Converting front hub wheel bearings to oil lubrication

[Judo]

If you search there are already some other tutorials on here that show this process, but since I have photos, I figure the more the better.

This was done on my '95 Disco, but I believe it applies to other vehicles as well, such as early Defenders.

Converting the front hubs to oil lube has 2 main options:

1. Wheel bearing & swivel housing oil compartment + diff oil compartment separate
2. Wheel bearing, swivel housing and diff oil as 1 compartment.

I've gone option 1.

To do both front wheels and replace some small cheap parts along the way, you will need:

4x STC4382 - wheel bearing
2x RTC3511 - oil seal
2x FTC861 - stub axle needle roller bearing
2x FRC8002 - lock tab (up to '93) OR FTC3179 lock tab ('93 onwards) <-- Don't know exact cutoff
2x drive flange gasket OR RTV silicone. (I found 3 part numbers for this gasket: 571752, FRC3988, 231505). I'm using RTV silicone
RTV silicone

Wheel off & vehicle on axle stand.
Drain swivel pin housing. Top bung is filler. Small middle one is level check. Bottom is drain.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/65.jpg


Brake calliper off (2x13mm 12 point bolts) & tied to spring with wire. Be careful not to bend solid brake line.
Drive flange off
Remove circlip and spacer washers
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/66.jpg

Now you need to bend the lock tab away from the nut (with a chisel or screw driver) so you can undo the 2 nuts.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/67.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/68.jpg

The hub can be removed now. If you can't pull it off, give it a gentle tap. 1 small tap should be enough and the bearings and hub will start falling off.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/69.jpg

Now you have the stub axle. You should look for scoring on the stub axle and the condition of the splines sticking out. Mine look pretty good.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/70.jpg

Undo 6 bolts holding the stub axle on and remove it.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/71.jpg

Mine had been sealed with RTV silicone. Clean that away making sure you don't get anything inside the swivel housing.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/72.jpg

Turn the stub axle over and you can now see the needle roller bearing and below it is the oil seal we are removing. I've read some people manage to cut away the oil seal in place without touching the bearing. Up to you. The bearing is cheap so I'm showing you how to remove and replace.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/73.jpg

This is how I removed the bearing.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/59.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/74.jpg

Oil seal accessible!

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/01/1270.jpg

Remove anyway you can. (Long screwdriver from the other side worked for me).

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/75.jpg

Press new bearing in if you are lucky enough to have a press. If not, place something over the top of the bearing that contacts the full surface and evenly tap in with a hammer. (I didn't have a press and have done this a few times now).

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/76.jpg

Now you put everything back together.
Stub axle and mud shield back on. I sealed the back of stub axle face with RTV silicone again.
65Nm and Loctite.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/77.jpg

My wheel bearings looked like this, so I replaced with new. (As per parts listing at the start).
Sorry I don't have any photos of how to change wheel bearings, but there is plenty of info on that already.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/78.jpg

Replace seal at the back of the hub. The lip that sticks out goes upwards in this photo. (Suggest comparing old seal placement before removal).

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/79.jpg

Tighten wheel bearings as per workshop manual. Place new lock tab and bend over nut inwards. Place second nut, tighten and bend lock tab outwards over second nut.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/80.jpg

Refit drive flange. I used RTV silcone to seal, but you can use the paper gasket. 65Nm and loctite.
Refit dust cap. I used RTV silicone to seal that as well.
Refit brake calliper. 82Nm and loctite.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/81.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/82.jpg


Refill swivel pin housing with oil. You will want to overfill a little, go for a drive to get the oil into the hub, then top up again. I don't know how much oil is really needed, as I haven't re-checked mine again yet.


That's it! :)

Please jump in with additional comments if needed!

[gavinwibrow]

Pardon my ignorance, but is this applicable to D2/2a as well?

[Blknight.aus]

no, it applies to all landies from about 1980 (that have been retrofitted to grease at some point) through to 1999 for the discos (change over to D2) and is still valid for the defender.

[Plutei]

Justin, is there any chance you could re-upload the photos? Haven't been able to find a more clear tutorial so far....!

[Judo]

My blissful ignorance that Photobucket wouldn't last forever has finally come crashing down. :(

I can't edit my posts, but hopefully you can link up the description with these pics. I don't know which pics I used exactly, but I found the originals, and there are more pics than in my original post... Good luck. [thumbsupbig]

Update your browser to use Google Drive - Google Drive Help (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JyhAT30m438MfE0P760akX7e8dGpnIhN)



https://drive.google.com/open?id=11X8Vqkex7Z73cNz-c6uREgy8pqbKcw9b

[Plutei]

Awesome, thanks so much