Disco 2 Fr. Driveshaft oil seals renwal

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Andy Warren

Andy Warren

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Hi all, hope you find yourselves safe. I need to replace my Fr. D/Shaft oil seal & have got this far in my lunch hour (see pics).
From here do I just undo the four hub bolts, inc ABS sensor, & pull the whole hub & driveshaft out or do I have to undo the staked nut ? (which I didn't want to do as I haven't got any thing to torque it back up with) Any advice is much appreciated.
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No, don't undo the staked nut, and, if you want to avoid a whole possible mess of trouble with the sensor, leave it on the hub and disconnect it under the bonnet.
Take the disc off, and all the calliper gubbins, which you seem to have done, from what I can see in the pics, Take the wire from the sensor and its plug away from the inside of the bonnet and follow it down through under the wheel arch removing it from the clips as you go.
Separate the ball joints to the steering stuff, 2 on the nearside, 1 on the offside, to make it easier to get spanners etc onto the hub bolts, and to get the bolts back in, unless you want to put the hub back on with the bolts already inserted.
If you haven't got the splash plate off you'll really need a 5/16ths 6 sided socket to undo them to not risk rounding them off.
Undo a bit the 4 bolts holding the hub on, the two top ones of which you can see in the photo.
Then go round all 4 diagonally smacking them with a hammer until the hub starts to move away from the mount.
Then with a combination of this, gentle levering, preferably away from the bolt "eyes" and de-seizing liquid, once the hub is on the move, you can go back and undo the bolts a bit more until eventually the whole hub comes away.
By carefully feeding the sensor wire through where the shaft and CV joint go, you will be able to get the whole lot off.
You should/may be able then to get tjhe seal out and a new one back in.
If not you will need to separate the steering knuckle from its two ball joints, and get that off and out of the way.
I found i needed a 24mm and a 22mm ring spanner and a set of star keys amd Allen keys to get the 2 ball joints off, on the nearside. I don't have a 24mm ring spanner so I had to use an adjustable :rolleyes:!
I started them off with a socket but them once the ball joints started rotating with the nuts was when i had to use the other bits in the end of the threaded part to hold them still. I used a ball joint separator at its absolute max to separate the 2 big ball joints from the knuckle, so i really hope you don't have an issue with getting the seal out without this.
Once the seal is replaced, just reverse all this.
I don't work fast but I put it all back together yesterday afternoon and the sensor wire went through the hole for the hub, in the knuckle no problem.
The biggest pain was getting the sensor wire grommet back in at the wheel arch!
Oh and I needed my bigger torque wrench to tork up the 12 sided bolts that hold the calliper carrier on.
Best of luck
Stan:):):)
 
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Stanleysteamer said:
No, don't undo the staked nut, and, if you want to avoid a whole possible mess of trouble with the sensor, leave it on the hub and disconnect it under the bonnet.
Take the disc off, and all the calliper gubbins, which you seem to have done, from what I can see in the pics, Take the wire from the sensor and its plug away from the inside of the bonnet and follow it down through under the wheel arch removing it from the clips as you go.
Separate the ball joints to the steering stuff, 2 on the nearside, 1 on the offside, to make it easier to get spanners etc onto the hub bolts, and to get the bolts back in, unless you want to put the hub back on with the bolts already inserted.
If you haven't got the splash plate off you'll really need a 5/16ths 6 sided socket to undo them to not risk rounding them off.
Undo a bit the 4 bolts holding the hub on, the two top ones of which you can see in the photo.
Then go round all 4 diagonally smacking them with a hammer until the hub starts to move away from the mount.
Then with a combination of this, gentle levering, preferably away from the bolt "eyes" and de-seizing liquid, once the hub is on the move, you can go back and undo the bolts a bit more until eventually the whole hub comes away.
By carefully feeding the sensor wire through where the shaft and CV joint go, you will be able to get the whole lot off.
You should/may be able then to get tjhe seal out and a new one back in.
If not you will need to separate the steering knuckle from its two ball joints, and get that off and out of the way.
I found i needed a 24mm and a 22mm ring spanner and a set of star keys amd Allen keys to get the 2 ball joints off, on the nearside. I don't have a 24mm ring spanner so I had to use an adjustable :rolleyes:!
I started them off with a socket but them once the ball joints started rotating with the nuts was when i had to use the other bits in the end of the threaded part to hold them still. I used a ball joint separator at its absolute max to separate the 2 big ball joints from the knuckle, so i really hope you don't have an issue with getting the seal out without this.
Once the seal is replaced, just reverse all this.
I don't work fast but I put it all back together yesterday afternoon and the sensor wire went through the hole for the hub, in the knuckle no problem.
The biggest pain was getting the sensor wire grommet back in at the wheel arch!
Oh and I needed my bigger torque wrench to tork up the 12 sided bolts that hold the calliper carrier on.
Best of luck
Stan:):):)
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Many thanks for that I'm glad I don't have to undo that nut or remove the whole hub carrier. I'll feed that sensor wire through & crack those hub bolts tomorrow if I get a chance. Those three 8mm headed bolts that hold the dust shield on come undone fine using a 8mm socket on a 1/4" drive ratchet ! I think I've been lucky in some respects with this D2 & my FL1 that I haven't had to deal with any rounded nuts/bolts or any that were well seized yet despite all the different jobs I've done on both, in fact the only bolts so far that have required minimal heat were the rear disc dust shield bolts the other week on this D2 & on the FL1 I've had to drill the heads off all the wheel arch liner self tappers (nothing new there):).
I've got a NAK seal for this already but now on closer inspection it needs the discs & pads replacing:rolleyes: so I'll have to get those on order. In the mean time I'll paint the caliper/carrier & have a general clean up. Land Rover owner, what lock down ? :)
 
