Today was a nice bright sunny day (wind was a little cold). Out with the tools:-
Jacked up front end and removed passenger side front wheel.
Cleaned hub and drive shaft as well as possible without making the whole area underneath wet and mucky - I am planning on working here!
Removed spring (used spring compressors as I didn't want the drive shaft falling down any more - hopefully the oil has gone back towards the diff)
Split the brake line at the flexible hose to hub joint. (Piece of plastic sheet under the brake reservoir lid - very little leakage of brake fluid)
Removed the steering arm ball joint (Ball joint splitter)
Removed the bottom swivel pin cap (2 x 13mm bolts)
Removed the nut from the bottom swivel pin and pushed it down part way (24mm Ring spanner)
Removed the top swivel pin cotter pin bolt (13mm ring spanner)
Used a spark plug socket and 8mm long threaded bolt with a 13mm nut run up it as a puller to remove the top swivel pin.
Pulled the complete hub from the drive shaft.
Cleaned all the bits I couldn't clean before and which would be going back together again soon....
The mud deflector collar showed signs of the oil seal running / polishing it, but no signs of damage.
The oil seal in the drive shaft showed no signs damage, so don't know why it was leaking
Removed the oil seal - I have (had) a replacement. Cleaned mounting area until no more oil was dripping into the seal mounting area.
Installed new oil seal but haven't tapped it all the way home - should mean it is running on a different part of the mud deflector collar.
Grease on the splines, little bit on the oil seal lips
Grease on the swivel pin surfaces.
Slide hub back in to place and tap top swivel pin down far enough to locate in bronze bush, realise that you need to put the bottom rubber seal and metal cover in place for the bottom swivel pin BEFORE you push the hub home!
Remove top swivel pin (Again)
Put rubber seal and metal cover in place on bottom swivel bronze bush.
Push hub home, tap top swivel pin down to locate in bronze bush
Insert bottom swivel pin and wiggle hub until it fits correctly. Put nut on and do up finger tight.
Tap top swivel pin home making sure the cut out is aligned for the cotter pin bolt.
Then put all the other bits back in place and do things up.
Bleed the brakes using an "pressurised" one man brake bleeding kit that use your spare tyre air pressure to force brake fluid in to the system so you can just go round undoing the bleed nipples one after the other.
Tomorrow I will change the front diff oil. (It's supposed to be a nice day as well)!
Then we will see if I have cured the leak!
Oh yes, my new limit straps as made in South Africa and sold on Ebay Uk have arrived so I will replace the drivers side rear which is frayed and only two wires still holding it together. That will be fun!
Have to remove the rear spring and then work in the black hole of Calcutta! Heat exchanger reduces access to top bolt
John
