I suspected my FL1 rear diff’s front shock-absorber was faulty, having heard knocks when previously driving/gear-changing. Having researched the diff’s noises, which is a common problem, and how to go about replacing the shocks, I decided to visually investigate. I discovered the rubber was indeed broken and rotten-looking. A bit of a mess, really.

To begin with, the entire operation took me only 45 minutes; my wife was monitoring the job and the time it took. And this included putting our car onto a set of ramps. See the picture. The small and heavy mill-wheel and rock was there to prevent the ramps slipping on the concrete as I revered onto them. They did that perfectly.

Okay, the job of replacement went thus…

It was only the front shock that needed replacing so that was all I did. I will do the others at a later date. I had intended to remove the rear exhaust, as was shown on a YouTube video as well as mentioned by others who had already done what I intended to do. I decided not to remove the silencer as the clearance provided by my ramps looked adequate enough to carry out the work with all in situ. So that saved some work as well as time.

The three 15mm shock absorber central bolts were removed, and the two 13mm mounting bolts for the front shock, the one being replaced. So, only 5 bolts in total were removed.

Once the 3 central bolts and the two bracket mounting bolts were removed the rear diff was easy to manipulate in order to remove and replace the faulty shock.

Then it was a simple case of fitting the replacement bracket’s 13mm bolts followed by the three 15mm bolts – all greased to aid fitting as well as providing protection.

45 minutes and the job was complete.

Taking the car off the ramps and tidying away the tools took a further 10 minutes.

Then it was a simple lunch in the Spanish sunshine with a nice cold beer.

I wish all the jobs were as easy to do.

Nice job! I was a little thrown by you calling the bush a shock absorber, but I can see what you mean

Nice also that you were able to avoid too much dismantling

Not so much cold beer weather here, more cold rain...

Yeah, I can see what you mean. It is a rubber-mounted bush - of course, while also absorbing the shock.
As for the weather, my wife and I have just enjoyed our first BBQ of 2018, with sunshine galore ( I was wearing shorts) and chilled wine, cold beer and lots of grilled stuff. I would hate to be a pig!
I say stuff - as not to offend any who prefer to graze & fart lots of methane (which is twice as bad as CO2) in consequence.
Did you know that methane is a greenhouse gas that lasts for about 15 years in our atmosphere before cracking into CO2? Then CO2 lasts for another 15 years? Phew!

So, for all you vegetarians, eat meat and cut out the grass crap. You will not only feel and be all the better for it, but our planet's atmosphere will also benefit. As will we all.

It's all down to what the Politicians tell the populace. They spout what they're told to say because it sounds good to the electrolate, while being absolute morons when it comes to knowledge, common-sense and intelligence.
And don't get me started on the diesel/petrol thingy. I could blow the entire question into orbit with the politicions left looking like lumps of merde. Which they all are, of course.
Nuclear is the answer, as is Hydrogen Fuel Cells.
The end.
Not ELECTRIC! That's just stupid!!!!

Its not really a shock absorber - on the basis that there's 3 of them and if they weren't there the diff would fall oft.

Any bush also acts as a shock absorber really - or else you'd just use bolts and hinges!

Quite right, Grumpy, and thanks for keeping me right. Nice one.

Why has this procedure never been posted before?

Seriously, well done mate.

Thanks for that, Freelaner.
My past has been involved with the RAF, where i was trained to recover and repair damaged aircraft in a wartime situation, which more or less crosses all the borders of engineering.
So when I come across a situation that may seem daunting or complicated, i can sometimes see an easier alternative to attain what is required.
And the rear diff bush/bearing/shock-absorber is one of many that I have conquered.
During my RAF service I had to fight to persuade many that to keep things serviceable for longer was to keep systems simple.
I (sorry for blowing my own horn here) became a legend.
Simple is best. Complicated is stupid and leads to accidents as well as unnecessary expense.
I have in the course of my life met with those who are confined to believe what may seem like logic, whereupon that mindset can also be in the negative when used for the benefit of many.
Please, if you can, review what I have previously written for LandyZone.
And when it comes to using paraffin, believe what you read. My car has just been pounded by lengthy Spanish rain-storms and thundering hail; and is still shining like a diamond. The rain ran off as if landing on protecting oil or wax.
Have a nice day.

