Need replacement chrome swivel balls!

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
Saltlick

Saltlick

Well-Known Member
Posts
1,082
Location
Taunton, Somerset
Hi everyone, firstly I tried to post a wanted thread, but I don't think I pass muster yet - what are the requirements please?

Ok, that out of the way, this is a sort of wanted/advice thread. I went to finally get on with renewing the swivel hub seal and top/bottom bearings last night and the result is that the car is still up on axle stands today while I had to run to work!

I stripped down the hub to the point where I could almost pull the stub axle out (though the ABS 'ring' was stopping that) and then I looked at the chrome ball and it's in a pretty bad way with lots of pitting.

So, I'm sure I'll need to do the other one soon too - what's everyones advice?
The complication is that this is my family everyday car, so I need to get it up and running again soon. Do I put it all back together again so I can use the car and aim to replace the seal in a month with new teflon balls, or does anyone have any good chrome balls they want to sell?


I saw some new ones on ebay that said they were Tungsten coated. Does that sound like crap - are they teflon or is it actually something new?


ere they be:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151014912665?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT


 
Same as nickel/chrome coating things I would imagine - plating it repeatedly until you achive a nice thick layer. I'd be interested in the method though...
 
and after a quick google, yes, it appears it can be done a few different ways. Could be a good option then, as they would surely outlast chromed balls by a fair old margin.

Hmm... a mate of mine suggested just putting them back together and filling with grease - wait until they go again and do it all then. He might have a valid point there...
 
Saltlick said:
Hi everyone, firstly I tried to post a wanted thread, but I don't think I pass muster yet - what are the requirements please?

Ok, that out of the way, this is a sort of wanted/advice thread. I went to finally get on with renewing the swivel hub seal and top/bottom bearings last night and the result is that the car is still up on axle stands today while I had to run to work!

I stripped down the hub to the point where I could almost pull the stub axle out (though the ABS 'ring' was stopping that) and then I looked at the chrome ball and it's in a pretty bad way with lots of pitting.

So, I'm sure I'll need to do the other one soon too - what's everyones advice?
The complication is that this is my family everyday car, so I need to get it up and running again soon. Do I put it all back together again so I can use the car and aim to replace the seal in a month with new teflon balls, or does anyone have any good chrome balls they want to sell?


I saw some new ones on ebay that said they were Tungsten coated. Does that sound like crap - are they teflon or is it actually something new?


ere they be:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151014912665?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Click to expand...
you say the abs ring was stopping it be carefull its not the abs sensor thats stopping you. pull the sensor up out of the top pin first or you might damage it.
the abs ring is part of the c v joint and should slide out with the rest of the axel easy enough.
 
Now on my way home on a train so I have time to Google. :)

So Lots of info on Nickel Tungsten Alloy Electroplating for the High Wear Resistant Materials Applications.

I stop a swivel leaking by pumping in a few shots of grease in with a grease gun along with the existing oil and it worked, but that was 20 or so years ago.
 
Last edited:
trax said:
sure they had ep90 in before? one shot grease could keep you going for a bit.
Click to expand...
I think it was ep90 - it was wet oil of some sort, although its not easy to tell as there's nothing left in there anymore!

If your disco swivel balls/hubs are good then it might be an idea to take those as well as the rest of the stuff on my growing tab! It will eventually work out cheaper for me to buy the whole bloody car off you :D
 
Last edited:
jayf12000 said:
you say the abs ring was stopping it be carefull its not the abs sensor thats stopping you. pull the sensor up out of the top pin first or you might damage it.
the abs ring is part of the c v joint and should slide out with the rest of the axel easy enough.
Click to expand...

Yep that's not a problem - that all came out an hour or so before the cv joint. I cant seem to get the sensor out of the housing but I'm sure it'll come out (or snap off) shortly... :D
 
Well, it's not gone very well so far - I've managed to round off the two torx bolts on the underside of the swivel housing and it looks a bit of a bitch to get them out.

I live next door to a garage so I think I'll get them to take a look. I was just looking around on the net to see what kind of price a new swivel housing would be and there doesn't seem to be a common consensus on what the frig it's actually called! So, I can't really find a decent price. I was wanting to know so that if the garage quoted me £60 to remove the bolts and I found a recon one for £45 then I could make an informed choice etc..
 
