I am taking my 2005 XK8 (116,000 miles) over this week to put on my summer tires. The drivers rear wheel (when I jack the car up) has allot of vertical movement (over 1/4") but no left right movement. I have much less vertical movement on the passenger side rear wheel. I have not noticed any noise coming from any off the wheels when I am driving. The rear wheels have what appears to be a noticeable stance.

I do have a vibration in the steering wheel between 67 - 75 mph and the all season tires are all worn bald on the inside of the tire tread (outside tread at replacement wear markers) .. I am getting rid of those. What should I be looking for as far as cause?

 

The structure at the rear end and final drive allow for some vertical movement in the wheels when they are hanging freely, that's normal. 1/4" sounds ok but if that becomes more I would have a closer look for the cause.

Wheel alignment is the probable cause for the unevenly worn tires. If all wheels are leaning in you may have wrong type of or tired springs. Incorrect pressure in the tires may cause additional consequences.

Jouko

 

In front, inner wear is most likely from the foam in the upper shock mounts compressing. There is no camber adjustment other than ride height and upper shock mount foam compression can lower the ride height by 1".

Replace these with new ones from Welsh's Ebay store and the front end will be back within spec.

In the rear the lower spring perch rubber can get squashed thin and need replacing, along with the upper spring perch foams.

Vibration in the steering wheel is most likely the tire balance, but it could be an inner tirerod allowing movement.

 

I appreciate the help. I ordered the parts and I went ahead and ordered new front shock mount kits as well from Welches, $157.00 for the set which I thought was a great deal. I should get all the parts in and on by the end of the first week of May.

I bought a new set of Pirelli P-Zero Rosso (ZR) tires from Simple Tire for $65.00 each (they dont have any more). I'll put those on and see how the car rides.

Should I also go ahead and order the rear - shock mount bushings. I do get a slight popping in the rear end when I first shift into reverse and start backing up?

 

Wait what??? you bought P-zero for only $65 each....that's really cheap!!

 

The tires were a great deal. I got them back mid-winter. They were the last 4 they had. Bad part is the manufacturing date on the tires I believe is late 2011. So the tires are almost 5 years old. I am sure there is probably some degrading of the tire compounds even though from what I read its really very little. We'll see.

I am not sure what bushings to replace for the rear shock mounts (popping noise). Is it the same (2) bushings that come on the shock and that slips up into metal mount or is there an additional bushing. I am not putting all this on. I have someone who will do the work for me. I just need to make sure I buy all the right parts.

I bought ITEMS #4, #5, #6 on this page .... Is this correct?

Jaguar 97 06 XK8 Rear Lower Spring Seat CCC7350 | eBay

 

Jag didn't provide a way to adjust the camber and I had the same inner tire wear since the front end was riding low. I replaced the upper strut/coil mount (foam sandwich) since mine was beginning to deteriorate but that didn't raise the front end enough to meet the spec.(401mm from center of wheel to edge of fender). I made two 1/2" alum spacers to fit between the top of the upper strut/coil mount and the body but had to change the mounts' 3 studs to longer versions to accommodate the spacer. That seemed to correct the tire wear issue. You may want to check the a-arm bushings as well, I replaced mine with poly bushings. A pain to remove the existing metal sleeved type but the poly ones (Powerflex) just slip in.

 

On this car, you will have a little bit of play up and down, but you shouldn't have any left or right. Partly with the up and down movement is due to the shim inside the hub where the wheel bearings are. Sometimes you can get a little bit of movement in the U-Joint, grease it and see if it goes away. A lot of people get a misconception on these cars with the up and down movement in the rear wheels. About 3 mm movement is normal, anything more than that I would suspect a bearing or the U-Joint.

 

Those should get any noises coming from the spring and restore the "non spring related" ride height. But there still could be noises from the shocks.


The upper, upper Shock bushing foam (above the top hat) can also crumble and the shock washer smack the top of the top hat on shock extension.


