cut the top off and grip with vice grips, impact off

 

Tried that, didn't work. That wouldn't let me get it back on either, still new control arm either way now

 

no big deal

i just got one out of a wrecked 2015 xf with no miles for 30 bucks. has the latest casting and black ball joint boots

 

Just an FYI for anyone needing to replace just your boost covers... I ordered from the ebay place in Bulgaria about 17 days ago and they already arrived in my mailbox. Also if you need the coil insulators, Welsh by far has best price and ask them for the $10 off first time customer. Sadly on my 2012 XK with under 50K miles the insulators were crumbling apart. Instead of ordering covers for the sway links i just ordered the links. Boot covers for control arms 13x30x22 and for tie rod 15x30x23 (per bigbaddog)

 

That's what Iikely end up doing. First will cut a notch and try that, and then next will try splitting the nut. If nothing then it's new control arm time.

 

Its a T30 torx not 5mm hex at the front, if it's a lemforder/OEM arm, that's why it has rounded off (if I have understood you correctly).

 

I peered inside and they are definitely hex and not torx on mine. Maybe they updated it in later models

 

That's interesting, and yes almost certainly from 2009 MY they were all T30. I was reading the Rusty Nut Bible recently (it's average, don't bother) and apparently the TORX was invented in 1967 as a result of internal hex being prone to rounding off.

 

It is possible that I have aftermarket control arms, replaced before my ownership.

My 07 xkr has 5mm hex as well, but that would align with your 09 and after

 

Can anyone point to any new vendors selling the boots? Seems like the original vendor in the original post has stopped transacting on ebay.

 

I usually buy the split universal gaiters which come in a pack with small, medium and large. You don't need to split the ball joint, which can sometimes be the most difficult part of the operation. The included tube of superglue means the gaiter can be quickly replaced in situ.

Richard

 

Just to ad to this very relevent but older thread. When discussing the "evaporation" of our suspension boots to a number of service people at Jaguar...They told me that cars that were still under warranty when owners discovered this flaw, were refused replacement of these inferior boots or suspension parts. How's that for spending big bucks for a car lacking a warranty for inferior parts? Regardless, I was also told over and over, that the suspension parts on our cars should last quite some time (without the protection of the boots) before failure. Apparently that might be the case for those that use their cars sparingly. Presently, I'm living with my "perished" boots as my car has 15,000 miles. Hopefully, the joints and ball joints will hold their own for some time before they fail.

 

i recently ordered all of the boots to replace them on the tie bar and drop links, i ordered direct from Polyboots website and they fedex the items over so you have them in a couple of days, they did mention that they might be opening up another ebay store sometime in the future, i used all of the sizes listed above but i also ordered a 17 31 25.5 from this seller "https://www.ebay.com/itm/314308891050" which worked for the inner boot on the tie rod..

I managed to do all of these without the need to inject the grease after the fact and leave a hole in the boot, simply clean out all of the old grease when the old boot is removed and then smear a small amount of new onto the joint and slip the new boot on, as long as the excess grease is wiped off where the boot sits you should be fine.

 

Many of the joints like those on the control arms.
Can be taken apart to install the new boots.
EverTough, part number, 67008, Tie Rod End Remover..
Works great removing the metal plate.
After carefully removing the ring on top,.clean out old grease.
Install new boot with clean grease, then the plate with ring.

 

I tried polyboots awhile back and thought these boots for our cars were no longer available. Glad to hear they still are. I'm still driving around with "perished" boots and 15,000 miles on car. Waiting for signs of wear on joints, before undertaking replacement.