Random Shenanigans - The big cat's back

Have you not got any local oiks that want a saturday job chopping wood for 2ltrs of cider and some woodbines?!!

Na there is enough of us in this house we don't need more people around.
Most the the houses around here are owned by retired folkes not many oiks that I know of except us.

And having lived in a cottage with an open fire in the front room and a log burner in the back, I can attest to the accuracy of that statement.

Even now, I can't go past a cut down tree without the urge to load up the Range Rover!

I wasn't able to get up to much the past week and for most of the weekend due to having other work to get done.
I did get a bit of sunday afternoon in the workshop though, this time we had the big cat in.


It belongs to my grandad and we want to get a bit of work done before the mot, since the whole lockdown situation the car hasnt been driven for the past year but has been garaged.

What have we got it in for then?
Well if you look at it compared to another xk8 you will notice it has a large amount of rake. The rear end measures about correct according to the factory spec but the front is approximately 2” low. So it has sagged considerably this isn't so surprising when you consider the weight of the engine in these barges, it also needs front wheel bearings changing so we will refurb all the bits while they are out.

Underneath isnt too bad for the age


We were saying that right until we started removing undertrays.
Front radiator hanger didnt like being prodded and promptly fell out.


Even the dog wasnt impressed


Guess we have some welding to do then.
Before we start on that though all the front suspension needs to come off since thats what we are under here for anyway.
Basic tasks made more difficult by jaguar for no apparent reason. The lower wishbone bolt doesnt come out because the steering rack is in the way


So now i have to unbolt the steering rack and drop it down far enough to get the bolt out. Considering the steering rack is a steel bolt into the cast aluminium subframe i was surprised they actually came out.


Its a shouldered bolt too so i cant put it back in the opposite direction where there is plenty of room to take it in and out.

Well thats the hub and strut out of one side.



The other side did not go so smoothly.
We got all the lower wishbone unbolted and freed off but the top bolt will not budge.
So we separated it from the hub and dropped everything else off.


The nut has come off the bolt but the bolt itself is seized into both the aluminium subframe and the bushes inner sleeves, it wont have been handling very well since the wishbone wasnt able to rotate on the bolt.
Even with the breaker bar on it the bolt will not turn so i stopped before the aluminium subframe snapped especially since it was flexing rather a large amount. Its currently soaking in plusgas and i will try again tonight when i get home, probably involving a blowtorch.

Haha yep that's him. I hadn't noticed that.

The wheel bearings are a bit of an Peach since you need a special tool to remove the abs ring and you need to make a plate for clamping the hub in a vice so that you can get enough torque on the abs ring to undo it.

Anyone got some smart ideas about removing the very stuck bolt in the aluminium casting.
Tried heat and penetrating oil tonight but it still won't budge with either the breaker bar or my big Milwaukee gun.

Yes i was thinking that might be an option aswell, would make sure it doesnt seize up again.

wightcar Has one that he's recently changed a front wheel bearing on - git of job / big press job apparently