Check swivel preload without tool?

Anyone recomend how to check if the swivel ball preload is ok without the springy tool thing? I dont even have a fishing weigh scale.

I refurbed both swivels and im getting a bit of wobble after driving over uneven ground, so i think there might be play. Tried grabbing wheels and wiggling them but theres nothing excessive, but that could be fine or terrible to me cos im not a mechanic and dont really know what im feeling for!

Any help be great cheers

shims!!!!

The Ferkin BoB said:

shims!!!!

Click to expand...

Yea theres plenty shims in them, i just dunno how many to take out or leave in!

istr it's pretty low pre-load in a fairly wide range? - 4-10 ft/lbs ish.....? Do check the book of lies. But that's just a gentle tug, imagine dragging 3 or 4 stacked bags of sugar over a counter, so pretty easy to estimate? That's kind of how technical I got with mine, and it runs nice and true. Other extreme, if you are having to put some serious grunt into swivelling it then there's way too much pre-load, so add shim thickness......

If you've got 'plenty' of shims in the top pin, it sounds likely it will be loose - but obviously depends on all the tolerances once you had refurbed. Good luck. A

Just buy a small spring scale from local anglers/hardware store they're only a couple of quid.

spring gauge is about £1.50 on ebay. when you check it do it a dozen or so times to get an average as its hard to see exactly what's going on. Don't forget the top pin bolts need to be a specific torque too.

Have you taken the slack out of your steering box? I did mine recently and its made a huge difference.

G

Cheers guys, ordered a new adwest steering box which should be here monday, plus got my self one of those spring gauges from the local fishing shop. Just gonna head out and give it a bash shortly! I've got a feeling its a culmination of things, swivels, knackered steering box, maybe a bush or two...hmm