OK chaps - talk me through it

[Dave Meredith]

..but be gentle with me

On the last MOT I had an advisory on play in the half shaft UJ's so I though I'd have
a go at replacing them.
I've got the UJ's from those nice chaps at Proptech who also offered me the use of their
long wrench for the weekend to undo those nasty 220lb hub nuts. I don't live that far
away from them so I will gratefully accept their kind offer.

I've given the four nuts that hold the half shaft to the axle a bit of a tweak and it looks
like they will come off with no problem at all.

Having looked around underneath I cant see how I can remove the half shaft just by undoing the
hub nut and the four nuts at the axle end. I need to be able to move the half shaft away from the
axle in order to clear the four studs. I've looked at my Steve Heath and it's not clear. Do
I need to remove any of the rear suspension to do this or should it come out by just removing the hub nut and four nuts at the axle end?

[jeff m]

Trolley jack get the car up high. Block front wheels.
Support the lower link on the other side of the car with axle stand,
Support the "working side" on the cross member just past the trailing arm bushing.
Bottle jack to lift hub carrier, place coil spring compressors on coil, lower jack till you can remove shock.
Remove nut/bolt on lower link .
Remove the four nuts on drive shaft.
With those nuts off and the lower link free you will be able to pull back the hub carrier so the drive shaft clears the bolts.
Collect shims. They have to go back.

I use an impact gun for undoing nuts.
To undo the four bolts on diff end of the drive shaft will be difficult without a really good handbrake, something most wedge owners don't have
You could try putting a bar between the wheel studs.

Is it simple....only if you use an impact gun.

I copied and pasted that from one of my previous posts, I would add that you may need a puller to to get the splined end out of the hub carrier, so best to rent one before you start if you don't have one.

This is for trailing arm which I assume yours is.

[jeff m]

Forgot something.
If you don't have a 3/4 drive torque wrench, put the spare back on which doesn't have the centre cap, drive to place that does trucks and say "zip that up to to 250 for me"
Drive home put on regular wheel.

[Number 7]

Dave Meredith said:

..but be gentle with me

On the last MOT I had an advisory on play in the half shaft UJ's so I though I'd have
a go at replacing them.
I've got the UJ's from those nice chaps at Proptech who also offered me the use of their
long wrench for the weekend to undo those nasty 220lb hub nuts. I don't live that far
away from them so I will gratefully accept their kind offer.

I've given the four nuts that hold the half shaft to the axle a bit of a tweak and it looks
like they will come off with no problem at all.

Having looked around underneath I cant see how I can remove the half shaft just by undoing the
hub nut and the four nuts at the axle end. I need to be able to move the half shaft away from the
axle in order to clear the four studs. I've looked at my Steve Heath and it's not clear. Do
I need to remove any of the rear suspension to do this or should it come out by just removing the hub nut and four nuts at the axle end?

I would start by making sure that the hub nuts will actually move with the tools you have available. Leave the car on its wheels on the ground, handbrake on, in gear and chocked. It takes a lots of force, and you'll really need a 3/4" drive socket in 1 1/2" AF size, with ideally a 3/4" drive bar / ratchet, not a 1/2" to 3/4" converter. You'll also need a torque wrench that goes to 220 to do them up again. Once you've slackened the hub nuts and diff flange nuts, remove the bolt from the hub end of the tie bars and tie it out of the way. Then slacken the 2 nuts / bolts that secure the hub to the A frame - this will allow you to swing the hub downwards. Once you've got the spline end out of the hub, remove the 4 diff flange nuts and pull the driveshaft out, being careful not to damage the wheel bearing surface of the shaft. Replace all diff flange nuts with new ones. I don't usually replace the hub nuts (about a tenner each!) but it's good practice to drill and pin them - I do it as far outboard as possible. That's the easy bit. Changing the UJ's is more tricky, but if you're competent with the spanners it's do-able. You really need a decent size engineers vice capable of taking the driveshaft ends and an old socket or similar to press them out. Change all four as well. Good luck.

Edited by Number 7 on Saturday 12th February 12:59

[Dave Meredith]

Thanks chaps

I'm quite handy with the spanners but I need to be sure that having got it all apart I can
get it together again.

I should have mentioned I've got trailing arm suspension.

Jeff,
If I remove the tie bar and the hub nut, wouldn't there be enough movement in the suspension to
allow me to lever the inner end of the half shaft over the four studs without removing the shocker? I haven't got a spring compressor. I was thinking I could restrain the shock with a jack under the hub carrier (also the trailing arm would help keep it in place)
If I must remove the shock then, where's the best place to buy a spring compressor? Halfords?

