Brakes and bearings

resto_d1 said:

Thanks both. Yes that was my understanding James - the spacer makes bearing setting idiot proof in that you torque up to it rather than anything being felt in. The spacer should lead to no endfloat.

I never got totally rid of the rumble between 40-50. Props are changed, but it really does sound 'bearingy' and I think its a good idea to do my bearings then do my swivels the following month say.

What I'll do, is buy a 2 nut a lock tab kit and a stakenut. I can then revert to 2 nut like you say if needed?

That would sort my problem - I'd have a plan B if the spacer was wrong. Really, if the hub itself isn't being changed, the spacer shouldn't need to but you never know do you!!!

Click to expand...

thats exactly right, you simply tighten the nut no setting required
you can find some pattern bearings are not perfect dimensionally so spacers no longer correct,but yes unless you change hub spacer should be ok

Thanks and apologies minor thread hijack @Brown

I've not checked in for a few days because there hasn't been much doing on the Land Rover front. I've been waiting for bits and pieces to come and waiting for my ECU to be tested and repaired, in the hope of addressing my rough running problem. I was intending to get my old ECU fixed so I could swap it in and see if the problems were ECU related. In the event it came back from the ECU repair company and still didn't work, so I got them to take it back for another go at it, so it only came back to me on Friday. I also borrowed a third ECU from a very kind member on here, so in the end I had plenty to choose from. I was wondering also whether it was time for new injector seals and washers. Maybe exhaust gas was getting past the washers and into the fuel gallery in the head so the injectors couldn't pick up enough fuel? I certainly have enough fuel pressure at the fuel pressure regulator block - nearly 63 psi.

Anyway, I tried it this morning and it works perfectly on both ECUs. I've been turning it off and starting it again multiple times and each time it fires up and runs smoothly. Or at least as smoothly as you'd expect from a 135000 mile TD5, and with so little smoke that I'm not too worried about the next MOT emissions test. I'm not sure I'd trust it to drive around on the road just yet, because I'm thinking of what might happen if it goes bad on me in heavy traffic or joining a busy motorway from a slip road. At best people will blow their horns and gesticulate, or at worst they'll run into me.

Going back to the bearings for a moment, yes of course they're supposed to butt up tight against the spacer. The Land Rover parts book helpfully lists them in a variety of sizes, presumably so the more diligent amongst us can size downwards as the bearings wear. I'm pretty sure mine haven't touched the spacer since the factory. Holding the bearings together and putting my finger in, there's a distinct gap I can feel with my fingernail. Obviously, when they're on the stub axle with the nut done up, they'll be a little closer together, but as the taper is fairly steep it won't be by much. In this and many other matters my Land Rover clearly lacks discipline. Maybe James should give it a good telling off.

The misfiring and rough running problem seems to have gone. I've been driving around today and everything's fine. A bit of smoke on the first bit of hard acceleration up a hill it's done in a few weeks but I think that was just unburned fuel in the pipes. That cleared in a few seconds and it has been great. Handling feels good and the new brakes are sharp. I'll give it a few more test runs over the course of the week and then maybe risk a trip to Wales this weekend if all stays well. I'm using my recently repaired ECU which came back from the menders fully functional. They didn't charge me for the second session, which was good of them.

Excellent news. So that's two ecu's your car has eaten!! Glad its up and running properly. They really do annoy me these defenders. I love driving them, think they're really smart and don't want much else now that I don't do big miles. However, there's always a box of parts waiting to go on, something that needs refreshing or an injury haha! My hilux just ran with the very odd part being replaced. For some reason I like my defender far more than my hilux though!!!

Yes, while it's been playing up I have wondered whether I need another car altogether. With a few clicks of the mouse I could just order a car off the internet, give the advertiser my bank details so they could take £300 a month off me for the next five years and probably never have to pick up a spanner again.

But it wouldn't be a Land Rover.

Plus I've been out in the Land Rover again today and it has been fine. I went the long way home and had a bit of a blast on the ring road, filled it up with supermarket diesel, crept along in traffic jams and it was just the same as before, in pretty much all traffic conditions from 0 to 70mph. So I'm starting to trust it again.

I know what you mean. I am paranoid about my boot getting pedal wet (I don’t know how people wade in Td5?!!) and sometimes struggle to not expect it to break. There’s no other vehicle I want though apart from an rs5 and that’s not happening soon and won’t my dog and gear. Defenders are a real pain as you love them even though they really aren’t that good lol!