Thread: Disco1 swivel preload

In my experience, not removing the seal is fine.

However, I can't see loose preloads being your problem as that normally causes steering shimmy rather than wander.

The problem with measuring it with the seal in place is that the amount of drag provided by the seal is very variable. That said, the actual amount of preload required is not particularly critical, although it becomes more and more critical as you go to oversize tyres, change suspension geometry, get out of balance wheels and so on.

Lack of preload is normally noticed by shimmy after hitting a bump, but, particularly if everything else is in good shape, may show up first as wandering, particularly since the damper will usually reduce or eliminate shimmy unless it is very bad.

Excessive preload will reduce the self centring, but will need to be well above normal to notice in ordinary driving.

I would check it with seals in place, and increase it if it is not at least 50% above the non-seal book value.

John

If your D1 has ABS, the preload value is about half of this!!!

The ABS upper bearing is a BUSH, and it only has a thin flat thrust bearing and washers under the pin, and a taper roller as per NON ABS on the bottom of the swivel housing.

JC

Thanks guys.

When I do it I will either drop off the wiper seal or maybe back off the upper pin and then try and get a measurement of just the wiper seal friction and then keep that figure in mind when setting it up.

I saw the different settings in RAVE for ABS and non ABS. I don't have ABS so all is good. Thanks.

Hi Justin,

Those tyres will cause the car to wander a little, the D2 now does, not sure if it is the size or just that they are muddies I have found even on the old car it would tram line more on the muds

Danny

most the time a new after market steering stabaliser will help with the tyres wondering around the road as the standered ones if never replaced would be pretty average by now

Thanks Danny.

I might just leave it until I have the front end apart next. Probably when I do an axle or CV (not that I have broken any at all yet).

I had the damper off a few months ago to ensure it still worked after I damaged it again. It looks bad but works fine. Very stiff.
It is a Bilstein but does not pull to the left like the Bilstein thread spoke about. So all is well there.

Well I went up to the sunny coast last week. On the drive home I noticed that when I hit a bump in the road the steering would kick a little. I had a boot load of gear including a fridge and three bikes on a bike carrier so it was sitting down in the rear slightly (add the rear steel bar I just fitted too ). So that wouldn't have helped things. Also it was wandering a bit. Was fairly annoying.

So today I adjusted the swivel preload just to see what would change. I didn't bother (read didn't remember) to do the with and without seal bit. Before measurements were about 4-4.5kg. After was around 6-6.5kg. I removed a .25mm shim one side and a .35mm shim the other.
Steering certainly seemed a little tighter on my trips this afternoon but will have to see how it affects the next highway run I do. I don't drive on the highway much at the moment so that might be a while.