Just thought I would make a post about the jobs that have been done recently on the Landy that I haven't documented.
In the past 6 months I have replaced the offside rear half shaft as I snapped the old one while off roading. This is a common problem on the older series with the 10 spline half shafts which was significantly improved when they switched to 24 spline in 1980. Replacing it was a real pain as it had snapped off at the hub end, flush to the stub axle which meant I couldn't remove it without stripping the axle back. Once the stub axle had been removed I could get a pair of vice grips on it and knock it out. I repacked the bearings when I put the axle back together but I would like to replace them sooner rather than later as they weren't in the best shape.
After I stupidly overtightened the wheel nuts on the nearside rear wheel I managed to snap off a couple of the studs. This posed a problem as the series 2 studs are screw in and quite hard to remove. A few of the remaining studs had been welded in before which is a common fix but i weakens the metal and the welds were starting to crack. I therefore elected to buy a new hub. However, after ringing around a few of the local suppliers I found that it was quite hard to find a hub with screw in studs. I did get hold of a series 3 style hub with push in studs from Rex Mealing (Land Rover Spares) in Auckland. He has been very highly rated on the forums so I thought i'd give him a go. I was told the hub would fit on the axle no problem but I would have to get new wheel nuts etc as the studs are bigger in diameter. The hub also came with new bearings. The service from Rex was awesome with shipping to Christchurch in a couple of days. I've had to wait a week for parts from other suppliers.
However, I did have some problems with the parts. The hub must have been slightly undersized as the inner bearing race really didn't want to go in. I put the race in the freezer overnight and put the entire hub in the oven for about 20 minutes and managed to get it in the first 10mm or so. After that it was a 2 hour long slog with a soft punch and a hammer tapping it in. The new rear oil seal also didn't fit so I had to fit the old one, not ideal but it didn't leak before so fingers crossed it will be alright. Time will tell.
What I wasn't told but I should've assumed is that my brake drum doesn't fit. I could drill out the holes but the original is in pretty bad shape so I will be getting a new one.
Also, just last week I took off the hub again to clean up and paint the brake backing plate. When I reassembled the hub I found the drive flange was rubbing on something when I turned the hub. After a bit of detective work it turned out the lock washer was rubbing. and had left shavings of metal all through my lovely new bearings. I have hardly driven it since replacing the bearings so fingers crossed they are salvageable. A quick google search and measure revealed that the washer was 3mm over size. Lucky I caught it when I did.
Although the parts were definitely sub-par I did pay very little for them and I guess you get what you pay for. They were unbranded so I couldn't tell you a name but it certainly shows to pay the wee bit extra for the good parts. It will save money in the long run.
I also installed a new pair of sealed beam headlamps, just cheap ones from Supercheap. I had to replace all the connectors because the 50yr old ones just fell apart in my hands!
Now for the jobs coming up. As I am writing this I am ordering new ball joints for the steering system, new brake drum and lock washer. I have the benefit of my dad working a few months of the year in the UK which means I can get him to bring them back instead of paying international shipping. I try to support local suppliers but sometimes the absurdly low prices get me.
Sorry, that turned out to be quite a long post, congratulations if you could stand my blabbering and got this far. I might post some videos of some off roading once the ground dries out and I get some brakes! I am also planning a bit of a trip up the Rangitata River in late October with the Discovery, Defender and possibly the Series 2 if it is in a reliable condition. Stay tuned!
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