Swivel balls braking.

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landy-lee

Well-Known Member
Posts
700
Location
derby
Good evening guys.

Yesterday i seen a photo online of a Defender 110 with its front wheel hanging off! I am seeing this more and more recently and all of the landys have dished wheel rims on them and wheel spacers fitted.

I believe the dished rims and spacers put a lot more stress on the swivel balls and thats causes them to crack and snap off.

Or is this only happening to the aftermarket swivel balls that are not made to the same standards as the original genuine units?

Whats your thoughts?

Cheers Landy Lee
 
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Have read about a few over the years, I reckon in most cases there is a back story, ie as you suggest poor quality pattern parts or the axle/car has had an accident/hard off road impact some time in its past life, which has somehow started the fracture/stress/failure point.
I have no idea of the forces invlolved, but think when you cannot undo something you reach for a longer lever, and the same must apply with wheel spacers?
 
Have read about a few over the years, I reckon in most cases there is a back story, ie as you suggest poor quality pattern parts or the axle/car has had an accident/hard off road impact some time in its past life, which has somehow started the fracture/stress/failure point.
I have no idea of the forces invlolved, but think when you cannot undo something you reach for a longer lever, and the same must apply with wheel spacers?

Yes the fulcrum/lever affect.
 
Yes the fulcrum/lever affect.


I can remember not so long back there was an issue with the pattern balls having to coarse a machined finish under the chrome so the seals would not seal, this was on series models though, sure they corrected it though, but who knows what else is not quite right?
 
I can remember not so long back there was an issue with the pattern balls having to coarse a machined finish under the chrome so the seals would not seal, this was on series models though, sure they corrected it though, but who knows what else is not quite right?

Yeh thats why im thinking of keeping my original swivel balls when i rebuild the axle as they look in ok condition and not leaking.
 
19 years ago I replaced the swivles with pattern ones which did not fit properly so cleaned up the originals and filled the minor corrosion pit marks with a high grade epoxy filler and then filled them with the special grease and that was 97000 miles ago with no problems since, I am very wary of pattern parts
 
I did the same as 110tim with the tube of a hydraulic ram I could not find a replacement for, worked for many years more with no leeks.
 
19 years ago I replaced the swivles with pattern ones which did not fit properly so cleaned up the originals and filled the minor corrosion pit marks with a high grade epoxy filler and then filled them with the special grease and that was 97000 miles ago with no problems since, I am very wary of pattern parts

This is what im willing to do if they are pitted. Epoxy resins are fantastic!
 
MOD had this problem
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104048604_10223807399232639_5169323597423983353_n.jpg
 
Is everyone thinking blue boxes!
Pretty sure I read britpart had the military supply contract for spare lr parts?
 
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