rear a-frame bushes and ball joint renewal

How hard/easy is it to change these bushes and ball joint on a Def 110? dun all the rest so far and really need to do them as there's a bit of bangin' at the rear(oooo-errrrrrrrr missess ) Not very meckanickle minded, so laymans terms if ye dinnae mind please
Much thankness

You'll have to have a professional press to get the ball joint out of its housing. Check with your local garages first if they will be prepared to do it for you. It's a quick job for them, just about impossible for you.

Never done it meeself, but my local indy charged me 80 quid to do mine - I guess that's about 2 hours labour plus parts.

Cheers guys, managed to get the frame off eventually. I think the bushes haven't bin changed since the 110 was new, and that was 16 years ago!!!
Just going to start on the ball joint bit now, will let you's know how I get on. Cheers again

Gave up trying to do it mesel' and took it to a local engineering firm after sheering one of the bolts. Maybe just as well as it took about 48 tons to shift the buggerin' ball joint
Jobs dun now and all back together, got rear wheel bearin's to do next.
Cheers again

Dude this thread just saved me a hell of a lot of stress - this needs doing on me 90 but I tink I might not bother and get the pro's to have a look at it instead!

Pheeeeeeeew! and thanks a million!

ashdog said:

Dude this thread just saved me a hell of a lot of stress - this needs doing on me 90 but I tink I might not bother and get the pro's to have a look at it instead!

Pheeeeeeeew! and thanks a million!

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No worries I thought about takin' it to a garage to start with, but thought it might cost a bomb, so had a go mesel' (Scottish ye see ). Did struggle getting the 4 bolts off the A frame, but managed in the end next job was to get the ball joint out, managed to break a bolt so thought I'd have to buy a new fulcrum thingy (about£48 +vat) but the guys at the landy spares shop told me to take it to local engineers and have it pressed out. Did that and got the buggered bolt taken out and new ball joint pushed in all for £30. Try it, it's not that bad really and if I can do it, anybody can

It's not that bad to do, really !!!!

I just removed the axle from my disco - in the end we cut through the a frame on one side, then the other came loose enough to pull off - gonne look at changie the ball joint on a sunnier day methinks!

How do you know when the A frame ball joint needs replacing? - ive changed all the other bushes and my old 90 still wanders about on a rough road like ive got a bit of rear wheel steer!
thanks
steve

i was told it shows itself mainly as a clunk when you pull away and stop.

Just came across this diagram, for anyone doing suspension work on the back axle.

Have the same for the front as well.

Cheers
Dave

i see they are for the rangie - are they the same for the disco and defender?

The Mad Hat Man said:

i see they are for the rangie - are they the same for the disco and defender?

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no.
the diagram in RAVE is OK though.

steve52 said:

How do you know when the A frame ball joint needs replacing? - ive changed all the other bushes and my old 90 still wanders about on a rough road like ive got a bit of rear wheel steer!
thanks
steve

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Have a look at yer wheel bearings first

steve52 said:

How do you know when the A frame ball joint needs replacing? - ive changed all the other bushes and my old 90 still wanders about on a rough road like ive got a bit of rear wheel steer!
thanks
steve

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Hi Steve, as far as I know, the main symptoms when you have a worn 'A' frame balljoint are clunking noises.

If your vehicle is wandering around on the road, it's likely to be something else.

You say that you have changed all the bushes, but specifically what have you changed? The ones that affect stability of steering are, I believe, on the rear tie rods, front tie rods, in fact anything that locks the axles in place.

Have you checked the swivel bearings? My wifes car (Disco Tdi200) used to wander about a bit until I rebuilt the front axle with new swivels and new wheel bearings - after that she was much more precise - so was her car

Cheers
Dave

hi Dave
Ive replaced front and rear tie rod bushes and panhard rod bushes - not replaced anything on the A frame. Both swivels were overhauled with new bearings and bushes 18 months ago and new wheel bearings fitted but I admit I have not checked the pre load - there is no play when jacked up and she passed her MOT ok.
The truck is running on knobbly Goodrich mud terrains - not sure how much these affect handling

thanks
steve

steve52 said:

hi Dave
Ive replaced front and rear tie rod bushes and panhard rod bushes - not replaced anything on the A frame. Both swivels were overhauled with new bearings and bushes 18 months ago and new wheel bearings fitted but I admit I have not checked the pre load - there is no play when jacked up and she passed her MOT ok.
The truck is running on knobbly Goodrich mud terrains - not sure how much these affect handling

thanks
steve

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Hi Steve, I must say that sounds like quite a comprehensive list of replacements.

The mud tyres are bound to have a detrimental effect on handling on tarmac by comprison to ordinary road tyres, but I suspect there is something else going on as well.

Could you please describe in a little more detail what is the problem with the vehicle's handling?

Cheers
Dave

By tie rods, i assume you mean the draglink from the steering box to the wheel, and the track rod between the two wheels, and then by bushes i assume you mean ball joints! Not been too picky, but there are that many factors in LR steering that it can make a difference.

Check the radius arm bushes too, 'cos they affect it a lot, and yes big squashy mud tyres will make road handling a bit, umm, different

boydy1989 said:

By tie rods, i assume you mean the draglink from the steering box to the wheel, and the track rod between the two wheels, and then by bushes i assume you mean ball joints! Not been too picky, but there are that many factors in LR steering that it can make a difference.

Check the radius arm bushes too, 'cos they affect it a lot, and yes big squashy mud tyres will make road handling a bit, umm, different

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Hi boydy, no, when I say tie rods I mean the rods that lock the front and rear axles to the chassis in order to maintain the stability of the vehicle.

And no, when I say bushes, I mean suspension bushes that go between the tie rods and the chassis or axle.

Cheers
Dave