Thread: swivel shims

Hi

It's hard to say from the keyboard. But 5kg sounds too low.
It's a bit hard to measure in reality as the static (start up) friction is much higher than the dynamic -so go a bit higher than its says in the manual - mine seems to steer better for longer when I do.

Also the torque on the upper preload bolts needs to be set carefully and the same each time you test the preload with different shims. Check manual I think its high 70 or 90 NM or so.

I'm a fan of checking preload every 6 months or so as it makes the truck less nervous on rough hwys.

Generally I pull a 1 thou shim each time. Get multiple thins rather than a few thicks.

If you're pulling a big thickness of shims out - the bearing(s) are probably 'brinnelled' - shell is marked by the needles pressing down the the dominant straight ahead steering position and will need replacing

Clive

thanks.
i just tried it with one thick shim removed and its now a nice 7kg pull, which does feel a lot better.
for the thickness of shim pulled i expected it to be a lot higher. i guess acheck of bearings may be needed to to make sure.
is the brinnelling on the rollers and inside the race.
ian

just read your post again, answered my own question, thanks

Basically it is trial and error. But, particularly if you have replaced parts and have no idea how many you will want, there is a way of doing it.

Assemble without any shims, tighten down until the load is correct, then measure the gap using either feeler gauges or, indeed, a stack of shims. Assemble with these shims, and tighten down, and you should be correct within about one of the thinnest shims (recheck the load of course).

John

where are you guys getting your 5-7kg from? The WSM states around 1.1-1.4kg that with no brake caliper, no hub, no cv and no swivel seal.

Originally Posted by uninformed

where are you guys getting your 5-7kg from? The WSM states around 1.1-1.4kg that with no brake caliper, no hub, no cv and no swivel seal.

Well, my factory manual for the 2a says 5.4-6.3kg, and my 90/110 factory manual says 3.6-4.5kg. I suspect that it may vary a bit according to which model you are talking about, with the very low figure you quote being when the top Railko bush was replaced with a taper roller bearing.

Note that the only bit of " brake caliper, no hub, no cv and no swivel seal" that will add significantly to the drag is the seal.

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Well, my factory manual for the 2a says 5.4-6.3kg, and my 90/110 factory manual says 3.6-4.5kg. I suspect that it may vary a bit according to which model you are talking about, with the very low figure you quote being when the top Railko bush was replaced with a taper roller bearing.

Note that the only bit of " brake caliper, no hub, no cv and no swivel seal" that will add significantly to the drag is the seal.

John

Yes John, my WSM is for a 300Tdi, so bearings top and bottom. Given the difference, what vehicle is the OP talking about?

Once you get all that weight moving wont it help over come what resistance is there, so the reading may be lower than what it is if all that stuff removed?

The 1,1-1,4 figure comes from the workshop manual for the Tdi. I found that, when using these figures, the real life result was unsatisfactory, so I adjusted until it felt right. Now I still think it is somewhat too soft and I should take off some more shims, which I will do when getting round to it.
As for the original problem, Ian, are you sure the CV-joints are alright??? Just another thing worth considering...
Cheers

Originally Posted by uninformed

Yes John, my WSM is for a 300Tdi, so bearings top and bottom. Given the difference, what vehicle is the OP talking about?

No idea - this is "technical chatter", not a particular model or series! But the principles, if not the numbers, apply to all of the solid axle Landrovers.

Once you get all that weight moving wont it help over come what resistance is there, so the reading may be lower than what it is if all that stuff removed?

No, as long as the speed of movement remains the same, the resistance will be the same - the resistance is provided by friction, and the amount of weight does not affect that. The CV joint is the only additional place where bits are moving on each other, and they are designed to have almost no friction when swivelled - even under load you probably could not measure it, and unloaded - no.

John