If you had free play at six and twelve o'clock, but not three and nine, I'd have been looking at the swivel bearings, not wheel bearings.

Jack it up and check again.

Thats what I thought too, but the garage I took it too said they had checked the swivel bearings and found them to be ok, but the wheel bearing to be worn.
 
i'd go over everything. get someone to turn the steering wheel and watch the column, making sure it moves axactly when the wheel is turned without lag/slop.

do the same for the box input and drop arm. check drop arm is tight. then watch the drop arm ball joint and finally the tre.

replicated the clunk on full lock and see where the sounds coming from
 
A quick update.
She went back to the garage on Saturday to be checked over, I requested that the swivel bearings be checked and it was all confirmed ok when I collected it. Monday morning driving in to work, about 30 miles down the road and the wheel starts wobbling again. I jacked it up in the work car park and found play again at 6 and 12.
Fine, says I, I will do it here. So wheel off, brake caliper off, track rod off and a scale was put on to check the preload. 2kg. Not really enough. So I undid the pin and found a nice stack of four shims. I took two out and torqued everything back up, 7.8kg. Much better. Off for a test drive and it is about 90% better only having done one side. Got home (didnt want the boss thinking I was completely taking the Mickey) and redid the other side and its as sweet as a nut now. I have ordered a refurb kit of new bearings, shims etc so can redo them when I need to as its only a matter of time.
Thanks for all your help everyone, problem solved.
Now, on to finding out where that leak is coming from....
 
If it's got play at 6 and 12 I'm more inclined to say wheel bearings but you can check both. With the wheel jacked up check for any play at 6 and 12. Any movement is likely to be wheel bearings. If it's all ok there jam on the brakes with something and check it again. If you have play now then it's the swivel.
 
Wheel bearings were replaced last week, play was still present so I moved on to swivel bearings. Having reset the preload the vehicle is now ok.

As it is only a matter of time before the swivel bearings require replacement is it an easy job or will it necessitate removing and stripping the swivels?

I.e. can I get them out the top without having to take too much to bits?
 
If it's got play at 6 and 12 I'm more inclined to say wheel bearings but you can check both. With the wheel jacked up check for any play at 6 and 12. Any movement is likely to be wheel bearings. If it's all ok there jam on the brakes with something and check it again. If you have play now then it's the swivel.

Errm, no. Wheels wobble in all directions when the bearings are worn. 6/12 points to swivels, 3/9 to track rod ends all the way back to the steering column.
 
Wheel bearings were replaced last week, play was still present so I moved on to swivel bearings. Having reset the preload the vehicle is now ok.

As it is only a matter of time before the swivel bearings require replacement is it an easy job or will it necessitate removing and stripping the swivels?

I.e. can I get them out the top without having to take too much to bits?
It's not difficult and you will have to remove the whole swivel. Most awkward bit is getting the correct number of shims in to set the preload but apart from that it's relatively straightforward
 
they'd probably say what he did. :D
Which contradicts anything I've read or been told, most notably by army mechanics. Check wheel bearings by looking for play at 6 and 12. Check swivels by applying the brakes and looking for play at 6 and 12. You can check 11 and 5 or 1 and 7 if you really wanted but checking left to right is pointless as there will be too much movement from the swivel and steering to be able to tell.
 
Which contradicts anything I've read or been told, most notably by army mechanics. Check wheel bearings by looking for play at 6 and 12. Check swivels by applying the brakes and looking for play at 6 and 12. You can check 11 and 5 or 1 and 7 if you really wanted but checking left to right is pointless as there will be too much movement from the swivel and steering to be able to tell.

if you still have play when the brake is on, then it points to the swivels. so if they are doing 6-12 - wobble, then brake on 6-12.. has play gone. same thing really

don't agree with 3-9 being pointless by having too much steering movement

i find you can usually tell the difference anyway between the swivel clunk and bearings.

op: http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f41/swivel-ball-renewal-63808.html
 

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