Saltlick said:
Well, it's not gone very well so far - I've managed to round off the two torx bolts on the underside of the swivel housing and it looks a bit of a bitch to get them out.

I live next door to a garage so I think I'll get them to take a look. I was just looking around on the net to see what kind of price a new swivel housing would be and there doesn't seem to be a common consensus on what the frig it's actually called! So, I can't really find a decent price. I was wanting to know so that if the garage quoted me £60 to remove the bolts and I found a recon one for £45 then I could make an informed choice etc..
Click to expand...

you dont need to undo the bottom bolts to remove swivel housing from chrome ball
 
housing comes off easy enough with just removing top pin ,providing youve undone seal retainers and pulled halfshaft out ,unless bottom pin is damaged it never needs removing
 
If you go off road in it, avoid those stinking, f*****g teflon coated swivel balls like the bubonic plague...
I'm one of three people in my circle of friends alone who have shattered them into a number of pieces whilst driving off road.

My vehicle whilst in Morocco:


Another vehicle on the SAME trip in Morocco with the SAME teflon swivels:


Avoid. Avoid. Avoid.
 
jamesmartin said:
housing comes off easy enough with just removing top pin ,providing youve undone seal retainers and pulled halfshaft out ,unless bottom pin is damaged it never needs removing
Click to expand...

You little beauty!
That was good advice there - I got so fixated on the bottom pin that I overlooked the crud covered bolts holding the seal retaining ring on, so now it's all fully stripped and wiped out for reassembly tomorrow.

Thanks JM!

One thing I'm not certain about though is the bottom pin bearing - it's just a cup with a perforated inner basket type arrangement and the bit in the housing that the chrome ball sits on has a conical bearing that turns. The bit I don't get is that there seems to be no bearing race to sit on top of it - is it missing from the kit?
 
Mark, that looks pretty bad, especially on the second picture where it's flat!!

I'll be sticking with the pitted chrome ball for the moment anyway, will read into the tungsten coated jobbies though...
 
Saltlick said:
You little beauty!
That was good advice there - I got so fixated on the bottom pin that I overlooked the crud covered bolts holding the seal retaining ring on, so now it's all fully stripped and wiped out for reassembly tomorrow.

Thanks JM!

One thing I'm not certain about though is the bottom pin bearing - it's just a cup with a perforated inner basket type arrangement and the bit in the housing that the chrome ball sits on has a conical bearing that turns. The bit I don't get is that there seems to be no bearing race to sit on top of it - is it missing from the kit?
Click to expand...

the bottom swivel pin bearing outer race is fitted into the bottom of the chrome ball.
use a chisel or punch to knock the old one out and a hammer to fit the new one.
not sure if it can be done with the ball still attached to the axel casing when i done mine i removed the ball.
Land Rover Swivel replacement: part 1 removal - YouTube
Land Rover Swivel replacement: part 2 refitting - YouTube
the two videos above will be a great help to you.
 
Saltlick said:
You little beauty!
That was good advice there - I got so fixated on the bottom pin that I overlooked the crud covered bolts holding the seal retaining ring on, so now it's all fully stripped and wiped out for reassembly tomorrow.

Thanks JM!

One thing I'm not certain about though is the bottom pin bearing - it's just a cup with a perforated inner basket type arrangement and the bit in the housing that the chrome ball sits on has a conical bearing that turns. The bit I don't get is that there seems to be no bearing race to sit on top of it - is it missing from the kit?
Click to expand...

OK, I was tired at that point last night - the bottom conical doodad has to be the bottom half of the taper bearing.. There do seem to be more seals in the kit than I removed from the assembly, but I'm sure I'll find a home for them eventually!

Thanks for the links Jay, I think just being able to see what everything looks like when it's not covered in gunge is most helpful!:D
 
bottom bearing race will tap in to bottom of ball with a copper hammer if you havent got one a very useful tool to have,rollers and cage just pull of lower pin
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

v8250
Bearmach Swivel Balls Safety Alert - from Glencoyne
Replies
9
Views
2K
v8250
v8250
M
Defender swivel ball interchangeable?
Replies
5
Views
361
miktdish
miktdish
dag019
Refresh my memory - swivel rebuild
Replies
4
Views
571
dag019
dag019
yfo866
101 swivel hubs, grease or oil?
Replies
3
Views
1K
tottot
tottot
S
hub cap
Replies
8
Views
557
ANK84
A
Back
Top