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/front-diff-bush-removal.114158/

Variation on a theme but similar post in 2010 by yours

PopRivet said:

Thanks for that, Freelaner.
My past has been involved with the RAF, where i was trained to recover and repair damaged aircraft in a wartime situation, which more or less crosses all the borders of engineering.
So when I come across a situation that may seem daunting or complicated, i can sometimes see an easier alternative to attain what is required.
And the rear diff bush/bearing/shock-absorber is one of many that I have conquered.
During my RAF service I had to fight to persuade many that to keep things serviceable for longer was to keep systems simple.
I (sorry for blowing my own horn here) became a legend.
Simple is best. Complicated is stupid and leads to accidents as well as unnecessary expense.
I have in the course of my life met with those who are confined to believe what may seem like logic, whereupon that mindset can also be in the negative when used for the benefit of many.
Please, if you can, review what I have previously written for LandyZone.
And when it comes to using paraffin, believe what you read. My car has just been pounded by lengthy Spanish rain-storms and thundering hail; and is still shining like a diamond. The rain ran off as if landing on protecting oil or wax.
Have a nice day.

Click to expand...

Outstanding

carry on

andyfreelandy said:

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/front-diff-bush-removal.114158/

Variation on a theme but similar post in 2010 by yours

Click to expand...

Hi Andy. I haven't read you post but be rest asured if it is similar to my own then well done, mate.
It's times like this when those, like ourselves, can adapt and learn as we plod along, helping others to do the jobs that some make out to be more difficult that they need to be.
Keep up the good work.

PopRivet said:

Hi Andy. I haven't read you post but be rest asured if it is similar to my own then well done, mate.
It's times like this when those, like ourselves, can adapt and learn as we plod along, helping others to do the jobs that some make out to be more difficult that they need to be.
Keep up the good work.

Click to expand...

Hello Pop Rivet.
When was you in the RAF and where. I was in 1981 to 1990 Stafford Belize Kinloss Lossiemouth Falklands Saxa Vord and Buchan.

Jeez, you've been around. From the beginning, Waddington (Vulcan B2), Lossiemouth (Shackleton AEW - found & fixed many faults [one especially was potentially lethal to the Gound & Air Crew] from its original build which no-one else could do), Brize Norton (Tri-Star, found a fault that grounded every Tri-Star in the world plus many others that confused all - except me, one that could have caused an explosion bad enough to destroy it completely and in the air), Kinloss (Nimrod MR, fixed faults that no one else had been able to do and had been logged as such over many years), Leachars (Tornado, gave up my military career to become a civilian-in-uniform when my 12 year young daughter died). I had had enough and needed to get my feet on the ground.
Oh, almost forgot, The Falkland Islands (mid-90's). Cold, windy but great geology. Really nice people too.

saxavordian said:

Hello Pop Rivet.
When was you in the RAF and where. I was in 1981 to 1990 Stafford Belize Kinloss Lossiemouth Falklands Saxa Vord and Buchan.

Click to expand...

Jeez, you've been around. From the beginning, Waddington (Vulcan B2), Lossiemouth (Shackleton AEW - found & fixed many faults [one especially was potentially lethal to the Gound & Air Crew] from its original build which no-one else could do), Brize Norton (Tri-Star, found a fault that grounded every Tri-Star in the world plus many others that confused all - except me, one that could have caused an explosion bad enough to destroy it completely and in the air), Kinloss (Nimrod MR, fixed faults that no one else had been able to do and had been logged as such over many years), Leachars (Tornado, gave up my military career to become a civilian-in-uniform when my 12 year young daughter died). I had had enough and needed to get my feet on the ground.

Ah good old Shackleton 40,000 rivets in flying formation was the pseudonym. It was that bad the robbed from the one on guard duty at the main entrance when they needed spares because that had less flying hours. You might have remembered the White Elephant that was meant to replace the Shacks Nimrod AEW Fat bum and bulbous nose. Sorry to hear about your child must have wrecked you to bits.

saxavordian said:

Ah good old Shackleton 40,000 rivets in flying formation was the pseudonym. It was that bad the robbed from the one on guard duty at the main entrance when they needed spares because that had less flying hours. You might have remembered the White Elephant that was meant to replace the Shacks Nimrod AEW Fat bum and bulbous nose. Sorry to hear about your child must have wrecked you to bits.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Sax. I robbed that Gate-Guard to bits myself, in order to keep the Old-Grey-Ladies airborne.

