 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Front wheel bearing seal |
 
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17451   
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It rather depends which seal you actually mean, since your title refers to a wheel bearing seal and your post refers to a ball joint seal, whereas I suspect that you actually mean the swivel housing seal, i.e., the very large one on the back of the swivel housing.
If you do mean the swivel housing seal, the scope of work is rather depndent upon the reason it has failed. If it really is just a knackered seal and the seal is the only part that needs chaging, then there is a quick and easy way. This involves releasing the retaining ring for the old seal and cutting the old seal to remove it, then carfully cutting the new seal so that it can be fitted over the axle tube end, positioning the cut right at the top with sealant, and refitting. This saves stripping out the hub and swivel etc. If however the reason for the failure is worn swivel pins (which is quite likely) then there are not really any shortcuts and it becomes a bigger job (remove wheel, remove drive flange, remove and tie up the caliper, free off the old seal, remove swivel pins and lift swivel pin housing complete with axle, and hub off. pull out halfshfat, then remove swivel housing. Then clean uplocate new seal over the swivel housing, refit housing to axle, fir new swivel pin outer bearing races, replace halfshaft, replace swivel pin housing complete with axle and hub, fit new swivel pins, shimming the pins for correct preload, then refit everything else and fill with one-shot, job done). If paying for this, expect to pay for about 2 man hours labour plus about £250 in genuine parts per side, I would think. |
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10th May 2017 1:05pm |
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| xcentric Member Since: 17 Jan 2016 Location: Midlands Posts: 247 |
yes I do mean swivel housing seal - thanks for the clarification. Is there a way to tell if the swivel pins are worn? Car has done <30k miles, but has had a tough life for a lot of them (Camel trophy).....
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10th May 2017 1:12pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17451
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Easiest way is (1) enlist the help of an assistant, (2) jack the front wheel off the ground, (3) with the assistant pressing the brake pedal firmly, use a bar under the tyre to check for up/down movement of the wheel. If present, the swivels need attention.
The assistant on the brake pedal should eliminate any play in the wheel bearings by locking the brake disk in the caliper. Generally play in the wheelbearings will be felt by rocking the wheel and will be present both up/down and side to side. Play in the swivels will be up/down only, but it usually requires more force to find since the mass of parts moving is much greater than is the case for wheelbearings. Worn or sloppy swivel pins also make it more likely that you'll experience shimmying from the front wheels, giving an effect on the steering similar to monstrously out-of-balance front wheels. Quite unpleasant, really. |
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10th May 2017 2:44pm |
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| xcentric Member Since: 17 Jan 2016 Location: Midlands Posts: 247 |
ok thanks.
Driving, it's actually the best-steering Defender I've tried - relatively precise to place and with no weaving or wobble at all. So it seems to suggest that the pins are probably ok, but will check as you suggest. |
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10th May 2017 3:05pm |
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