If you have the springs out, which is required to replace the top bushings, you should also rebush the shocks. For $60 more/side than just bushings, you can get all new Bilsteins that have all new bushings/boots.


Its a slippery slope but if you do everything once, you won't have to worry about it for years.

 

I'll keep that in mind about making spacers (I have machinist skills). I am trying to get everything gathered together I will need. I have already priced out the Powerflex bushings. I figure once I get into it I will see exactly what other bushings I need. I was hoping not to have to replace the shocks but I did find for $13.50 each a kit that replaces the upper shock/strut foams and the the little plastic covering.

I may go ahead and replace the shocks and be done with it so I wont have to tear it all back apart again. .. If I can find them for $60.00 a shock.

Right now I want to replace all the hoses .. what a nightmare. I have decided to just go through and find the ones that look bad and replace those. I have a mechanic/friend to do my suspension. I figure I can do my hoses and belts. Or at least I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

 

Bilstein Shocks are $100/each with free shipping. To replace the upper and lower bushings, and the boot, you'll spend about $40 shipped each.


The Difference is $60/each for all new shocks.

 

You can buy #4, which is the lower spring seat, however, I've never really had to replace this part myself, possibly due to the environment I was working in. However #5 and #6 I would definitely do, those seem to be more common issues, along with the bushes at the top of the shocks as well. It's not exactly a "quick" job, so it would be a good idea to replace #5 and #6 while you're in that far.

 

I think I am going to go ahead and get the rear shocks. While I am going to be as deep as I am. I do plan on keeping this jag for a long long time. I like the looks of the xk8/xkr's and the ride and its paid for. The engine does not burn a drop of oil. For the most part the car should be in really good shape.

Hey I am going to have a really good price on a new coolant level sensor if anyone is interested. I went ahead and bought a new expansion tank. I was taking off the old expansion tank to make it easier to put in the new sensor and one of the connection ends snapped off. Was very brittle. I looked inside and the float was almost cracked in half. So, I ordered a new one which comes with a new coolant level sensor.

 

I guess I need to start a new post chain. I pressure tested my radiator system today and I knew I had a slow leak somewhere. I pushed the pressure up to 25 PSI and water was flowing from the bottom side of the thermastat housing. I took it apart thinking the housing was cracked but I cant find any place it should leak. I am now hoping its one of the gaskets. Does anyone know where I can find those gaskets. I am going to replace the thermastat and I get a gasket with that. Then there are 2 smaller gaskets , one on each side where the screws mount. Then there is a gasket where the neck attaches to the body and a gasket where the neck attaches to the block.

I think I also have a leak on one of the heater hoses ... but thats another project all together.

 

If the thermostat housing is made of plastic you may have a classical situation where you should replace that with a metallic one. Should not be expensive and is worth replacing while you have the parts off the car anyhow.

Jouko

 

The pre '03 4.0 guys are lucky, there was a alum housing made (after market), but the 03 + 4.2 I don't believe it's available. Plenty of posts on this.

 

His is the 2005 and will need the full monty on the plastic bits. Still not a bad idea to replace. Jon89 did a good article on that replacement.


Wayne

 

I have on order all new Bilstein shocks. Both front and rear. I have already received the (2) front shock mounts and spring isolation bushings front and rear. I returned the lower spring mount. I will get those if I need them.

I think I am ready to go. I am sure there will be more once I he gets into it.

At this point all my coolant leaks are gone. We'll see what happens.

Thanks everyone.

 

Unexpected wear on the inside of the front tires, with some vertical play. Check those upper control arm bushings ASAP. Everything up there should be concentric. Mine failed catastrophically and it cost me a damn near new set of tires (inner threads shot) before I even realized anything was wrong.

 

Ok... Help needed. I need to replace the thermastat housing with an alluminum one for my 2005 XK8. I have the car in the shop and they say the plastic one needs replacing. They want me to put in a new plastic one. I want a metal one if I can get it. Ok, what all do I need. Does anyone have a complete list of parts.