Thread: Swivel ball leaks?

If its any consolation its not a terribly hard job.
I got my kit through CLR and it went smoothly. (messy though)

Originally Posted by gromit

My Defender has LR stickers under the bonnet detailing the change to one-shot grease so I guess it was an 'approved' LR fix.

The oil level was dropped and the sachet of semi-liquid grease added. The mix is still fluid just needs a a much bigger gap before it can drip out
You can get split seals which are much easier to install. Never done it myself but the theory is you put the join at the top with I guess a dob of silicon sealant on it. The slight leak from the split lubricates the swivel ball ?

4-Wheel Drives in Blackburn have the seals (Indian) on special at the moment for $5each but they are out of stock. They also sometimes carry the split seals.

Colin

As I understand it you would think the uni joint half shaft wouldn;t need as much lubing as a CV joint so should be ok for the series hubs? But the top Railco bush might suffer from not getting oiled up? I have to put a repair kit through it so Ill see if the oil stays in. If not Ill get the slurry and one shot it.Yes I read you can cut the swivel seals with a thin hacksaw and blade and pop them on without a pulldown. Buying them already split would be ideal.

theres no wheel wobbles at higher speeds and no effect through the steering but i have to get it done for the roadworthy inspection......iwhich Ive been trying to get to for months but keep on finding faults to fix dammit. Just found a hole in the muffler and timing cover oil seal leaks. W

Originally Posted by ashhhhh

If its any consolation its not a terribly hard job.
I got my kit through CLR and it went smoothly. (messy though)

asssh did yours leak not long after? W

Originally Posted by Wallydog

Yes I read you can cut the swivel seals with a thin hacksaw and blade and pop them on without a pulldown. Buying them already split would be ideal.

I doubt you could successfully. It would probably only do the job if you were using thick grease. There is a spring inside the seal which holds it against the ball.

The "cut seal" idea is for people who don't want to dismantle the swivel and/or remove the swivel ball from the axle. Since you need to remove the swivel housing to fix the bush, it is only another 6 bolts to remove the ball (which is needed to press the bush in/out anyway).

Make sure you use a small amount of silicone on the outer diameter of the seal.

Originally Posted by isuzurover

I doubt you could successfully. It would probably only do the job if you were using thick grease. There is a spring inside the seal which holds it against the ball.

The "cut seal" idea is for people who don't want to dismantle the swivel and/or remove the swivel ball from the axle. Since you need to remove the swivel housing to fix the bush, it is only another 6 bolts to remove the ball (which is needed to press the bush in/out anyway).

Make sure you use a small amount of silicone on the outer diameter of the seal.

Yes Im with you. I wouldn't use a split one when i have the swivel ball off the vehicle. Silicone on the outer of the seal I will do

I read about that method on Terri-Annes LR site. I understand its 'the easy way out method' when you don't want to go the whole hog Im more intersted in doing the job properly.

Originally Posted by isuzurover

I doubt you could successfully. It would probably only do the job if you were using thick grease. There is a spring inside the seal which holds it against the ball.

The "cut seal" idea is for people who don't want to dismantle the swivel and/or remove the swivel ball from the axle. Since you need to remove the swivel housing to fix the bush, it is only another 6 bolts to remove the ball (which is needed to press the bush in/out anyway).

Make sure you use a small amount of silicone on the outer diameter of the seal.

I think the idea is to remove the garter spring before cutting but whether you can stretch it over the hub and brake backplate to pop it on once the seal is roughly in position is debatable. There is a join in the garter spring where one end is twisted into the other so maybe it can be untwisted to fit ?
One tip my father-in-law gave me was to fill the void between the two lips of the seal with water resistant (boating) grease. His theory was it would lubricate the swivel ball & stop water getting back into the hub. It wouldn't do any harm I guess...

Colin

Originally Posted by gromit

One tip my father-in-law gave me was to fill the void between the two lips of the seal with water resistant (boating) grease. His theory was it would lubricate the swivel ball & stop water getting back into the hub. It wouldn't do any harm I guess...

Colin

I always grease the lips of oil seals (usually with marine grease) when installing.

Originally Posted by isuzurover

I always grease the lips of oil seals (usually with marine grease) when installing.

Yes, although I use wheel bearing grease - not usually much water here! I have used a (bought) cut seal in the past - you can unhook the spring and rehook it round the axle. The seal was a lot more flexible than the normal one - a lot less steel backing - I would not like to try cutting a standard one and then manoeuvring it round the axle without damaging it - had to cut the old ones to get them off and getting them off was a major job.

Surprisingly, the split seal worked quite well for about ten years, but was replaced by a standard one when I needed to replace the swivel bushes and pins.

Worth noting however, that if the swivel is loose, you will never get the seal to work. I have found that if the preload is low and actually allows movement, the seal will leak. Any free play will allow the seal to move away from the ball, and several times I have found that simply adjusting the preload makes the leak go away.

John