don't have one, find a good local automotive machine shop that does - it won't cost much to have the bushes swapped. While you're at it, you'll probably want to replace the Vee mounts and consider replacing the engine mounts, along with the lower control arm bushes and other parts that require removal of the front road springs.

Here's the parts diagram from jaguarclassicparts.com showing the angled orientation of the bushes:



As Bumbazor mentioned, you should position the new pivot bushings at the same angle as the old ones. Before I pressed out an old bush, I made a mark with a center punch on the steel subframe ring to help me install the new bush in the same orientation. In the photo below, see the small center punch mark at the left side of the ring, indicating the position of the "arrow point" on the bush. This photo is from our '93 XJ40, but the principle will be similar on an X308 - you just may need to choose a different reference point on the bush:




This is a view of the bush angle from the side:





Here are links to photos of the front end work on our '93 - some of the details will be different on your X308, but they'll give you the general idea of what's involved:

Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page
Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page
Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page

Cheers,

Don

 

A big thanks to Bumbazor and Don B for the informative replies. Sorry that is has taken so long to respond....just too busy right now. Never the less, I'll probably drive to my brother's shop where we will drop the entire sub-frame and replace the bushings and the rear engine seal. Great illustration Don. I'll keep if for later.
Best, Dave

 

Jaguar TSB 204-04 has the info. You can probably rig up some spacers and round stock to press the bushes. A ball joint 'C' clamp might be strong enough to install the bush.

A trick to getting the old one out quickly is to take a hacksaw apart and insert the blade through the larger hole. Re-assemble and cut a slot most of the way through the steel outer area then use an air chisel to fold the metal and collapse it. DO NOT cut into the subframe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bob gauff

 

I just did this on my 98 XJr 2 weeks ago. i used used the superseded part number MNC2370AC. They do not have the alignment tang in the rubber like the earlier bushings, but there are some designs in the bush i used to draw a line through the bushing with white out for alignment. I removed the old bushes with a saws all and folded up the metal until they sild right out of the sub frame. Pressing the bushings in place is not hard but can be a bit tricky; the center offset metal hole extends past both side of the bushing so finding the right set up of adapters is important. This is a great time to replace the front vee mounts (if not done) and motor mounts(mine turned into Tea pots). I would suggest OEM jag parts i don't trust the APA/Uro aftermarket parts at all.
Best of luck!

 

Thanks for the reply and info MVirgil,
What would we do without this forum?
I was a bit unsettled about ordering the bushings because some photos show the arrows and some do not. Now I can be assured that the ones without the arrows are the correct type.
Best, Dave

 

very glad to ease your anxiety. i called the Jag dealer before i ordered my bushings to make sure everything was correct; they confirmed the old part number had superseded to MNC2370AC.