Stanleysteamer said:
P.S. I still have the offside to do!:(
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Luckily that side on mine is ok but I did buy two NAK seals just in case!
I still have to drill the three broken exhaust manifold studs out (+ get the manifold skimmed) & replace a T/Box output shaft seal before I can get he rear chassis quarter done (the only bit I can't do myself) . Not bad considering I've had it 10 mths & only done about 3miles in it (when I drove it home):eek:
 
Andy Warren said:
Luckily that side on mine is ok but I did buy two NAK seals just in case!
I still have to drill the three broken exhaust manifold studs out (+ get the manifold skimmed) & replace a T/Box output shaft seal before I can get he rear chassis quarter done (the only bit I can't do myself) . Not bad considering I've had it 10 mths & only done about 3miles in it (when I drove it home):eek:
Click to expand...
I too have had to do the exhaust manifold. I only had to drill two out, if memory serves, but I had to tap anew thread in one and fit a slightly bigger bolt. The reskim was a bit more expensive as it was so warped it took twice as much time on the machine! I then drilled out the maifold bolt holes and ditto on the gaskets. I ought really to have sawn through the webbing between each branch but didn't bother. Got the rear chassis patched this time, but properly. No problem with T/box but autobox is leaking ATF from the front where apparently the bolts can loosen a fraction and cause leaks. Box works absolutely fine but i have to keep topping up the box and there is always the risk of failing the MOT on the leak.:(
I am currently replacing the boots on the knuckle ball joints. I bought the seals and the ball joints but so far have found no play, so bought boots and will replace the rest if and when necessary.
Looks like we are both suffering with similar typical D2 problems.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that the well known electronic gremlins don't raise their ugly heads ,although I have had to replace a rear hub due to the bearing being worn, probably. The Three amigos came up and I ended up buying a Foxwell to make sure I was on the right track.
All the best
Stan:):):)
 
