Disco 1 what are the signs of swivel bearing failure

Today whilst towing my caravan on a 200 mile trip first 110 mile were fine pulled over for a pee. Set back off again and after 50mph i get a judder.

Friday the day before i towed it i check all oil levels and bearings and prop ujs and greased.

1st thing ive checked when got to site is props all 4 ujs seem fine with no movement. Bearings ok but when van is off and driving no grumble over 50mph but when turning im getting a noise of bearing from pass side front. And wheel is slightly cambered leaving me to think swivels so any help please

Could be swivels, but I'd re-check wheel bearings. One of mine collapsed whilst towing on the motorway a few years ago. No idea it was 'bad', even after it had collapsed the wheel didn't wobble and rolled perfectly straight! The inner race had welded itself to the stub axle .. but to look and feel it you wouldn't have noticed, 'cos the outer bearing was still mostly pretty good and tight!

Sorry, didn't think .. where are you? If you're stuck to get the bearings checked or changed maybe someone local can help ..

Tenby in south wales now.have got bearings and some basic tools with me so will whip hub off and assess situation and see just didnt know if swivels were the same or if wheel is likely fall off on me

Heheheh, a bit far for me to help anyway mate! Hope it's all OK and the wheel bearing just needs tightening up or a shim removing from the swivel bearing.

If i remove the king pin to get a shim out and bearing collapses is it goin be a pain for me. Il whip it off and av a look at bearing. Do i take entire hub and see of just tighten it up on the nuts and lock tabs

To start with I'd try the swivel bearing, axle on jack, remove wheel, which should might give you an idea if the swivel bearing is indeed at fault. Just try and waggle it about using the hub, it shouldn't have any real play! If the swivel look's OK then check the wheel bearing properly, remove the drive member and check wheel bearing, hopefully you'll simply undo the outer nut, remove the locktab and the inner nut might tighten up. If not, well hub off and check the inner, and I guess you know the drill !!

We did topcats two front swivel bearings, one front half shaft, and both rear half shafts (Or some combination, maybe both front half shafts and one rear!) at the top of a hill one day last year!

Will try this cheers paul would this cause my judder then over 50 mph. I can feel a slight vibe thru steering wheel nothing death wobble style but enuf to notice.only when van was on nothing since dropping van

deffo check wheel bearing first - what i thought was a swivel turned ot to be a slack wheel bearing.

haigy said:

Will try this cheers paul would this cause my judder then over 50 mph. I can feel a slight vibe thru steering wheel nothing death wobble style but enuf to notice.only when van was on nothing since dropping van

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Swivels, if you go over a bump or dip at speed with one wheel, the steering wobbles briefly from side to side, than settles.
Like Paul, I would go with wheel bearing, maybe steering component, out of shape tyre, etc, more than swivels.

Have had these thres on for 7000 miles and been fine just last 80 miles with caravan on has caused this judder. So will be aving a day on blocks tomoz and be checking everything and see whats going on. As it feels like pass side but will check all 4 startinh at front

Yeah, almost anything can cause a small wobble .. just check it in small stages so you undo/remove only enough as necessary.

Trouble is .. it could also easily be as simple as a loss of pressure in a caravan wheel, or indeed anything else that induces a wobble, but with you 'feeling' it and suggesting swivels I've gone along with that!

haigy said:

Have had these thres on for 7000 miles and been fine just last 80 miles with caravan on has caused this judder. So will be aving a day on blocks tomoz and be checking everything and see whats going on. As it feels like pass side but will check all 4 startinh at front

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Stuff wears, and the caravan may be a red herring.
Try getting your assistant to sit in the seat, hold the brake down, and wobble the steering, then turn it lock to lock. Lie under the front of the vehicle, and visually inspect all moving components, or even better hold them in your fingers, where possible.
You can diagnose quite a number of steering and front suspension faults doing this.

Prop uj seems be only thing loose

haigy said:

Prop uj seems be only thing loose

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Take it you mean turns as opposed to worn!
Did you test the swivels as Paul described?
And have you looked at wheel weights?

Yea wheel weights are all on still checked swivels and hub bearings no play on either. Grabbed front prop with both hands and cant move front uj but rear 1 is like doin the dad dance. So as im on holiday with basic tools ive sourced a 2nd hand prop to get changed

haigy said:

Yea wheel weights are all on still checked swivels and hub bearings no play on either. Grabbed front prop with both hands and cant move front uj but rear 1 is like doin the dad dance. So as im on holiday with basic tools ive sourced a 2nd hand prop to get changed

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Have you tried taking it for a drive without the caravan? And does it still judder?

Didn't realise you are away, unless very bad, might be an idea to get it home before major works. If you have been through all we suggested, you probably aren't on the verge of a wheel coming off or anything.

Take off the rear prop, lock the centre diff and try it in front wheel drive. If the judder is gone then the rear prop is your problem.

haigy said:

Yea wheel weights are all on still checked swivels and hub bearings no play on either. Grabbed front prop with both hands and cant move front uj but rear 1 is like doin the dad dance. So as im on holiday with basic tools ive sourced a 2nd hand prop to get changed

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Easy fix then .. nice ..

I'm not too far away if you are stuck, got a lot of tooling & press etc.

Rich.