Swivel ball joint madness

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R

Roccorat

Member
Posts
14
Location
Benfleet
Morning all,
I wondered if you can help??
I have a 1993 Defender 90 which needed new swivel ball joints so I took the chassis number and duly ordered the parts which I then began to assemble whilst my Dad removed the old ones,,,, only to find that they do not match at all, it would seem my 1993 has a TD5 front and rear axle, not sure why this has been changed?
So now I have a part assembled Ball swivel joint if anyone is interested? and just about to order the right ones but a bit torn as to which ones to get with all the Britpart slagging off? Are they really that bad?? I am going to replce the wheel bearings with Timken as they are apparently better quality.
Any help much appreciated.
Ta
Lee
 
Roccorat said:
Morning all,
I wondered if you can help??
I have a 1993 Defender 90 which needed new swivel ball joints so I took the chassis number and duly ordered the parts which I then began to assemble whilst my Dad removed the old ones,,,, only to find that they do not match at all, it would seem my 1993 has a TD5 front and rear axle, not sure why this has been changed?
So now I have a part assembled Ball swivel joint if anyone is interested? and just about to order the right ones but a bit torn as to which ones to get with all the Britpart slagging off? Are they really that bad?? I am going to replce the wheel bearings with Timken as they are apparently better quality.
Any help much appreciated.
Ta
Lee
Click to expand...

Someone will have changed them as the original 1993 ones were probably properly knackered. It gets to a point is is easier to change the axle on these. When my swivels went and the casing was a bit rough and the diff was clonky I found and fitted a whole new front axle - worked out cheaper and only 2 easy evenings work to fit.

Britpart are truly awful, unless the part no. is suffix G. Honestly, the stuff they make will make you cry. It is total rubbish, all of it. So many times you hear of how people decided it would be "OK" only to be back days, weeks, a month later saying it let them down big time and how they wished they had got the better part.
 
I have the britpart stuff on my rrc and landy 90. Nothing gone wrong in the last 2 years. 90 was a total rebuild with paddocks parts and all still working. ;).
 
Yes, ignore the general BP slagging off and decide on a case by case basis whether you want genuine or aftermarket parts.

For things like swivels, springs & shocks BP are actually a very well respected supplier and you won't go far wrong fitting their parts, even the full swivel kits inc seals & bearings.
 
Yeah, been there and done this, just watch for imperfections in the Teflon coating and production marks (Have some pics I can post if needed) that have made it through QC, I had to return 3 to supplier, made the job about a week longer than the 2 days I could have done it in. The kits that come with all the Bushes/Bearings and Seals from BP are spot on though. Been in there 2 Years now and had a lot of abuse on/off road and been towing offroad, no play in shims or bearing wear yet.
 
Notanothersilverone said:
Yeah, been there and done this, just watch for imperfections in the Teflon coating and production marks (Have some pics I can post if needed) that have made it through QC, I had to return 3 to supplier, made the job about a week longer than the 2 days I could have done it in. The kits that come with all the Bushes/Bearings and Seals from BP are spot on though. Been in there 2 Years now and had a lot of abuse on/off road and been towing offroad, no play in shims or bearing wear yet.
Click to expand...
Same here, no problems so far with BP teflon swivels and the ground here is VERY nasty on these sort of things, (think thin clay with a lot of fine sand in it that sets like concrete)
Only thing I would say is that for the sake of a few extra £'s I always fit Timken bearings and Corteco seals.
 
Had the BP full kit for several years with no issues whatsoever.

Before I spent my money I spoke to a few independent workshops to see what they fitted (fitted rather than what they sold via the spares counter).
They all said that they used the BP items and were never bothered with warranty claims so that was good enough for me and since then has been born out by my (positive) experience.
 
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