marjon

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So I had to do it !!!
After much reading of threads on this, I was still unsure what I would end up doing. Having seen problems with getting arm off I decided to go (first) with the ball joint.
Recent visit back to Uk so ordered both arm and ball joint to bring back just Incase I had problem with the top cup which many seem to have a big problem with.
Drove it into the garage around 11am, sat back in the house with a cup of coffee 3:30pm. I don’t have any specialist tools to work on the car except the big hammer:).
So away we go nut off, circlip out, break taper. And all bits out by 12:30.
Now the top cup challenge, pic before clean up but I agree not much to get a hold of..

upload_2018-9-14_17-55-10.jpeg


After a slurp of coffee and some measuring I went about my tool box with my calipers and came up with this.

upload_2018-9-14_17-59-41.jpeg


Please ignore the slight self lubrication on the swivel, and the fact I have no steering stops:(.
I had cleaned internals with wire wheel and soaked with that oil in a can. While hunting for my special tools.
A few minutes later I had this on the floor.
upload_2018-9-14_18-6-31.jpeg


I guess I won’t be needing that arm I brought:).
Another good clean up and checking of parts, I was on to put it back together with nice new bits with grease.
Sorry forgot to get pics of re-assemble, but safe to say that little spring is pretty strong and the whimpy clamp I started with didn’t get it, so finally in and circlip in place,new boot and packed full of grease all the way.

upload_2018-9-14_18-15-3.jpeg


Reason for the slack in the joint in the first place? Apart from the spilt boot and lack of grease, I guess the lazy spring didn’t help.
upload_2018-9-14_18-17-44.jpeg


Hopefully we can now drive down the road in a straight line:).

Jon.
 
Yes I can see the bolts but surely they don’t stop against the hub like they do?

1st defender I have had, but come on sure LR didn’t use that face as a stop!!

Jon.
 
Me too!:D

Nice one, I'm going to be doing this soon as have play in the drop arm ball joint and the drag link/track rod ends. Tis a smidge vague lol
 
Ok thanks so that’s another job I don’t have on the list.
Good luck with with the vague steering.

Jon.
 
Thats how I do it, same idea to put the new one in :)
When putting the circlip on the bottom I use a jack with a small socket to push the cap up.

Its easier than removing the drop arm. :)
 
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If you ever have a few to do, strange things do happen, you can buy a nice little tool to help do the job.

Cheers
 
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What tool are we talking? To take out the top cup or put the the bottom plate back in?
The top cup I found no problem (maybe I was lucky with the sockets to hand), the spring compression was the the hardest bit.

Jon
 
What tool are we talking? To take out the top cup or put the the bottom plate back in?
The top cup I found no problem (maybe I was lucky with the sockets to hand), the spring compression was the the hardest bit.

Jon

Think it does both tbh
 
Yes I can see the bolts but surely they don’t stop against the hub like they do?

1st defender I have had, but come on sure LR didn’t use that face as a stop!!

They did lol

And they carefully designed it so that as the vehicle ages you get a nicely worn notch in both the bolt and the swivel, this nicely coincides with tyre wear/tread reduction to give you even more steering lock without the tyres catching on the radius arms! Very clever of those chaps at land rover :D:D.


What tool are we talking? To take out the top cup or put the the bottom plate back in?
The top cup I found no problem (maybe I was lucky with the sockets to hand), the spring compression was the the hardest bit.

I would agree with you there. Having done mine a couple of times now the getting it out is the easy part. I have still not found a sensible method to compress everything enough to get the circlip back in place.
 

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