Thanks for this, Bob. So:
Green section is 34cm and it is for setting the torsion bar.
Green section plus the bushing is 39.7cm and it is for setting camber.
Am I correct? Thanks.
john
Johnā¦you have it the wrong way aroundā¦green plus the bush 39.7 for the torsion bar settingā¦re read Bobs post aboveā¦Steve
Okay. Back to the drawing board. Thank you very much, gents.
john
Bob,
Would you say it is absolutely necessary for the distance piece B to C to be threaded?
Thanks everyone. I reset my torsion bars at the 39.7cm mark, which basically means the wishbones drooping as far down as they will go. I have also loosened all eight nuts, to be tightened after the car is completed. Can the camber be set without the carās weight?
john
Pas du tout, Bernard. You can use any piece of steel pipe that fits over the threaded section as long as itās strong enough. See also my sketch. As you can see, I welded an M16 x 80 bolt (apologies to all āImperial friendsā) at the end of the steel bar and used a thick wall steel pipe with an ID of just over 16 mm. Itās all held together by the nut on top.
Bonne chance et salutations,
Bob K.
Hi Johnā¦yesā¦camber and castor can be set without the cars weightā¦its detailed in the service manualā¦you use the shorter length of the distance pieceā¦however this is a good starting place for settings but expect to adjust them when the car is completed ā¦Steve
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Merci Bob,
Iām trying to make the āsimpleā tool even simpler, as I have a feeling Iāll use it only once in my lifetime, but I understand it is necessary to set up the front suspension correctly. I dread to take apart the torsion bars, which I have to do to replace all the bushings and rubbers of the front end. Buying the new parts was the easy part.
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Hi Bernardā¦you dont even need a tool as well made as Bobsā¦all you need to do is get the lower wishbone in a position equal to the dimensions of the toolā¦you could just use a suitable piece of wood or a large turn buckle( or 2 small ones joined) with the top altered to fit your situationā¦here is an idea of one fitted on an E type
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Just FYIā¦ Moss Motors sway bar bushing on the left and Welsh Jaguar on the right. The Moss one is useless as you run out of threads before the nut is tight. BTW, can you use a pair of these at the top of each tube shock?
john
I joined this forum in October 2021 starting with the carcass in the first photo. Now, we have come this farā¦ thanks to the people of this forum. Although, I have the brakes, gearbox and motor still to go in, I think itās come pretty far, considering my three-month sabbatical (for our bathroom remodel). Cheers.
john
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Looks like youāre doing very nice work, John - congrats!
Now that my car has been well cleaned, and dry ice blasted, I am ready to attack the rebuilding of my front suspension and steering box. However, Moss is out of the correct, rubber upper A-frame bushings, with no replacement date in sight. I only need 7 of the 8 required. Is there another source for these original style bushings; the ones with the steel ātop hatā inserted.
Iām also wondering if the expensive āLemforder brandā upper ball joint is the prefered method? I plan to use the car a lot, and spirited. The Lemforder just seems so much more expensive, and for what?
TIA, RF.
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And do the lower BJ with the later XJ40 style at the same time, unless you are both a perfectionist and have masochistic tendencies 
Actually I plan on replacing EVERYTHING on the front suspension, including rebuilding the steering box. Is there a difference or advantage on using a later XJ40 (what ever that is?) lower BJ as opposed to the XK120 unit?
Thanks ,RF.
THATās the one I referenced, above, but missed your topic of the upper BJ.
The lower is sealed, less messy, and more durable.
Are you certain the XJ40 lower ball joint will fit in an XK120? Different bolt spacing, I thought?
Certainly add grease fittings if you donāt already have them.
Lower ball joint sockets made of Ferrobestos without grease nipples were a perennial problem with the 120 until they went back to Morganite bronze and nipples. Now the sockets are nylon.
Upper ball joints donāt get worn out nearly as quick. Mine are still the originals.
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You could well be correct on that Rob, looks like the bolt pattern is more square?
The xj40 lower balljoint is a common replacement for E type. ā¦not XK,s as above different bolt spaceing shape. ā¦Steve
Hi Fredā¦your best bet is to contact the usual suppliers to see if anyone has them in stockā¦probably a set would be easier to get than just 7 of the 8ā¦Lemford is a good brandā¦in my opinion you will get a better product than an un branded cheaper balljointā¦Steve