Early front half shaft.

[Timj]

Hi all,

I have a 53 80" that I am fixing swivel seals and the like on. I am changing the swivel ball on one side so need to get the half shaft out and it doesn't want to move. These are early half shafts with a Trakta joint rather than a universal (and isn't that a fascinating joint!). When I did the series 3 with unis the half shaft just pulled out once the hub was off. Are these early ones meant to do the same?

Also all the online versions of the series 1 manuals I have been able to find seem to be missing a couple of sections, brakes and front axle being the two I really wanted. Are there any complete ones available?

Thanks,

TimJ.

[digger]

I'd do it this way.....
(in bold font so easy to read if printed out!!)

1. JACK UP VEHICLE -REMOVE ROAD WHEEL AND BRAKE DRUM

2. DRAIN OIL FROM UNI JOINT HOUSING (REMOVE DRAIN AND FILLER PLUGS)

3. REMOVE HUB CAP (PRESS FIT ON DRIVING MEMBER)

4. PLACE DRIP TRAY UNDER HUB AND REMOVE DRIVING MEMBER AND JOINT WASHER FROM THE STUB SHAFT AND THE HUB.

5. PRISE UP LOCKING TABS AND REMOVE LOCKNUT, LOCK WASHER AND ADJUSTING NUT FROM THE STUB AXLE, REMOVE THE KEYED THRUST WASHER.

6. REMOVE THE HUB COMPLETE WITH THE INNER AND OUTER ROLLER BEARINGS AND OIL SEAL. WITHDRAW THE OIL SEAL AND BEARING FROM THE HUB IF NECESSARY

7. REMOVE BRAKE ANCHOR PLATE AND STUB AXLE FROM THE SWIVEL PIN HOUSING, SWING ANCHOR PLATEBACK TO REST ON ROAD SPRING, (THUS OBVIATING NEED TO BLEED BRAKES ON REASSEMBLY! :) )

8) REMOVE STUB AXLE (DISCARD IF UNSERVICABLE)

9) WITHDRAW STUB SHAFT, UNI JOINT AND HALF SHAFT ASSEMBLY FROM THE UNI JOINT ASSEMBLY.

10) REMOVE THE HALF SHAFT ROLLER BEARING RETAINING COLLAR BY FILING A FLAT ON ITS OUTER DIAMETER. WHEN ITS THICKNESS IS SUFFICIENTLY REDUCED THE COLLAR WILL SPLIT OF ITS OWN ACCORD. CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO AVOID DAMAGE TO THE SHAFT AND ROLLER RACE.

11) WITHDRAW THE HALF SHAFT ROLLER RACE OUTER MEMBER BY TAPPING THE JOINT FACE OF THE SWIVEL PIN BEARING HOUSING FLANGE WITH A SOFT NOSED HAMMER

12) GRIP HALF SHAFT IN A SOFT JAWED VICE AND REMOVE RACE INNER MEMBER FROM THE SHAFT BY TAPPING THE CONICAL DISTANCE PIECE FROM INSIDE THE SWIVEL PIN BEARING HOUSING WITH A SUITABLE DRIFT.

12a) ON AXLES FITTED WITH A PLAIN DISTANCE PIECE, THE RACE IS REMOVED BY TAPPING THE OUTER EDGE OF THE RACE INNER MEMBER, IN SUCH CASES GREAT CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE RACE ITSELF.

13) REMOVE THE ROLLER RACE INNER MEMBER AND THE RACE AND DISTANCE PIECE. WITHDRAW THE STUB SHAFT, UNI JOINT AND HALF SHAFT ASSEMBLY FROM THE SWIVEL PIN BEARING HOUSING.

14) REMOVE THE TWO BEARING RACES FROM THE HALF SHAFT YOKE AND PART THE SHAFT FROM THE UNI JOINT

hope thats of help (thanks drop short!)
from page F10-12, L/R wk/shp manual 48-58

if I can help with more I will (but I am NOT retyping this whole book!!... :) )

[Timj]

Thanks for that Digger.

However I already have the swivel ball out of the vehicle and on the bench with the half shaft still in it. No 9 on your list seems to be the bit causing problems as the bearing must be seized into it's race even though it appears to have quite a bit of old greasy oil in it. Also it definitely is not a Uni joint, it is the earlier Trakta joint. I wonder if there is a manual for the earlier ones?

TimJ.

[digger]

Thanks for that Digger.

However I already have the swivel ball out of the vehicle and on the bench with the half shaft still in it. No 9 on your list seems to be the bit causing problems as the bearing must be seized into it's race even though it appears to have quite a bit of old greasy oil in it. Also it definitely is not a Uni joint, it is the earlier Trakta joint. I wonder if there is a manual for the earlier ones?

TimJ.

Im looking for a camera so I can send this direct as they wrote it!!!
standby...

[wrinklearthur]

Hi Tim

I am not sure now about those tracta joints, but I do think that the retaining sleave has to be removed to allow that bearing to come off.

Two mild steel straps with large nut welded between them at one end then fit a bolt into the nut to push at the end of the half shaft.

Then with a piece of tin plate to protect the bearing, weld the straps either side of the retainer and then screw the bolt down.

