Thread: Snapped front Swivel Ball on a '11 Defender 130 PUMA - Is Tyre size the cause?

I totally understand being under the pump in a location where options are limited - but would never take the risk or place it on another...

The “What if’s” are too great.

Even say you decided to drive at less than 40km/h on the welded component - bump in the road it breaks skews you into an oncoming truck?

It is not like welding up a chassis or
Even a suspension link or steering link even - it is a cast component and welding it will have less strength than the original that broke already?

It’s not like I’m a super safety nazi - In the past, to make things go that have stopped I may have welded bilstein pins on to get going ( also a bad idea) I’ve repaired stub axle bearing surfaces by adding material and turning to size, I’ve welded suspension links ....

But a cast swivel? Not a chance...

I wish them all the best but think that even in “the Stan’s” there is a postal service of sorts? Play with the horse - cut firewood
Wait for a part that won’t potentially kill you?

I really hope I’m wrong

S

Yep welding cast takes some real skill including pre heating and controlled cooling. Even if contemplating it to.get you a few k down the road the welder would need to be very good.

Cheers

Actually sticking the two bits together is not that complicated...
I’ve TIGed it Sticked it and MIG brazed it... as you say with heat control and some mojo I’m sure old mate stuck it back together...

But I would never let that be used on a public road - risks are just too high

Following all the other socials and they might have even mentioned in the vid...they ordered all the parts required for a rebuild straight away. I noticed the other day there new tyres arrived 265/18/16’s Toyo’s from memory .

They replied to a message I sent them that can get any parts sent to any part of the world it’s just time and finding a reliable address.

I betting the repaired swivel is only to get their camper somewhere better while they carry out the repairs. I guess you’ll have to subscribe to there channel to find out what they do with the repaired swivel.

When most people hear the word 'cast', they automatically think 'cast iron', whereas casting is a method of forming material and not a material itself. You can 'cast' anything from iceblocks to concrete bridge beams. I'm pretty sure the swivel housing is cast steel rather than cast iron, I'm not a ticketed welder but an experienced amateur and advice I had from a mechanical engineer some years ago when tackling a steel casting was that it could be welded just fine. Not that I would drive on that bodged-up swivel housing any further than I could throw it though, which would be two car lengths with a good run-up on my best day. It's probably fatigued in the broken area and will just continue to crack. It would be interesting to see some calculations on just how much the increased offset and the wheel spacers had multiplied the shear stress on that part, load it up to pre-modification design limits and drive it on the worst roads you can find, shouldn't be surprised when something gives.

POD I agree that the swivels are more than likely a form of cast steel as opposed to cast iron...

Makes a difference with respect to actually sticking them together but I still couldn’t trust it!

Not to mention things like maintaining king pin alignment etc would be pretty close to impossible!

S

When I was working in the middle of the Simpson over fifty years ago we had a similar problem with a water truck we had. Starting life as a Diamond T military truck, rated at, I think, something like three tons, it had been 'remanufactured' by a firm in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and came to us fitted with a 10,000 gallon water tank, power steering, the biggest six cylinder (petrol) engine made by IH - and 19.75x20 tyres.

After a few months in the desert, it broke somewhat similarly to this on the RH front. Our mechanic welded it up, and added a gusset cut from 1/2" plate in line with the swivels top and bottom, and extending as close as possible to the seal. And did the same on the other side.

The picture shows the left side being disassembled to make this modification. I can't find a picture of the damage.

The repairs/modifications survived another year of desert work, and the trip back to Brisbane - I don't recall what happened to the vehicle after that - may have been sold, as parts were a real pain. And the motor blew up coming down the Minden range just out of Brisbane on our return trip!

Looking at that photo of the Diamond T , my brain saw 1/2 a 44 gallon drum as the drip tray , and thought 'wow that truck is massive.'