Stanleysteamer said:
I too have had to do the exhaust manifold. I only had to drill two out, if memory serves, but I had to tap anew thread in one and fit a slightly bigger bolt. The reskim was a bit more expensive as it was so warped it took twice as much time on the machine! I then drilled out the maifold bolt holes and ditto on the gaskets. I ought really to have sawn through the webbing between each branch but didn't bother. Got the rear chassis patched this time, but properly. No problem with T/box but autobox is leaking ATF from the front where apparently the bolts can loosen a fraction and cause leaks. Box works absolutely fine but i have to keep topping up the box and there is always the risk of failing the MOT on the leak.:(
I am currently replacing the boots on the knuckle ball joints. I bought the seals and the ball joints but so far have found no play, so bought boots and will replace the rest if and when necessary.
Looks like we are both suffering with similar typical D2 problems.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that the well known electronic gremlins don't raise their ugly heads ,although I have had to replace a rear hub due to the bearing being worn, probably. The Three amigos came up and I ended up buying a Foxwell to make sure I was on the right track.
All the best
Stan:):):)
Click to expand...
Yeah these things were certainly sent to try us !
Progress this lunchtime, again lady luck must have been shining on me as everything came apart OK. I had to improvise on a hub extraction tool (see pics) I had a couple of 8mm rod connecting nuts approx 24mm long with two 8 x16 bolts, (four would have been ideal) & as you can see I fitted them between the hub & carrier then simply 'undone' them which pulled the hub out without the need for bashing anything:). My only concern is the seal sealing surface on the driveshaft which, when I get the chance to clean it all up I'll have a better idea if it's serviceable. Thanks again for the tips Stanleysteamer you've saved me a bit of aggro me thinks. Stay safe.
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Just so you know, I got my offside front all off, new boots on the steering knuckle ball joints and the whole thing back together again in 5 hours, which for me a 66 yr old, totally unfit bloke with a dodgy back, I was pretty chuffed, (and knackered!)
I am usually much slower than this.
Struggled to get the nuts off the ball joints as the Nyloc just seems to grip for ever and a day. and I don't have one of those guns that look like an electric drill, or easy access to my airline for a windy gun.
Plus I have one wheel nut which has rusted under the stainless outer cover so even my favourite imperial socket, which fits all the others like a glove, had to be beaten on it and then given severe manners to get it off again.
Also I have a feck off big torque wrench which I used to put the 19mm, 12 sided bolts on that hold the calliper holding bracket. I could get it on the two on the nearside, but not on the offside, which I totally cannot work out! My smaller torque wrench only goes up to 120 lbs foot. Or is it Nms, can't remember, not enuff anyway!
Once all back together, i reconnected the batt and switched the ignition on. The ABS light came on, despite my having removed the batt neg terminal, but a quick spin down the road put it back off again.
Phew!
So funny to be doing such similar jobs at more or less exactly the same time. And as always the second one goes far faster than the first.
I liked your neat way of pushing the hub away. I just used the method I described to you, and with a bit of persuasion from a hammer, it came off.
Anyway, glad to have been of help. It doesn't seem obvious that you can get the wire through the same hole, does it?
All the best
Stan
 
Andy Warren said:
Yeah these things were certainly sent to try us !
Progress this lunchtime, again lady luck must have been shining on me as everything came apart OK. I had to improvise on a hub extraction tool (see pics) I had a couple of 8mm rod connecting nuts approx 24mm long with two 8 x16 bolts, (four would have been ideal) & as you can see I fitted them between the hub & carrier then simply 'undone' them which pulled the hub out without the need for bashing anything:). My only concern is the seal sealing surface on the driveshaft which, when I get the chance to clean it all up I'll have a better idea if it's serviceable. Thanks again for the tips Stanleysteamer you've saved me a bit of aggro me thinks. Stay safe.View attachment 232744 View attachment 232745 View attachment 232746 View attachment 232747
Click to expand...
I expect that shaft will clean up OK. the rubber on the seal, or nitrile or whatever, has to be fairly forgiving. ;)
 
Disc backing plates? Both of you must have good sound vehicles or have been lucky. My 05 registered D2 has an excellent chassis but I was surprised at the rust on the rear bumper bolts, then noticed the rear disc backing plates were poor. The o/side was especially rusty so I removed it as it would be a Mot failure. All 3 retaining bolts sheared, and I've only been able too drill two of them out. I tried heat on a nearside one but it also sheared.
 
Kenbo said:
Disc backing plates? Both of you must have good sound vehicles or have been lucky. My 05 registered D2 has an excellent chassis but I was surprised at the rust on the rear bumper bolts, then noticed the rear disc backing plates were poor. The o/side was especially rusty so I removed it as it would be a Mot failure. All 3 retaining bolts sheared, and I've only been able too drill two of them out. I tried heat on a nearside one but it also sheared.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear about your dust shields/bolts, like you say I/we must be lucky, mine is an 01 with one previous owner who never took it off road but it still needs the rear 1/4 chassis replacing ! I've already had the rear bumper off & all the fuel tank strap bolts & replaced them with stainless (without any aggro) to make it easier for the chassis to be sorted but I think I'd rather have a good chassis like yours. I can deal with seized bolts but I'm unable to do the chassis myself. :(
 
