P38, shims or balljoints

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lezbrucelee

lezbrucelee

Active Member
Posts
140
Location
kent
:welcome2:
Hi as i expect most of u have seen my thread about the shakes so i wont bore u with those details again.
I have traced the problem, to the passanger side front, either top or bottom ball joint/shim.
After reading the rave manual about how to change them got scared and went to seek advice from the garages on my industrial estate, I'm now even more confused:doh:. as i got a conflicting answers some say it a normal ball joint n others say it has shims.

Does the 2000 (x reg) P38 have shims in the hub or is it just a ball joint like on a normal car?
I can see that the joint is pressed into the axle and how to change that what i dont get is how the hub slides onto the joints. It looks to me like there is something in between the hub and the ball joint, but have no clue what to do with it.

The rave manual talks about gap settings and height adjustment on the hub and collar, but it went over my head,

Can some explain (an idiots guide would be nice lol) how to adjust them so i have no play and can finally get back to enjoying the old girl

Cheers all
 
One of the "Ball Joints" is adjustable with a nut type adjuster , the sole purpose of which, is to centralise the swivel to the axle tube axis and not to remove/reduce wear. If the swivel, to which the hub is attached, is not dead in line with the axle tube, the half shaft oil seal will be misaligned with the shaft and rapid wear of the seal will occur...result.....nice oil leak within a few miles!!
They need to be pressed out and in. The new joints are about a tenner each but a right pain to fit without the right equipment.
I have done them in the past and it has to be one of the worst jobs on the P38. I have the extractor and centralising tool which I lent to Dorset Vogue. He has done his also.
 
When the Ball Joint nuts are removed, the swivel hub carrier just lifts off as both threaded parts point in the same direction.
The reason I know that is that I have a brand new axle sitting in the garage complete with swivels attached.
 
Virtually impossible to do correctly without the proper kit. Another downside is that you are only supposed to change them a couple of times and then the axle is scrap as the holes for the ball joints will become oversize.
I managed to get a brand new front axle complete with ball joints and swivels..no diff though, for £25 off Ebay a few years ago and have that sat in my garage, just in case I need it.
 
thanks it looks like it a trip to a landrover specialist then:mad:,
any idea how often they need replacing?
mine done 102k n i had it since 60k and never done them
 
There are many owners who have done over 150K and are still running with the originals, this can be seen by the few posts on here relating to replacement.
It must be one of the few reliable areas of the P38 !!!
 
They are available off the shelf, the problem (And expense, if you don't have the kit) is the fitting !!
Although the old type swivel chromed balls and ever leaking seals were a common problem on the older Rangies, Disco's etc., they were an easy DIY fix without the need for special tools. The P38 set up is far more reliable and maintenance free, problems are therefore less common...almost to the point of being rare.
 
had the balljoints (upper & lower) replaced the other day cost me £170 at a truck specialist, WAY CHEAPER THAN ANY LR BOYS WOULD DO IT FOR.

She now drives like a dream
 
lezbrucelee said:
perhaps i should look into buying the tools then, anyone no where i could get them from? tried ebay n couldn't find them
Click to expand...

I was very fortunate and found a very nice man who lent me his tooling to do the job :eek:;)

Once I got round to doing it it was fairly straight forward however without a centralising tool you may have problems sooner rather than later. I was amazed at how much adjustment you can get and consequently how much misalignment on the half shaft oil seal.

Keep an eye out for oil getting into the front wheel bearing as its all hidden by the CV gaiter
 
Dorset VogueSE said:
I was very fortunate and found a very nice man who lent me his tooling to do the job :eek:;)

Once I got round to doing it it was fairly straight forward however without a centralising tool you may have problems sooner rather than later. I was amazed at how much adjustment you can get and consequently how much misalignment on the half shaft oil seal.

Keep an eye out for oil getting into the front wheel bearing as its all hidden by the CV gaiter
Click to expand...

cheers i'll keep my eye on that, the garage that did it had the center tool, and made a tool to remove the joints.
 
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