Series 2 Bit concerned about Brit Part swivels - any recent experiences

G'day Folks,

The interweb often seems to be littered with horror stories - some of them are about Brit Part...

...I need to get two new swivels (both sides) for my series 2a station wagon as the muck and ****e in the axles is beyond a joke - eating its way though the assembly like cancer...

...problem is - I can only seem to find Brit Part offerings as replacement parts. Such as here =>

http://www.paddockspares.com/da3181...teering-arm-on-the-bottom-from-mid-1960s.html

and

http://www.johncraddockltd.co.uk/se...ies-2a-and-3-with-steering-arm-at-bottom.html

Am I wasting my time buying these parts? Has any one got any recent first hand experience with these bits?

(I realise a few years back many parts were made as cheap as (even though the price wasn't always comparable with the quality) but it seems these days things have gotten a little bit better)

Did one side of my 90'TD5 last year with a Brit part kit from EBay, I don't do much mileage but it is still fine, kit I bought was pretty complete, but I would recomend you get the wheel bearing seal so you can wash out the bearings and re grease, plus new set of bolts for the ball joint to axle attachment (not expensive).
Clean the old ball to axle bolts carefully before you try to take them off and use a good fitting spanner, if you damage the heads you will have a pig of a job on your hands.

Britpart stuff is ok I have not had any issues with the stuff I have bought.

Stretch said:

G'day Folks,

The interweb often seems to be littered with horror stories - some of them are about Brit Part...

...I need to get two new swivels (both sides) for my series 2a station wagon as the muck and ****e in the axles is beyond a joke - eating its way though the assembly like cancer...

...problem is - I can only seem to find Brit Part offerings as replacement parts. Such as here =>

http://www.paddockspares.com/da3181...teering-arm-on-the-bottom-from-mid-1960s.html

and

http://www.johncraddockltd.co.uk/se...ies-2a-and-3-with-steering-arm-at-bottom.html

Am I wasting my time buying these parts? Has any one got any recent first hand experience with these bits?

(I realise a few years back many parts were made as cheap as (even though the price wasn't always comparable with the quality) but it seems these days things have gotten a little bit better)

Click to expand...

britpart are the only ones that supply their kit ,lr never supplied parts as kits,you can buy the parts individually from other sources,but then you arent going to find genuine quality parts

http://www.lrseries.com/shop/product/listing/19761/DA3181-SWIVEL-HOUSING-KIT-SERIES-2A-3.html

Lists all the bits in the kit. You could get seperately or get the kit and buy..
https://www.lrdirect.com/539741-Swivel-Hsg-Ball-S2A-3/

Oem if that's the bits your worried about.

get the leather gaiters to protect them and fit at the same time

+1 for swivel gaiters ....out of all the many axles I have stripped over the years ...most if not all those fitted with gaiters (military) were in almost perfect order, unlike the ones without .

Thanks for the responses folks.

So I guess Brit Part isn't as bad as some say, or they are as bad as everyone else...

...does anyone know who made these original parts for Land Rover?

Original parts where made in Birmingham by I believe GKN. The husband of a woman who worked with me got me some new swivels when he worked there.
That was around 1976 the factory is still there but I doubt they still do series stuff.
I have fitted Britpart swivel kits to a couple of friends series with no problems and I am usually critical of Britpart stuff.

I fitted Britpart swivels in 2010 they are now quite corroded , I will avoid buying again from Britpart.

I ordered OEM swivels 4 years ago and Britpart arrived. They are the only supplier of these parts, mine have held up absolutely fine - no signs of any corrosion, although I do only low mileage. My only real criticism of them is that the black paint around the edges (where they bolt to the axle has started to flake off) not rusting though.
It's the only Britpart part that actually seems ok.

I got my BP kits from Paddocks. Full kit including swivel. £10 each side.

Yes you read that correct just under a tenner a side. They did fulk up on their website the very night I was looking for some. Didnt think for one moment they would arrive so only ordered the two. If I had have known that I would have got ten. I did however put a post up on ere for people looking to get some. The day after they had gone back to over a ton a side. Stuffy bu@@er or what.
They went on OK but have done less than a thousand miles on them.

Some Britpart stuff is awful and I think they had a few bad batches of swivels a few years back. I fitted a set in 2011 and I've done a lot of miles on salty roads since then and they seem to be holding up ok. The paint on the flange is hopeless though and it chipped off quite easily but that hasn't led to them disintegrating.

The chrome plating didn't look too great when I bought them but it seems to have held up well enough. I suspect that the more use they get the better as each time you give it full lock you give them a wipe and dose of oil/grease. I used one-shot grease and about once a year (or whenever I can be arsed to do a proper service) squirt in as much 80/90 as they will drink. I tend not to wash my motor very often so the area that doesn't get wiped by the steering action is covered in a nice coat of muck and grease.

Thanks for all the responses - I'm not as concerned as I was. If I need to buy these bits as Brit Part then I guess it'll come good.

I got my swivels from Dingocroft, and they were not Britpart, as far as I recall, although they were not the full kit either. I order all the bits separately.
http://www.dingocroft.co.uk/acatalog/Axles-Series2and3-p3.html
This link also has the gaiters referred to by other.

Thanks for the recommendation.

I have just this morning placed an order with Paddock spares (who say they are going to price match the swivels with Craddock's lower price as part of a mega order with loads of other stuff). I'll see how good the Brit Part bits are. I hope I don't have to send anything back...

Should swivel gaiters be fitted on Series 3 Landies or is it only prior to that? Mine doesn't have any on but they seem like a sensible, protective idea.

Can be fitted to any. Only fitted as "standard"on military.

LincolnSteve said:

Should swivel gaiters be fitted on Series 3 Landies or is it only prior to that? Mine doesn't have any on but they seem like a sensible, protective idea.

Click to expand...

I too think it is a sensible idea (especially after reading what's been said so far)

I've ordered a set of gaiters as well - it looks like they are easy to remove if you really didn't get on with them or get too anal about "original"

iirc the gaiters are more of a mod thing but civvy street trucks can wear them too

they improve the look as well as protecting the swivels