Michael sets to removing the arms from the axle.
The caliper bolts are a 12 point head. You can use a 1/2" AF 12 point socket to remove these.
Drive flange removal. You can stop the hub turning with an axle stand under one of the wheel studs.
The flange will need a soft face hammer tapped around to help it release.
The earlier hub nuts like this are easy to remove. Knock back the tab washer and they undo easily. Later ones use a nut which is locked by deforming a flange on the nut itself.
The outer bearing inner race will drop out.
The hub and disc assembly can then be pulled off. This stub axle shows signs of a collapsed wheel bearing at some point in the past. I'll replace it.
After the stub axles were removed, the half shafts were then slid out.
Having removed the stub axle, the next job is to remove the lower swivel pin.
Then the upper swivel pin.
After removing the swivel seal retaining rings, the swivel housing can be lifted off.
I have modified the brake pipe brackets. The slot at the top allows the brake pipe to be removed without splitting the hydraulics. Originally, it was a hole that the hose fitted through.
Then the diff can be removed. This one seems to be in good condition, so it will go back in after a clean.
The diff pan had been damaged, so I hammered out the dent. It had been split, so it need welding. I decided to patch it rather than mess around with trying to weld up the split.
Here, the casing has been painted.
The front diff turned out to be in good condition so it was cleaned, painted and reinstalled.
The spheres had beed replaced by the previous owner so I was able to reuse them. I replaced the seals before reinstalling them. The swivel seal, it's gasket and backing plates need hanging on the axle before the sphere is bolted into place.
The swivel is set up using various shims under the top pin to get the correct bearing preload.
Then the top pin is tightened to the correct torque.
The swivel seal can then be installed and the gasket and backing plates bolted up.
It seems a wheel bearing had collapsed in the past and wrecked one of the stub axles. The owner had just put it back together like this! I chose to replace it.
The one useable stub axle needed the seal replacing. To do this, the bush has to be removed. The easiest way to do this is to break it out with a chisel and replace it with a new one. they are not expensive.
The new seal was installed in the press to keep it straight.
Then the new bush was pressed into place. We used the old CV joint as a guide. Worked a treat!
Here is the bearing installed.
The old CV joints were very worn. Here, a new one is being packed with grease ready for assembly.
The CV joint is retained on the shaft with a snap ring. Getting the old one off involves a good smack with a copper hammer.
The new CV joints are tapped into place with a soft faced hammer. Ensure the snap ring in centred, otherwise it will get mushed (technical term!).
The shaft assemblies are then slid in. Be careful not to damage the sphere seal with the splines.
The stub axles (one new one) were added.
One of the front hubs had been butchered by a previous owner, so a new one was bought.
The spring seats ready for painting.
The front QT diff guard (www.qtservices.co.uk) was kept from my 110 when it was sold.
The front discs were one of the few parts that were in good condition, so were cleaned ready for reassembly.
After pressing in new bearings and seals, the disc and hub were assembled to the stub axle. The heavy duty drive flanges were then installed.
The calipers were in poor condition, so needed rebuilding. Here a piston is being removed. Fortunately, none were seized solid!
All except 2 pistons were rusty. I decided to replace them all.
Here we are prising out one of the grit seals. The hydraulic seal sits in a groove a little way down the bore.
After fitting a new hydraulic seal, the new piston is pushed partly into place. Note the correct red grease for assembly.
The grit seals are retained by a metal ring. These are very tricky to install without damaging them. I use some 'Wet and Dry' paper to chamfer the leading edge a little to help locate the ring as it is pressed in.
Here, the grit seal and it's retainer is installed. I use a large flat blade screwdriver to ease it into it's recess. Even then, you can see a little damage to the metal ring.
Then the calipers are bolted to the hubs and pads fitted.
The new QT castor correction arms being bolted to the axle.
The axle assembly was then offered up to the chassis.
Springs and dampers being assembled. Springs are TerraFirma from Frogs Island (www.frogsisland4x4.com) and the dampers are Rough Country from Llama 4x4 (www.llama4x4.co.uk). Not sure how well the combination will work, but we will see!
One thing became obvious straight away..... we will need spring relocation cones! The damper towers were from Paddock Spares (www.paddockspares.com) as were many other parts.
The panhard rod connected. Note the dampers/towers have been removed ready to drop the axle down to install the relocation cones when they arrive.
The front cones also came from Paddock Spares. I wasn't over impressed with them. I cut and tapered them so the springs wouldn't 'hook up' on their edges when reseating. Here, I am dropping them into place before refitting the towers and dampers.
The dampers were dropped in from the top.
Then the towers were bolted on.
The brake pipes and hoses were then intalled.
The power steering box was a recently reconditioned unit, so it was cleaned and painted ready for reinstalling.
My colleague has converted his mill to CNC so we descided to make wheel spacers to give tyre clearance. Here is the aluminium. Cut into 32mm slices by the supplier. And just £15 per slice!
Here are a pair of the finished items.
And fitted.