Stanleysteamer said:
Just so you know, I got my offside front all off, new boots on the steering knuckle ball joints and the whole thing back together again in 5 hours, which for me a 66 yr old, totally unfit bloke with a dodgy back, I was pretty chuffed, (and knackered!)
I am usually much slower than this.
Struggled to get the nuts off the ball joints as the Nyloc just seems to grip for ever and a day. and I don't have one of those guns that look like an electric drill, or easy access to my airline for a windy gun.
Plus I have one wheel nut which has rusted under the stainless outer cover so even my favourite imperial socket, which fits all the others like a glove, had to be beaten on it and then given severe manners to get it off again.
Also I have a feck off big torque wrench which I used to put the 19mm, 12 sided bolts on that hold the calliper holding bracket. I could get it on the two on the nearside, but not on the offside, which I totally cannot work out! My smaller torque wrench only goes up to 120 lbs foot. Or is it Nms, can't remember, not enuff anyway!
Once all back together, i reconnected the batt and switched the ignition on. The ABS light came on, despite my having removed the batt neg terminal, but a quick spin down the road put it back off again.
Phew!
So funny to be doing such similar jobs at more or less exactly the same time. And as always the second one goes far faster than the first.
I liked your neat way of pushing the hub away. I just used the method I described to you, and with a bit of persuasion from a hammer, it came off.
Anyway, glad to have been of help. It doesn't seem obvious that you can get the wire through the same hole, does it?
All the best
Stan
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That's good you can still work on it yourself, I'm 58 this year & so far reasonably fit but it takes a minute or too for me to be able to straighten up after crawling about:).
My torque wrench only goes up to 120lbs/ft & no nut gun either. My nylocs fought all the way to the end as well.
As I walk to work & this D2 is only a project it doesn't matter how long things take me & I would put myself in the slow worker group but I like to clean every part I take off even running taps/dies over threads where needed :rolleyes:.
With ref. to the abs wire your right it doesn't look like it will fit through but I'm glad it does.
All the best & I'll send some pics when I get it back together.
 
Andy Warren said:
That's good you can still work on it yourself, I'm 58 this year & so far reasonably fit but it takes a minute or too for me to be able to straighten up after crawling about:).
My torque wrench only goes up to 120lbs/ft & no nut gun either. My nylocs fought all the way to the end as well.
As I walk to work & this D2 is only a project it doesn't matter how long things take me & I would put myself in the slow worker group but I like to clean every part I take off even running taps/dies over threads where needed :rolleyes:.
With ref. to the abs wire your right it doesn't look like it will fit through but I'm glad it does.
All the best & I'll send some pics when I get it back together.
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A fellow worker with a tap and die set!
Nothing like old skool!
We had a house (shell) built in 2008, when I was 53. This was in France so we only had the school holidays in which to go over there and fit it out, and it took 2 days to reach it and come back, but nevertheless, I now cannot believe how much work I got through then. I have slowed down so much in recent years! Ageing is such sh!t!
However I am pleased to report that my back is much better after yesterday than I thought it would be. Obviously I need to do much more of this sort of exercise!
How much more do you have to do before getting it on the road?
All the best
Stan:):):)
 
Andy Warren said:
Sorry to hear about your dust shields/bolts, like you say I/we must be lucky, mine is an 01 with one previous owner who never took it off road but it still needs the rear 1/4 chassis replacing ! I've already had the rear bumper off & all the fuel tank strap bolts & replaced them with stainless (without any aggro) to make it easier for the chassis to be sorted but I think I'd rather have a good chassis like yours. I can deal with seized bolts but I'm unable to do the chassis myself. :(
Click to expand...
I also had the rear chassis done last year, rust cut out and properly repaired. mine is a 2000 and was owned by very careful owners. Upside down welding is a real pain, and I now only do it when I absolutely have to!
My offside dust shield bolts were true 8mm, which just shows which side spends most of its time in the gutter!
 
Stanleysteamer said:
A fellow worker with a tap and die set!
Nothing like old skool!
We had a house (shell) built in 2008, when I was 53. This was in France so we only had the school holidays in which to go over there and fit it out, and it took 2 days to reach it and come back, but nevertheless, I now cannot believe how much work I got through then. I have slowed down so much in recent years! Ageing is such sh!t!
However I am pleased to report that my back is much better after yesterday than I thought it would be. Obviously I need to do much more of this sort of exercise!
How much more do you have to do before getting it on the road?
All the best
Stan:):):)
Click to expand...
Your not wrong Stan on the age thing, I'm thinking of sell my CBR600RR-6 & get something more sit up as it hurts my wrists when riding on slower roads.
As for the D2, once I get this seal, discs, pads & exhaust manifold done, stick the roof lining back in I can either take it for a MOT knowing it will fail on the rear quarter & hopefully nothing else or get the rear quarter done then MOT it. I know I've taken a bit of a gamble doing all the work I've done & money spent, having only done about three miles in it since picking it up last June because for all I know it might have running/auto g/box/steering issues I don't know about although it seemed to drove ok & the only warning light that came on was the auto g/box oil temp light but a new switch cured that (it starts first time & shunts about on my drive ok). I cleared lots of historic codes with my Foxwell & none have come back but then I know you probably have to drive it a few miles for anything to re-appear so I would like to think late April early May if all goes well as I can't wait to drive it.:)
 
