Wish I hadn't started this job!

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Anaconda

Well-Known Member
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3,696
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Thames Valley
For some reason I decided it would be a good idea to replace the rear suspension bushes. Done this before on my son's Ninety and all the bolts came undone no problem. So, I thought it would be a good thing to do mine.
Both long bolts holding the fulcrum on rusted solid, although the nuts came off with a struggle. Nuts and bolts holding the arms to the chassis brackets, no chance!
Spent a couple of hrs getting the bolts out of the chassis brackets. I wasn't going to take the ball joint off but had no choice now, what a faff that is on a TD5!
Tried a socket, nope! cut it down a bit, nope! Cut it down a bit more and welded it to a spanner I cut the end off. I could then use a breaker bar and extension on it, nope! Got a scaffold pole out and HAPPY DAYS!
So, tomorrow I will just have to persuade it all to come apart.
If I was a drinker I would be drinking many beers tonight.
 

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Anaconda said:
For some reason I decided it would be a good idea to replace the rear suspension bushes. Done this before on my son's Ninety and all the bolts came undone no problem. So, I thought it would be a good thing to do mine.
Both long bolts holding the fulcrum on rusted solid, although the nuts came off with a struggle. Nuts and bolts holding the arms to the chassis brackets, no chance!
Spent a couple of hrs getting the bolts out of the chassis brackets. I wasn't going to take the ball joint off but had no choice now, what a faff that is on a TD5!
Tried a socket, nope! cut it down a bit, nope! Cut it down a bit more and welded it to a spanner I cut the end off. I could then use a breaker bar and extension on it, nope! Got a scaffold pole out and HAPPY DAYS!
So, tomorrow I will just have to persuade it all to come apart.
If I was a drinker I would be drinking many beers tonight.
Click to expand...
The joys of old landies my friend. Been there…hardest bit done 👍
 
Someone likely put grease or similar on the bolts of your son's Ninety when bushes changed before.
A Friends a frame joint snapped at the point where it joins the axle [ was doing some severe off roading]
Getting the broken stub out of the axle bracket was a right barsteward. Lots of heat and a big steel wedge between the axle case and stub end did it in the end.
 
Well, I'm glad it's not just me. The nut holding the central ball joint to my back axle is positioned so you can't get a socket on it, because the body of the axle is in the way. On mentioning this on Landyzone I was met with some scepticism, even from the late great James Martin, who'd worked on lots of Land Rovers, so I thought he might have seen this before.

I can get at mine by jacking up the chassis and letting the axle drop, and getting an offset ring spanner on it, when the axle is low enough for the spanner to clear the fuel tank.

Clearly there was a good deal of variation in where the bracket was welded onto the axle - the suspension geometry obviously doesn't need to be too precise!
 
Brown said:
Well, I'm glad it's not just me. The nut holding the central ball joint to my back axle is positioned so you can't get a socket on it, because the body of the axle is in the way. On mentioning this on Landyzone I was met with some scepticism, even from the late great James Martin, who'd worked on lots of Land Rovers, so I thought he might have seen this before.

I can get at mine by jacking up the chassis and letting the axle drop, and getting an offset ring spanner on it, when the axle is low enough for the spanner to clear the fuel tank.

Clearly there was a good deal of variation in where the bracket was welded onto the axle - the suspension geometry obviously doesn't need to be too precise!
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I did think about letting the axle drop but to be honest I didn't think it would drop far enough. Also I would have had to put the axle stands under the chassis and take the rear wheels off to let it drop far enough. Couldn't be bothered to try something I didn't think would work, but now I know for next time. We'll, actually I hope there isn't a next time!
 
lynall said:
Always grease every bolt/nut fitting that you refit, not copaslip just ordinary grease.
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Out of interest why not copper grease? I usually use that where the bolt goes through a cavity/bush/sleeve.
I have some of each, also have some ceramic grease, that any use?
 
Anaconda said:
Out of interest why not copper grease? I usually use that where the bolt goes through a cavity/bush/sleeve.
I have some of each, also have some ceramic grease, that any use?
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I just hate copaslip, plus last job told us it damaged alloy wheels, not sure I believed that, but no issues with a thin smear of general purpose grease.
Years ago I swore by copalsip, now I just swear at it.
 
Copaslip is fine on metal to metal. It’s not recommended on aluminium. I noticed this a few years ago with the height sensors on my D2. Where they bolt through the plastic end bracket has an aluminium bush liner. I used Copaslip and the bush rotted out and split the plastic. I changed to plain grease and they are fine.
 
Almost got it all back together, just for the sake of it some bolts have copper grease and some have wheel bearing grease, can't go wrong that way. If I ever do it again then I will know which worked the best.
Bought a Lemforder ball joint and a tool to press it in, worked out cheaper than a Britpart special complete unit. Lemforder ball joints don't come with a nut or washer by the way.
 

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Dippypud said:
Dunt that faff with torquing it up
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Technically yes and no, the debate is eons old.
My FIL and the tyre fitter used to argue about this all the time (nealry 40 yrs ago) tyre guy said fit dry and it will not come undone, FIL said lightly oil and the true torque figure will be reached and nothing will fall off.
Many years later the industry agreed on guidelines for hgv wheel nuts, and they said to lightly lube the studs and nuts washers, so guess FIL was right all along.

I have oiled/greased every fastener I have ever touched, and hand on heart none have come loose/fell off, but that may be due to the oil/grease screwing up the torque figures, ie allowing me to over tighten everything and that may be why nothing has ever fell off!
A lot of the stuff I tighten is pretty important stuff, and all pretty heavy.

Other stuff benefits form some oil/grease. SAF trl axles say to assemble dry, but they are world famous for not coming undone, and one guy spent his career travelling around the UK fixing fecked SAF axle threads, lightly grease and they are no bother.

It is also very nice when you go to undo something and A it comes undone, and B winds off with little effort.
 
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