Saturday 30 December 2017

Repair Stud

Having fit the first of the rebuilt swivel hubs I went to fit the new hub parts and brake drum and get the wheel back on. What could go wrong?

First, I couldn't get the hub back on the stub axle. It was definitely the same stub axle carrier I took off that side as it's the one with the land that can be turned by hand. I tried the old inner bearing, and found that quite tricky too. The angle had to be just right and even then only one in ten attempts to get it over the lip of the stub axle was successful. I polished the stub off with the angle grinder and rust and paint removal disc. That didn't make much difference, but I put the new greased bearing back in the hub and went about it more carefully. After a couple of minutes it slid on - just as a good song came on the radio.. ;-)

Next, the new brake drum wouldn't go on. The old one slid straight on, but not the new one. I started tapping around it gently with a rubber mallet to try and work out the obstruction - and a wheel stud popped out!

Indoors, with the stud, I found it was actually a repair stud:


I assumed due to its 'pull-in' fit it had come loose when the hub was off and had been at an angle preventing the new brake drum to pass on. I put it in, and when I tried to find a wheel nut to pull it back into the hub with - I eventually worked out only one of my wheel nuts fit it, and that it was very slightly bigger than the original studs. Then the penny dropped, and I drilled out the right hole in the new brake drum ever so slightly - and it went on.

I tested the tension on the steering arm before connecting everything back up on that side and got movement at around 15lb, which is just right. Next I put the wheel back on and set about getting the Land Rover out the garage enough to remove the half shaft on the other side to get that swivel hub off for a rebuild..