Thread: MD drive flange bolts sheared

you will have to remove the large nut on the end of the drive flange, this looks like it is part of the flange, its the same colour gold etc. I think you will find a circlip on the end of the cv stub shaft. This will be the exteranl type and you will need to circlip pliers to remove it. Then unbolt the remaing unbroken drive flange bolts....

now Im guessing you could have some damgae between bolt and drive flange where they have broken/twisted????

BTW I could be wrong on the whole process, so wait for someone that knows to add/correct

Yes as above.

While you are in there check the wheel bearings and hub.

Ok thanks. Might need to get the brothers 3/4 inch socket set, as it is on pretty tight.

Are the bolts soemthing I can just replace via the local bolt shop? I know they are hi-tensile.

Diana - I have the bearings here ready to replace. Although I think I read somewhere recently that you should use a different seal to standard, with the maxi-drive's. Is that right?

Originally Posted by Mr Ploppy

Ok thanks. Might need to get the brothers 3/4 inch socket set, as it is on pretty tight. Are the bolts soemthing I can just replace via the local bolt shop? I know they are hi-tensile. Diana - I have the bearings here ready to replace.

The breaker bar and sockets can be obtained individually from souper cheep, start with 27mm for the wheel nuts and then you have a decent wheel nut wrench.
Take a sample bolt to your bolt supplier, the top of the head has the tensile strength of the bolt in raised letters. Make sure that the new bolts have the same length shanks and thread, this is important to prevent the bolts bottoming out in their holes in the hub. Try and get the same size bolt head across the flats, so you don't have a mix of different sized heads that then need a different socket's while doing up the same part.
When installing the new bolts I use the lower strength, loctite screw lock 222.

LOCTITE 222 Screw lock Controlled Torque 10ml | eBay

Although I think I read somewhere recently that you should use a different seal to standard, with the maxi-drive's. Is that right?

This is done when converting the hub bearings to oil. This conversion to oil, allows oil to keep the splines wet inside the driving flanges prolonging their life, to allow the oil from the diff to pass through to the wheel bearings you must remove the seals that runs inside on the drive half shaft.
Then fit new hub seals that are designed for oil, use Land rover part number RTC3511, they are produced by Corteco their part number is 15510067, if you are not in a hurry then they can be obtained from the UK at very reasonable price.

To seat the seal nicely, use the inside lip of a old driving flange and drive the seal down into the hub until the flange sits flush around the edge of the hub.

The MD cap uses the same size hub socket that adjusts the nut for the wheel bearing.

To correctly preload the new wheel bearings, tighten the inner nut to very firm, then spin the hub and then repeat the process. Then carefully back the nut off by one flat, that is 60° back from fully tight. Fit the locking washer and the locking nut, fully tighten this outer nut and fold the edge of the locking washer over one of the flats of the inside nut and out over one of the flats of the outer locking nut.
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With my last post the instructions are mostly for converting the rear axle wheel bearings to oil.

I am still debating with myself whether the running of the CV joints in diff oil is the correct thing to do.
Would the semi fluid lubricant that the CV's run in, be sufficient to keep the wheel bearings lubricated?
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why not run the cvs in the same oil??? The early Range Rovers did. I run my 110 front in oil and no problems yet in 4 years lots of towing heavy steering.

Thanks Arthur, I got the bolts this morning on the way to work. They look almost identical to the originals so all good there. I think i might pick up a few spares for future travels as well.

The brother is all lined up for the socket set though he doesnt have that size socket which is 52mm I believe from memory so will pick that up tomorrow from the lcoal tool place, and get myself a breaker bar at the same time for the future. Good idea about the socket for the wheels.

Anyone have any ideas as to what may have caused the shearing of the bolts in the first place?

not being done up correctly to begin with...too much gasket material between drive flange and hub. No use of loctite on bolts (although in theory they should not need it)

Becarefull on the 52mm socket. I think a normal 1/2 or 3/4 soocket, even a deep one, wont work on the nuts that go on the stub axle/spindle due to the wall of the socket being to thick.

I bought a purpose hub nut socket from Maxi-drive years ago, I then bought a 1/2 drive socket that would fit inside it, cut the socket and welded it inside so I was able to use my torque wrench to follow the workshop manual procedure....

Wheel Bearing Hub Nut Socket Land Rover Series 2-3 Defender County Discovery 1 | eBay

above is the type that I bought and modded.