Anti-Sway Bar Bushings -- XJ-S (and maybe XJ6/12)

["Kirbert" <palmk@mailer.gadcomm.net>]

This is primarily to Thomas Alberts, whose e-mail address I have misplaced, 
but also to other XJ owners interested in aftermarket urethane anti-sway bar 
bushings for their cars.

Bushings and brackets for the rear of the XJ-S are easy, almost anything will 
fit.  However, the front appears to be more of a challenge, having offset 
bolt holes and a height limit to avoid interference.  Also, the 
original Jaguar brackets at the front don't have a conventional D shape but 
have somewhat sloped sides, making it difficult to use an aftermarket bushing 
with the stock Jag bracket.

I just had an extensive conversation with John Carlson of Addco Industries
(1-800-338-7015 extension 16 or 561-844-7881) regarding not only these 
brackets but other problems Addco has in dealing with the Jaguar owner.  I 
pointed out the following concerns I had with their catalog:

1)  They indicate their "B" style bushing/bracket for the rear of the XJ-S; 
the "B" would work, but their "D" style would work much better.

2)  They indicate their "D" style bushing/bracket for the front; the bracket 
definitely won't work, since it doesn't have the offset holes.  The bushing 
might be usable with the stock Jaguar brackets, but it is highly unlikely to 
be a proper fit since their bushings don't have the sloped sides the Jag 
bracket has.

3)  Their rear bar kit assumes the presence of a stock bar, which hasn't 
existed on the XJ-S since the late 70's (except for Sportspak models).  As a 
result, their kit doesn't include a lot of hardware needed to install -- 
hardware that is both expensive and rather difficult to locate from Jaguar.

4)  Perhaps also as a result of their assumption of the existence of a stock 
rear bar, the bar they offer is NOT suitable for light duty use but rather 
for serious competition only -- it is far too stiff for most of us.  In fact, 
it is probably too stiff for competition -- the stock 70's bar was 9/16", the 
Sportspak is 5/8", the Addco is 7/8", or four times as stiff as the 
Sportspak.  I suggested they were probably scaring most XJ-S owners off with 
this offering.

Carlson intends to address these problems, and in fact expressed interest in 
obtaining a Jaguar to use to update and correct his kits.  (If there are any 
XJ owners near 715 13th Street, Lake Park, Florida, you might wanna drop in 
and talk to Carlson; you might help us all, and you might score an anti-sway 
bar installation in the process!).  I suggested that he might consider 
abandoning the stock scheme of attaching the bar ends to the radius arms, 
since it requires welding to the radius arms plus a unique dogbone link from 
Jaguar.  I suggested he work up his own attachment scheme, using bolt-on 
brackets and perhaps more conventional links.

I told him that once he gets his Jaguar offerings straightened out, I'd post 
the news on this list.  I hope you all don't consider that improper 
advertising; IMHO, just about anyone who has gone through the Addco catalog 
has decided they don't offer anything desirable for the XJ and won't look 
again, so my posting the news that the offerings are changing should be a 
welcome input.

Anyhow, my own present concern is with the front bushings/brackets, since one 
of mine is FUBAR.  It turns out that Addco was able to help!  They have an 
"S" series bushing/bracket with offset holes that their catalog indicates 
fits Toyota pickups and 4-runners.  Carlson sent me a fax of this bracket, 
and it appears to be PERFECT for the front of the XJ-S!  Not only are the 
holes offset exactly right, but the height is correct to avoid interference 
with the subframe!

Their kit for the Toyota calls for a 1-1/8" bar (and therefore bushing size);
this is undoubtedly NOT the size of the stock Toyota bar, but rather the bar 
Addco offers as an aftermarket upgrade.  I dunno the size of the stock Toyota 
bar, but it's unlikely it's 7/8", so going to a junkyard and yanking a set of 
bushings will not likely fit the Jag properly.  

I was only interested in a 7/8" bushing to fit the stock front Jag bar.  
Addco has a "W" series bushing which fits their "S" series bracket, so 
Carlson was able to offer me "S" series brackets with "W" series bushings 
with the proper size hole.  All of this is on its way.  When it gets here, I 
told him I would call him back and report on how it all fits.  I will also 
post a report to all of you.

 -- Kirbert      |     If anything is to be accomplished,
                 |     some rules must be broken.
                 |          - Palm's Postulate

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