While everthing is still hot, this will pull the retainer off without too much effort.

Cheers Arthur

[digger]

PM sent

[wrinklearthur]

Hi Timj

What the latest on your fix?

Cheers Arthur

[Timj]

Hi Arthur,

Digger sent me some pages from the manual. Looks like the bearing collar has to be removed to get the half shaft out as you said. I can't remember having to do that with the Series 3 so it may just be the early ones, or of course it could just be my memory failing even more :). I will do some more work on it this afternoon and let you know.

Tim.

[Timj]

Well I now know why the half shaft won't come out :). The early ones have a ball bearing style bearing rather than a roller bearing and this means the two parts of the bearing don't come apart so the retaining collar has to be taken off to allow the half shaft out.

At least it wasn't my memory failing :).

TimJ.

[wrinklearthur]

Hi Timj

Of couse ! thats it, The ones I fitted into a 86" had ball bearings also.

The farms old 86" was always getting grit into the swivel housings from wading through churned up sandy water holes in the tracks and wrecking the uni joints.
So when we obtained new chromed balls housings we installed the earlier 80" tracta joints as well.

Cheers Arthur

[Timj]

Why is it that every job I do on a series Landrover turns into a major project? I seem to always be fixing up the results of previous stuff ups or lack of maintenance. Oh well at least when I am finished them all they should run for years with just the maintenance bit :).

The simple job of fixing leaking swivel seals has so far taken -

1. Buy two new swivel balls as the existing ones are too stuffed to bother putting new seals on.
2. Buy a kit to convert to Railko bushes rather than the cones and springs. Find out that it won't fit the Series one, so have to change that next week. The kit included all the gaskets, new felt seal, and new lock tabs for everything.
3. Buy new spring bushes (Superpro Polybushes, I dislike the standard bushes) for the front springs since bits of one was coming out and the front one had completely separated the rubber from the outside shell. Haven't pulled out the other side yet, just bought the bushes since I am sure it will be stuffed too :).
4. New swivel seals and axle seals, I already had a couple of hub seals sitting here waiting for a leak.
5. New half shaft bearings and bearing retaining cones, they might have been ok but any sign of rust on bearings and I would rather replace. The cones have to be replaced since they get removed to get the half shaft out of the swivel ball.
6. I had some new bolts for the shackle bushes left over from a job on the series 3 so I though I would use those to replace the badly rusted ones. Of course this becomes a project, different thread, slightly larger, so drill out the shackle, cut a new thread and they now fit :).
7. Put new bushes in the right hand spring today, just tightened the bolt that holds the spring pack together a tiny bit as it seemed loose. Then put the spring back in, hit the side of the pack with a hammer to help position it under the axle and the damned bolt broke and the bottom two leaves fell off. So now have to visit Hardware tomorrow and see if I can find something suitable, or the bolt shop on Monday.

So going nowhere at the moment waiting for bearings and replacement Railko kit. Will pull the other side apart tomorrow I hope and get it all cleaned up ready for the parts when they arrive. Will put new bushes in that spring and maybe replace the bolt at the same time just so I can be sure it won't snap on me like the other one.

Oh the joys of series, particularly 58 year old ones :). Despite all this I do love em.

TimJ.

[Timj]

Well it is finally back on it's wheels :). Took a while for parts to arrive from the UK but they got here Monday so I could finish things off. Just need to adjust the steering stops in the morning then a test drive. It should be totally different to drive now.

In the last month or so the following jobs have been done on this vehicle -

1. Change front and rear driveshaft seals on the transfer case, adjust preload on the rear bearing. New gasket on the transfer case sump to stop that leaking too.
2. New shoes and skim the drum on the handbrake. Rebuild the handbrake expander and adjuster from the best parts of three I had around. The early Series handbrake mechanism is different from the later Series 2 and 3 so parts are not so easy to find.
3. Replace universal joint on front tailshaft.
4. Replace bushes in front springs with Superpro bushes. Put new bolts in to hold the spring packs together. Put new shackle bolts in (including changing thread in the shackles to suit).
5. Replace the swivel balls with new ones.
6. Replace brass bush swivel pins with Railko bush ones.
7. Replace half shaft bearings and axle seals.
8. Replace swivel seals.
9. Replace hub seals.
10. Replace front diff pinion seal.
11. Replace all four shocks, three were pretty stuffed. Found some Gabriel ones at Supercheap for less than $40 each so even if they give up in a year or two they will probably be worth it.

I still have to replace the rear diff pinion seal but though I had two ready to go I stuffed one up trying to put it in the front. I have learned from changing seals in the gearbox and diff that it is easier to take the whole seal housing (bearing retaining housing) off and put the new seal in on the bench than to try and do it under the car. Shouldn't take long to do once I get a new seal. Probably need to look at the bushes in the rear springs as well since the front ones were so bad but that can wait a little while.

I have also learned that I have no idea how I used to do things before I bought a press. Bearing shells and halfshafts are so much easier now. I did a friends trailer hubs and bearings as well and that took half the time and I didn't bang my knuckles with a hammer trying to get the bearing shells out.

Really looking forward to a drive now :).

TimJ.