Waste of a day - rear a frame ball pivot.

[fraser130]

Long story, too tired so this is the short version!
Had a clunk in the rear suspension, sounded the same as the clunk on the last 'fender I had, so i went and bought a new upper pivot ball thingy.
I knew it was going to be a tough one as I have no oxy or press.
Anyway, got the taper knocked loose, undid the 2 long bolts and the 2 sides of the A-frame are all floppy!!!
the bushes that fix it to the chassis have worn on the bolts.
The rubber is fine, just the bolts were not done up anyway near tight enough when last replaced.
To make matters worse I don't have a socket/spanner that fits these bolts.

The ball pivot was fine, but the threads left a little to be desired, so I belted it out and fitted the new one.

Now at least I know it (the ball pivot) should be fine for a while, but tomorrow I have to get a socket (anyone know what size they are on a 130?? 28m? 29mm?) and take them out and see what the damage is, I'll bet the bolts are knackered as well as the inside of the bushes. I just hope the movement hasn't flogged out the inside surfaces of the chassis brackets!

Feel like I've achieved nought for the day, and I hit my cheekbone on the rear corner of the tray and ended up sitting on the floor for a wee bit!

Oh well!

Fraser

[Fraz]

anyone know what size they are on a 130?? 28m? 29mm?

Just did a quick measure for you, mine is 27mm for an 01 130.
By the looks of it you will need a shifter or spanner AND the socket - there is no way you will get a socket onto the outside parts

Hopefully helpful mate have fun

Fraz

edit: thats a measurement with a shifter and my measuring tape, not a real socket!!

[fraser130]

Thanks Fraz,

Fraz.

[rovercare]

I'm struggleing to see how, spending a day playing with your Landy, finding things that will improve it and now having an excuse to buy more tools is a waste of a day?:confused:

:D

[rovercare]

Oh, you'll likely need a decent spanner, although I usually use a Bahco 12" and a socket with 2' bar to undo these, they can be a mongrel:eek:

[dobbo]

I can think of a bloody hard way of pressing in the actual rubber or poly bushes into the A frame but how are you going to correctly press the new metal sleeves into the bushes without a press?

[fraser130]

I can think of a bloody hard way of pressing in the actual rubber or poly bushes into the A frame but how are you going to correctly press the new metal sleeves into the bushes without a press?

I see where you are comming from, but I'm currently kinda broke, and we are heading away camping in the beast on Friday!

Fraser

[fraser130]

Oh, you'll likely need a decent spanner, although I usually use a Bahco 12" and a socket with 2' bar to undo these, they can be a mongrel:eek:

I'm pretty sure the bushes are recent, the rubber is excellent, the B@#$#@ds who replaced them just didn't tighten them enough. (was before I bought the car).

I think tomorrow I'll just tighten them as far as I can without doing further damage, and see if that grabs the central tube on the bush, failing that it will have to wait till I get back, after all, it's just a clunk I guess.
Fraser

[yt110]

Make sure you put some oil on the threads of the bolts before you put it back together,if the threads are dry the nut will get tight on the thread before the centre tube has been nipped up and tighten them with the suspension at normal road height You could get 1/2" longer bolts and then cut 1/2" off so there is more shank in the centre tube.

[rick130]

Last clunk I had under there was play between the bolt and crush tube.
Both were flogged out, so new bushes and bolts went in.

Burnt and hacksawed the old ones out (no press and a makehift manual one, large threaded rod, huge washers, etc wouldn't shift the bush)
New ones were easy, I used Super Pro.

[fraser130]

Make sure you put some oil on the threads of the bolts before you put it back together,if the threads are dry the nut will get tight on the thread before the centre tube has been nipped up and tighten them with the suspension at normal road height You could get 1/2" longer bolts and then cut 1/2" off so there is more shank in the centre tube.

Ta yt110, that was what I was thinking too! I always prefer to tighten nuts instaed of bolts, but I don't have a choice here.

Rick, were the bolts/bushes expensive?

I'm off to have a go this morning, will let you all know how it goes.

Cheers for the help,

Fraser

[dobbo]

Ta yt110, that was what I was thinking too! I always prefer to tighten nuts instaed of bolts, but I don't have a choice here.

Rick, were the bolts/bushes expensive?

I'm off to have a go this morning, will let you all know how it goes.

Cheers for the help,

Fraser


I also used super pro, from memory the entire car cost approx $330.00

[fraser130]

Oh well, the 27mm socket I have is too small, the 30mm is too big.......off to a mates place the other side of town to use his tools, I need to drop some stuff there anyway for them to take camping....

Fraser

[fraser130]

Job Done!
Bushes were as new except the ends of the tube had worn so it was too short to be grabbed when bolts were tight, 2 high tensile spacing washers later, all bloody tight!
$14 for 10 washers, $13 for 1 1/8" socket
Will see how it goes while away.
Also found the rubber bushes on the chassis end of the steering damper are perished, going to pop out to bursons and grab a pair.....

Thanks all for your advice etc.

Fraser

[rick130]

Frase, it was quite a few years back I swapped mine out and the OE bushes themselves were fine, but the inside of the crush tubes had ovalised and the bolts were worn undersize from the relative movement.

The new bushes and bolts cured the rear steer problem I had at the time ;)

One of the new Super Pro crush tubes was a little over size on the ID, so I rolled some shim stock inside it to take the slack up, just so the bugger couldn't start to move. I've never been able to jimmy any movement in it since.

[fraser130]

Thanks Rick.
What I've done will do for the next trip away (end of this week), when we get back I'll put in new bushes and bolts.
The "clunk" I thought was free play in the transmission (axles, diff's, centre diff) has now gone!!!!
Very happy chappy, I don't need to shift so gently now.

I've also been having slight issues at cruising at 100 - 110 with going dead straight, I hope it's been rear steer.
One of the tapers on the drop arms for the front sway bar was flogged out, I drilled it out and pressed in a new taper a mate made up, and that's helped heaps, but I expect the A-frame bushes may also be contributing.
Nothing more tiring than driving a heavily loaded car that won't steer straight for hours on end, is there?

The camper is quite heavy when all loaded up for a week's stay somwhere, if it's still not up to scratch this trip, I'll look at a heavier rear sway bar, or a second rear one with disconnects.

Cheers,

Fraser