Disco 300TDi Failing wheel bearings

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yfo866

yfo866

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For the last but one MOT I had basically new front corners on the axle. All bits replaced for new apart from the hubs.
I got the bits from either eBay or MM 4x4 who are local to me.
Just about a year later I had to replace the front wheel bearings again. Not knowing where the bearings came from, or what make, we decided they were of dubious quality and this time I got Timken bearings from MM 4x4. This last set went on in February this year, when we had the snow.
On my way back home last Sunday I heard the familiar screeching of bearings failing again.
Checked the front and found play on the driver's side so have the car booked in on Tuesday for bearing number three!
Since the last set went on I doubt I've driven 300 miles none of them off road. The Disco is a second car so is seldom used.
I have been running a set of 25mm hubcentric wheel spacers since the first bearings went on.
Does anybody have any issues with running spacers on their Disco?
I'm using standard Disco alloys with 235 Insa mud terrains
One is getting a bit cheesed off as I'm now replacing bearings more often than I wash the bloody car!
 
Haven’t had any bearing failures with 35s and offset wheels.

are you greasing them, or relying on no inner seals and gear oil?
 
Bantam1 said:
Exactly, they need to be independently greased properly.
Aren't theses axles the same as defender? Never had an issue with defender!
Click to expand...

Mostly the same. Earlier defenders had wider bearing spacing in the hub, longer stub axle, different drive flange, slightly different locknut washer. Earlier than that a different bearing combo was used but that may have been series 3. Ive read later stuff changes bearings and lock nuts, but thats 2nd hand info, we dont have those over here

Other slight changes like swivel pins and bushings for vehicles with wheel speed sensors, different swivel seal guards. Different inner seals. Spline counts. Swivels had different bolt patterns. Brakes, suspension bracket widths. Probably many more differences Im forgetting or unaware of. Range rovers with air bags had different shock mounts.
 
If your garage are doing them are they doing it right? From memory you have to put it on and torque it for a preload, then undo it and return torque it to something silly like 28nm and the do an angle on it like 90 degrees. The workshop manual has it in
 
Got it - now I remember
Screenshot_2018-05-18-06-58-34.png
 
I'd ask to see the bearings once they've been removed. I know spacers get a bad press but I used them in the past with no issues. Sounds like you need to find a better garage or start doing jobs yourself so you can monitor fitting quality better.
 
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yfo866 said:
For the last but one MOT I had basically new front corners on the axle. All bits replaced for new apart from the hubs.
I got the bits from either eBay or MM 4x4 who are local to me.
Just about a year later I had to replace the front wheel bearings again. Not knowing where the bearings came from, or what make, we decided they were of dubious quality and this time I got Timken bearings from MM 4x4. This last set went on in February this year, when we had the snow.
On my way back home last Sunday I heard the familiar screeching of bearings failing again.
Checked the front and found play on the driver's side so have the car booked in on Tuesday for bearing number three!
Since the last set went on I doubt I've driven 300 miles none of them off road. The Disco is a second car so is seldom used.
I have been running a set of 25mm hubcentric wheel spacers since the first bearings went on.
Does anybody have any issues with running spacers on their Disco?
I'm using standard Disco alloys with 235 Insa mud terrains
One is getting a bit cheesed off as I'm now replacing bearings more often than I wash the bloody car!
Click to expand...
have you been wading through muddy puddles
 
My Defender has always eaten wheel bearings, its had so many sets in over 8 years its unreal, thats been on 235/70, 7.50, 8.25 and now 275 something or other tyres, lways new seals etc and well greased, some corners have also had new stub axles
To be fair it was mainly due to what I did with the car, deep water/mud/slurry etc
Ive tried both cheapy tenner a corner ones and the timken ones at 25 a corner and whilst the tinken might last a little longer its not 2.5 times longer, really they are a crap outdated design
 
Last edited:
robertf said:
Haven’t had any bearing failures with 35s and offset wheels.