Andy Warren said:
Your not wrong Stan on the age thing, I'm thinking of sell my CBR600RR-6 & get something more sit up as it hurts my wrists when riding on slower roads.
As for the D2, once I get this seal, discs, pads & exhaust manifold done, stick the roof lining back in I can either take it for a MOT knowing it will fail on the rear quarter & hopefully nothing else or get the rear quarter done then MOT it. I know I've taken a bit of a gamble doing all the work I've done & money spent, having only done about three miles in it since picking it up last June because for all I know it might have running/auto g/box/steering issues I don't know about although it seemed to drove ok & the only warning light that came on was the auto g/box oil temp light but a new switch cured that (it starts first time & shunts about on my drive ok). I cleared lots of historic codes with my Foxwell & none have come back but then I know you probably have to drive it a few miles for anything to re-appear so I would like to think late April early May if all goes well as I can't wait to drive it.:)
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As they go, yours doesn't sound too bad!:):):)
Fun to see you have got a Foxwell too! So many think you HAVE to have either a Nano or a Hawke.:rolleyes:
What exactly is bad with the 1/4? Do you just mean a bit of the chassis needs plating?
I had both rear bits either side of the tank plated really well for £200 plus VAT.
TBH I'd prolly go for a quick repair to get it through the MOT. you could always do a real repair later once you've driven it a bit more and shaken it down as the Navy boys say!:):)
 
Stanleysteamer said:
As they go, yours doesn't sound too bad!:):):)
Fun to see you have got a Foxwell too! So many think you HAVE to have either a Nano or a Hawke.:rolleyes:
What exactly is bad with the 1/4? Do you just mean a bit of the chassis needs plating?
I had both rear bits either side of the tank plated really well for £200 plus VAT.
TBH I'd prolly go for a quick repair to get it through the MOT. you could always do a real repair later once you've driven it a bit more and shaken it down as the Navy boys say!:):)
Click to expand...
Hi Stan, the o/s leg is rotten, very crusty & perforated on the surface that faces the road & as the tank will have to come out to do that I thought I 'd get the quarter done in one go even though the n/s will pass an mot (but is rusty). So today I've spent a good few hours cleaning/wire brushing & treating the hub,carrier & fr. brake caliper carrier with Hammerite Krusty stuff & then painting with Omnicote + fitted the d/shaft seal. I'll get the d/shaft fitted tomorrow & give the brake caliper the same treatment. When the discs & pads arrive on Tuesday I can finish the n/s & do the same to the o/s except driveshaft seal of course :). BTW did your fuel tank have to be removed for the welding to be done ?
 

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Andy Warren said:
Hi Stan, the o/s leg is rotten, very crusty & perforated on the surface that faces the road & as the tank will have to come out to do that I thought I 'd get the quarter done in one go even though the n/s will pass an mot (but is rusty). So today I've spent a good few hours cleaning/wire brushing & treating the hub,carrier & fr. brake caliper carrier with Hammerite Krusty stuff & then painting with Omnicote + fitted the d/shaft seal. I'll get the d/shaft fitted tomorrow & give the brake caliper the same treatment. When the discs & pads arrive on Tuesday I can finish the n/s & do the same to the o/s except driveshaft seal of course :). BTW did your fuel tank have to be removed for the welding to be done ?
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Re the fuel tank, yes. So I took all the rear stuff out the inside to get to the plate that covers the fuel pump, to make it easier for the bloke. You could also do as lot of stuff to free the tank strap connections. You could even take them off, one by one and replace them after greasing the bolts and captive nuts so the welding guy can do it easily. I don't know how brave you are re the pipe connections, I simply cleared all the muck and rubble from around them and sprayed them all with WD, I think, to make them easier to remove and replace.
I am very surprised there is that much difference between the two legs. In fact I fear the better looking one is just a fag paper's thickness away from being as bad as the other. Once the tank is off, you might as well get both done at the same time.
As I said £200 is what I was charged so that is a guide price for you, and I didn't free off the tank fixings.
 
Hi Stan, luckily for the person who takes the tank out, I've done the fuel sender so the pipes should come off easily. 20201209_113738.jpg A couple of pics of the chassis.
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