Yeah! Another satisfied customer. Hope you stick around for abit, its good karma to participate in the forums, even off-topic type stuff...car thinks you're tech savvy and won't act up on you as much.

 

Do I get a cookie

 

My front end of my 95 VDP would clunk over small and big bumps.
I jacked up my left front and took the wheel off, and looked at the top of the shock...and there was about a half inch of freeplay (the shock was extended all the way as if going over a bump).
I put the wheel on again, then lowered the car. Then I took off the top nut of the shock (inside of the engine compartment). It has a big washer with an ominous warning of not removing the nut, but since the wheel/tire was on the ground the shock wasn't going anywhere.
I took off the top bumper bushing and figgered out a washer arrangement to take up the slack of the compressed bumper...put it back together and voila! No more clunk.

And I was thinking it was the ball joints making noise and maybe the bushings were all shot, but the car drives so nicely...soooo...just thought I would pass this along.

 

I noticed two types of bushings- sport and comfort- what's the dif?

Tom
2001 VDP

 

i had a ball joint issue and had that changed out and a similar problem went away. I also had the sway bars and shock absorbers replaced...with labor it was under 600.

 

The entire sway bar?

 

guess my memory is way off lol..

i had the shock lower mount, subframe mount, lower control arm bushing, upper ball joint, both front shock absorbers, and the sway bar link replaced.

193.00 in parts, 504.00 labor

completely different car after this..

 

I bet.

 

It looks like i need a new passenger side upper bushing i would like to replace both sides at the same time. Is there a how to on this and where can i find te bushings? Also are there any other bushings I can check and replace easiy? I checked the sway bar bushings by rocking the steering and it seemed fine.

 

I ordered the bushing kit from ken at motorcarsltd today and have the following procedure prepared if anyone has any tips or corrections please advise, I dont want the spring flying out at me and threatining my life!

1. lift car support with jack stand and remove tire
2. Lift lower control arm and support with jack stand
3. Remove bottom and top shock nuts and then remove shocks
4. Remove upper mount by 4 bolts in engine bay
5. Press out bushings and keep center pin
6. Press in new bushings with original center pin
7. Reinstall all components.

I saw one post in an old thread from one of the techs mentioning to leave the car on the ground and the upper assembly can be removed, is this possible? Would that save me having to completely remove the shock and just be able to compress the shock with the upper mount assembly reinstalled? Sounds a lot easier and possibly safer as tire can shield me from a spring flying out.

 

No need to jack anything up. I did it like that, on the ground, no problem. The shock compresses quite easily when putting the top mount back on.

 

I agree with Steve. I changed my upper shock bushings last week with the car on the ground. The shock will recompress easily using the top mount to push it down.

The new bushings greatly reduced bumps and kickback to the steering wheel. I was surprised by this as I expected a reduction on bumps felt through the body rather than through the steering wheel.

Let us know how the car feels after you change them

Ed

 

Installed the new bushings today went fairly easy. I would like to add a special note for cars with cats, an 8mm allen key is needed to hold the shock while a 17mm open end wrench is used to unbolt top shock nut (i made an 11/16 open end wrench work). I can upload a picture later. I also had my mechanic pressou old bushings and press in the new ones took about 15 minutes. The car seems to ride smoother the tapping on the passenger floor board seems muffled i suppose time will tell. When i reinstalled the mounts the passenger side shock was a lot stiffer and harder to compress then the driver side. Is this an indicator of a bad shock?

 

I have a similar rattling problem and have purchased the lower steering column modified. What I don't understand is why the return line is also required to be changed unless of course it is damaged or nicked?

 

Probably not "required", but a case of "when you're in there, might as well" type of thing...?

 

Why is it necessary to remove the shock tower (my name) ??


Can't you just remove the shock and replace the upper mount?

 

To replace the bushings that are in part of the upper mount you need to remove the mount to press the new bushings in. To repalce only the shock you do not need to remove the top mount

 

I have a 1998 VDP w/110k
As of 4/15/2015 I have installed new upper and lower ball joints, tie rod ends, upper wish bone bushings, lower control arm bushings, stability control bar links, stability control bar bushings. Alignment done. Steering rack inner tie rod ends are tight. Telescoping feature in upper column is fine. Wheel bearings are a little loose but nothing to scoff about. Drivers side rack boot is leaking oil but i dont think that is the problem with my 2 inches of play I have in the steering wheel when car is sitting on ground engine off. But I wont rule the rack oil leak out either.

I read the TSB that Bob Gauff aka motorcarman posted on the change out of the old "tube in a tube" lower steering column link aka "yoke", its the two piece unit that slides apart when the universal joints at each end are prise off the rack and pinyon spline below and the steering column spline above for removal.
Q. In leu of buying a whole new updated one at $435 and a power steering return line at $150 could I just run a 3/16" or so bolt perpendicular thru the "yoke" that would lock them together preventing the steering wheel play or does that telescoping sliding action in the "yoke" have to be there for the suspension movement or is it just designed that way to let it slide out/separate for removal and or to collapse in the event of a accident? I dont want to bolt that yoke together if its going to destroy the spline seals in the rack or worse mess up the upper column. See this thread please: Jaguar XJR steering play - PistonHeads ...
I looked at the updated part number MNE9501AD, SNG Barratt - The Ultimate Jaguar Parts Specialist m=43&c=14714&s=9367&a=14730&b=US ,the one with the blue tag and black rubber coupling, and it appears to have no telescoping "feature" to it. Just a solid rod with a locking nut just above the lower universal joint for adjustment and or removal. Q. Is the rubber coupling above for removal or is it designed so the lower column can be cushioned with the suspension movement?
So I have the old tube in a tube "yoke" lower steering column link with the tongue and groove in it and that is where my play problem is, pretty sure anyway, see vid, its hard to talk with a flashlight in your mouth. No play in the rack and pinyon inner tie rod ends or rack mounting bushes nor where the universal joint meets the spline in the rack and the spline in the upper column. There is no play in the universals themselves. I grabbed hold of the lower universal at the rack end and had my dad rotate the steering wheel for the one inch of play in either direction to confirm. Car wanders at straight freeway speed unless the freeway turns a little and then the left to right wander and greater turn compensation begins.
Q. If the new updated part must be installed because the thru bolt modification I would like to do isnt a good idea and might cause damage is it absolutely necessary to replace the power steering return line as well?

Thanks so much,

Jon.