are you greasing them, or relying on no inner seals and gear oil?
Click to expand...
I don't know as I didn't fit them. I use my cousin who has his own garage. Normally he's the mutt's nuts with cars. I'm wondering if he hasn't got the grasp of Disco wheel bearings though
 
currymunster said:
If your garage are doing them are they doing it right? From memory you have to put it on and torque it for a preload, then undo it and return torque it to something silly like 28nm and the do an angle on it like 90 degrees. The workshop manual has it in
Click to expand...
I'll give him my workshop manual to look through. Yes I know I could fit them myself, but I'm at that stage in life when I can, and prefer, to pay somebody else to get dirty. Plus I don't have anywhere to work on my car and he has three ramps. That said, if this bearing ends up the same as the last sets, i'll sack him! :)
 
Marmaduke said:
I'd ask to see the bearings once they've been removed. I know spacers get a bad press but I used them in the past with no issues. Sounds like you need to find a better garage or start doing jobs yourself so you can monitor fitting quality better.
Click to expand...
The guy is my cousin so I know he wouldn't change parts unless needed, plus if he showed me I wouldn't know what was wrong with them. I tend to choose which jobs I want to do. Initially he replaced both swivels, wheel bearings, cv joints, brake discs/pads and whatever else is bolted onto the ends of the front axle. That was all for the MOT. It failed on swivels for both play and leakage. My MOT man said he had never seen so much play on a swivel before. I got a warm feeling of pride for that... It took my cousin over a day to do that plus both rear calipers discs and pads. Everything that could seize, did! He had it back to do the bearings because he fitted them the first time
 
jamesmartin said:
have you been wading through muddy puddles
Click to expand...
Yes. Last year Kelmarsh, four times and Great Billing twice. BUT, since the second set went in in February? when we had the last snow, I doubt I've driven 200 miles.
Is there anything to check on the passenger side which are (at the moment) quiet?
Based on previous experience, they probably won't be too far behind the failed ones
 
yfo866 said:
Yes. Last year Kelmarsh, four times and Great Billing twice. BUT, since the second set went in in February? when we had the last snow, I doubt I've driven 200 miles.
Is there anything to check on the passenger side which are (at the moment) quiet?
Based on previous experience, they probably won't be too far behind the failed ones
Click to expand...
yes state of grease if any, and if bearings are too tight ie too much preload,when outer nut andrab washer are removed the inner nut should be tightened till free play is just removed, that you should be able to feel turning the socket by hand and not a bar,the other thing is how the races are fitted using a punch is no no
 
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yfo866 said:
I don't know as I didn't fit them. I use my cousin who has his own garage. Normally he's the mutt's nuts with cars. I'm wondering if he hasn't got the grasp of Disco wheel bearings though
Click to expand...

To be honest if it's mates rates he might not be putting in his best work. I have to admit to getting a bit slapdash myself with some friends and relatives stuff.
 
robertf said:
maybe your cousin needs to watch this.
Click to expand...

JESUS! HOW MANY SMURFS WERE KILLED TO FILL THAT TUB???
I'm going to tell him to make sure he packs the bearings before fitting them and to read the manual.
Thanks for the video. I'll text him a link.
Hopefully i'll still be on the same bearings come Great Billing and Kelmarsh. I'd hate to be the Landy on the record run getting all the attention due to it sounding like I'm raping a robot!
 
jamesmartin said:
yes state of grease if any, and if bearings are too tight ie too much preload,when outer nut andrab washer are removed the inner nut should be tightened till free play is just removed, that you should be able to feel turning the socket by hand and not a bar,the other thing is how the races are fitted using a punch is no no
Click to expand...
He has fitted bearings for me in the past and there have been no problems. Just with the Disco...
 
Rangie Disco Sportsman said:
To be honest if it's mates rates he might not be putting in his best work. I have to admit to getting a bit slapdash myself with some friends and relatives stuff.
Click to expand...
Yes it is mate's rates, but he is a consh conchy... he doesn't do a bad job. If he was going to do a half assed job, it would have been on my Elise when working on and around the engine. They are a pig as there is little room
 
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