Leaking Swivel joint after replacing it!

hi guys and galls,

sorry if this has been covered before and sorry if it is in the wrong place.

the story is, my off side cv joint was ruined, i got all the bits to do the job only to see the back of my swivel ball is pitted really bad. i went on line and found a full assembly (housing and ball) on ebay for £40, i was made up. it had been taken off a 1998 disco 1 the same as mine. when it arrived i gave it a looking over and it all seemed good the existing seal looked really good but i figured, while i have it all in bits, its better to put a new seal in now rather than wish i had later.

i removed the old seal and cleaned up the recess where it sits, fitted the new seal and then re assembled the full hub assembly. it all looked really good. took her out for a drive and she sounded good! this was great. until i noticed the one shot grease leaking out and dripping onto the floor!

i have cleaned it all up and had a good look and it looks like the seal is not quite touching the ball. i have tried to bend the metal seal retainer a but with the hammer to make sure it is sitting perfectly flat against the swivel housing and it seems to be. the only thing i didn't do was use a torque wrench to set the bolts to 11Nm (i didnt know i had to until reading after) but looking at it i wouldn't have thought over tightening them (if i have) would cause this problem? whe nits all cleaned up it looks like there is about 0.5 of a mm gap all the way around the seal.

does anyone know what i have done wrong.

oh, btw, i double checked the part number on the new seal with the old and they are definitely the same part.

thanks in advance.

Leaky swivels are a problem, you might find something to help in this thread:
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/leaky-swivels.286366/
Quite honestly the used ball might not be the best solution, I bought a kit with a Teflon coated ball for about £80 and it looks fine ( only been on a few weeks )
Can't understand why the seals don't touch the ball are they pressed into the housing correctly?
I cleaned up the housing while it was off then de greased it, when I pressed the seal in,I put a fine bead of silicon on the outside of the seal itself.
Maybe if you could add a picture someone will know the answer.

cheers for the link ill take a look at that and see if there is anything that can shed any light.

i cleaned the housing up with a wire brush and brake cleaner, it was in really good shape when the new seal went in, and thinking about it, it looked really tight after it was fitted. (although i wasnt paying as much attention to it as i am now). i was looking at the coated balls but after spending a little over 100 quid on new cv joints for both sides and new bearings for both sides after nearly getting us stuck 160 miles away in the lakes, the misses was not the happiest when i said i need to spend more! so i opted for the cheaper option.

i am wondering if the king pins need adjusting?? i dont want to mess with stuff if i dont need to, i will take some photos and get them on here so people can see what i am talking about.

i am fairy sure they are pressed in correctly, like i say it looked really good, it feels like after i have taken it out for a test drive that is gone bad if that makes sense? i might remove the metal retainer and see if i can drive them in any further with a hammer and something soft to use as a drift?

another thought, can you put too much grease in there?

i got a packet with the new cv joint (not as big as the one shot) and i have also put the packet of one shot in there. could it be too full and its the only place it can go?

There is a procedure to set up the swivel bearings, probably a good idea to look at it and be sure you have done it corrcectly. take a look at :

might be a bit long but worth the time it takes to watch this, it is in two parts easy to find the second instalment.
Be very careful with any hammer or drift near the swivel ball if you mark it then it will wreck new seals as fast as you can put them in there

i cleaned them off about 2 hours ago and that much has leaked out just from being stood on the drive! i hope you can see the gap from those photos

Int there two different seal sizes ??

yeah there is a 9mm and a 12mm, this is defo the same as the one i took off it, that way my first thought, i spent 10 mins rummaging through the bin to find the old one!

i have just watched those vids raywin posted, i thin ki may need to remove a shim from the top pin to lift the bottom up. that is of course if i have the correct understanding of how it works.

It is possible that you have it sitting down too low but I think you would feel the play in it if it was so low, certainly worth checking the pre load and the force needed to move the swivel as in the video, it has to be done right.
By the way sorry to say I don't like the mark in the chrome on the second picture hope the line I can see is the maximum travel of the seal which seems to fall just short.

i have not driven it enough to notice any play. i just took it off the drive and did a few 3 point turns to check the clicking had gone. i didnt do any of the pre load settings as the unit came to me assembled. i also fitted the seal white it was off the car.
i am going to jack it up and see if the gap changes without any weight on it. if it dose then i think i need to mess with some shims.

yeah thats the only bit on the ball that has any damage and it is a million times better than the one i had, i think for £40 inc delivery i cant complain

Here's one I did earlier
Don't know if this is any help but this is mine

yeah you can see straight away, the seal is hugging the ball. its almost as if my ball is too far inside the swivel housing.

on the plus side, all the bolts wont be rusted on now, so disassembly should be easier!

Looks to be sitting too low id say your top swivel bearing may be shot

when i did my swivel bearings the top one has lost all of its rollers and when i replaced them i tryed it with all the shims and i could feel play ,i took them out one at a time (thinnest first) till there was light resistence (with the seal out and track rods off)

Not the correct way to set them up but mines been fine since

cheers guys, it looks like thats tomorrow sorted then. i would do it tonight but its lashing down.

but then again, if i am going to go to the trouble of all that i may as well do the swivel bearings while i am at it? or do you think i will get away with just removing a few shims and not taking it all apart again?

If you are going to change the bearings you need to drain the grease out and take out the half shaft, but to be honest it will feel better when you decide to travel 70 or 80 miles from home and you don't have that little rat gnawing at you wondering if it will be OK.
By the way the seal retaining ring is quite cheap: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LAND-ROVE...-FRC4142-r9-/181711973005?hash=item2a4ee0aa8d

you are right, its worth just doing it properly.

i am looking at this kit from paddocks

http://www.paddockspares.com/da3165p-swivel-kit-no-ball-front-axle-non-abs-from-ja032850.html

looks to have everything i need!

I was going to take shims out of mine but im glad i didnt as the rollers floating round in the grease would of killed my cv eventualy

Jack the wheel up and if you have significant play in that area its likley to be beyond removing shims

i have ordered the above kit from paddoks, so that should sort my sunday out. do you think it will be ok to drive it till then? i shouldnt need to go far init

I would jack it up and try to check if it is OK, or if it has a load of play, make your decision based on that.
The Kit looks to have all you need get some cardboard on the drive before you start, its messy, but I bet you wont regret doing it right and knowing it wont fold up on you when you least expect it.