My success was my own downfall! I kept the Old Birds flying to the point where they wouldn't promote me. To do that they would lose me from (8) Sqdn, RAF Lossiemouth. And those who were above me in Rank knew they would be at a great loss if I was to leave - hence no promotion. And as much as I loved to work on the 'Shack', which was more like a hobby, my wife ( a school-teacher) persuaded me to apply for an Envirnomental Posting, which I got. That's when I was given the most prestigious posting for anyone in the aircraft trade. The Tri-Star! However, it was to be the last posting I wanted, for the RAF lost my daughter's medical notes (she had a faulty life) and went back to square one, medically speaking.

That was when I decided the RAF was not for my family and moved them to our own house in Scotland. This was to be the roots for my wife & two girls. Where my medically problematic girl with a medical history would see the same doctors and hospital, time & time again, instead of a faulty military system that had failed her. And that's why I eventually gave up on my RAF career. I had been (unofficially) told I was heading for high places; even asked to apply for a commission, etc. And as much as I would have liked to do so, I couldn't. My family came first. And I have no regrets, although I must admit to missing the RAF life I wished for. I had a tactile relationship with the birds I worked on. I loved 'em all.

I watched drunks and idiots getting promoted, just to get them off a Squadron - for they were a liability. They would then be someone else's problem! But to see those who were negligent and alcoholic move up the ladder of promotion, when they were the least to deserve it, was heart breaking and most demoralising.

I could have been an Commissioned Officer, whereupon I really wanted to be an Technical Instructor. I ended up leaving with a whole lot less. Perhaps if I had been an absolute drunk, where smashing a public-bar's mirror before soaking the bar's clientelle with a fire-extinguisher and being arrested by the local cops, then demanding the RAF Station Commander to get me free ( I know a chap who did this), I could have been promoted and lots more. There were many who were absolute idiots, negligent as well as dangerous. And it was they who got promoted the most. I wish a journalist would approach me for infformation on this subject as I'm certain it still goes on. It's quite disgusting, really. Dangerous as well as soul destroying for those who desrve to be promoted. I can tell lots of stories similar to this, where individuals were promoted just to be rid of them. Rank had no meaning to me, after a while, for I came across many who couldn't even read their own writing, for instance! Another story there!!

So, when you hear of someone with a Rank to be proud of, think again!!!! Oh, I had a Bother-in-Law, who was a Sqn Leader (Supply) who loved to make people believe he was a Pilot. And to cut a long story short, because he annoyed me with his lies , I got him kicked-out the RAF - by a very round-about method, by telling those in the RAF who could do it) who needed to know what he was really like. And he was, and perhaps still is, the CEO of the Staffordshire County Showground.

I do miss my RAF work. I miss the aircraft I worked on and wish the Government(s) would pull their heads from where the sun-never-shines to see that we, as a nation, needs competent services to protect us all in times of need. And I believe those needs are not too far away!

So there you have it.

If you are in the RAF, be an absolute idiot. Be a drunk. Get arrested. Be negligent at your work. Get promoted quickly! It doesn't fail.

Sigh.

However, I am still successful, but in my own right.

I occasionally rant on the e-goat forum that dedicated to us Rafites various subjects but still some restriction due to Off Sec Act. I feel your hurt brother in regards in seeing people promoted beyond their status. RAF had a funny way of keeping people they want and push others that were no use to man no beast. thankfully the best camps I enjoyed were the most depressing ones such as Saxa Vord were there was no watching eye. While doing my side work as Helicopter refueller in Belize and Falkland island was absolute scream as a SAC/CPL had me stitches. I guess from status you were a NCO Or senior hence the experience and offering of commission. I knew a few who at Kinloss who had this offered being Sneco's. I think it is tougher getting so far up the pyramid and being so valued as you were then made the board think twice. In some respects its like having a valuable jewel or gold bar in your possession but not able to spend it. Hence an asset in a narrow field. I would like to write a book of my time in the RAF calling it "Virgin on Idiocy" or "How I Stumbled Through". I remember fondly the characters and cartoon artists that made your life bearable and when the Falklands war had finished a year later, the a rush of cartoons of the event culminated in three books which I still have lying around. Ironically this spurred myself to doodle when I left and joined a local employment agency as a general labourer working in various companies. But I still maintained some level of discipline that attracted the larger companies to retain my skills as a Supplier. I had opportunities to taken on fulltime several times and I should have during the nineties but at the time I was really enjoying life being freelance. When I did become full timer at DHL/Exel my itchy finger for cartoon drawing became a drug to a point I was making site magazines monthly.
At the mo I am just a carer for a sick parent that takes most of my time and effort and frankly going bald from scratching my pate when my LR intrudes into my life.