Sorry about all the questions but I would really like to attempt this myself - it sounds like I could
potentially save quite a bit in garage bills!

thanks

Dave

[adam quantrill]

You can do it without a compressor, just jack up the hub, undo shock at the top, and let it down again slowly. Sometime clearance at the top of the shock is a bit tight, to get a spanner in, so you have to jack up a bit under the boot as well - and loosen the boot-chassis bolt.

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

You can change them with the hub still connected just a bit more tricky, but save's all the hassle of removing and re-fitting the hub.

[adam quantrill]

That's true - and you can do the outer ones without taking the disc bolts off. Over the years I have found that the inners last twice as long as the outers, so it isn't that silly just replacing the outers.

[dwgriffith]

If it's a trailing arm suspension? it must be easier to remove the whole trailing arm and half shaft, leaving the hub nut alone.

[jeff m]

dwgriffith said:

If it's a trailing arm suspension? it must be easier to remove the whole trailing arm and half shaft, leaving the hub nut alone.

Possibly, but should the caps be loose in the yokes and you need to put the drive shaft in the machine shop, it would be difficult to the remove the nut when not on the car.

It's actually fairly quick to remove a drive shaft one you have it on axle stands and have the shock out the way. Getting the lower link bolt back can be troublesome though

[jmorgan]

I have done them on the car but I was lucky in that they came apart quite easily. I did spot that the nuts on the diff side were not nylocs, but aerotight (?). I don't know if nyloc are affected by the heat but replaced them with for new aerotight anyway.

[Dave Meredith]

Thanks for all the info - I'm feeling a lot more confident about it now. I'm really
looking forward to getting started!

I hadn't thought about removing the whole suspension (leaving the hub nut alone) or
undoing the top end of the shocker, so I've got some great options if I can't get the hub nut undone.

I've found some coil compressors at Screwfix direct for £15. I can borrow the big wrench
from the guys at Proptech (who I will get to fit the UJ's - least I can do since they're
lending me the wrench) so I will try and remove the half shaft by itself. I intend to
do both sides while I'm at it (not both at the same time though!)

Thanks again chaps

Dave

[jmorgan]

Careful with compressors. Make sure they are up to the job. I would not want one to let go when I am around.

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

jmorgan said:

I have done them on the car but I was lucky in that they came apart quite easily. I did spot that the nuts on the diff side were not nylocs, but aerotight (?). I don't know if nyloc are affected by the heat but replaced them with for new aerotight anyway.

If you pushing very hard or on a track the rear disc's can get hot enough to melt the nyloc's so all metal or aerotight nuts are better but hard to get hold of due to the size, Easier in the USA and they are still imperial.

[jmorgan]

TVRleigh_BBWR said:

jmorgan said:

I have done them on the car but I was lucky in that they came apart quite easily. I did spot that the nuts on the diff side were not nylocs, but aerotight (?). I don't know if nyloc are affected by the heat but replaced them with for new aerotight anyway.

If you pushing very hard or on a track the rear disc's can get hot enough to melt the nyloc's so all metal or aerotight nuts are better but hard to get hold of due to the size, Easier in the USA and they are still imperial.

Yeah, and all the grease runs out onto the hot disc and you think the car is on fire......

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

jmorgan said:

Yeah, and all the grease runs out onto the hot disc and you think the car is on fire......

Even with the ducts on the racer, last time out it was smoking when I came in, may have to fit some vented disc's Quite a expensive mod though.

[jeff m]

Fairly obvious, but worth typing, loosen hub nut before you start. Car on the floor.

[Dave Meredith]

Jeff

That'll be my first task. Change the wheel for a get-you-home type and lower the car. Then
use wrench to loosen hub nut.

Jack under hub carrier and raise the road wheel, spin the half shaft so I can loosen each of the four nuts at the axle end in turn.

Compress the spring and undo the tie rod and bottom shocker nuts - push long bolt out with my little finger.

Quick cigar and then remove already loosened nuts - half shaft falls into my welcoming arms.

Gently tap out hub from carrier and sprint up to Proptech with halfshaft

Deck chair on patio while new UJ's are fitted

Sounds like a plan!

[350zwelgje]

As mentioned before, your handbrake is not strong enough to undo the hub nut. I always have someone applying the breaks and even then!

Shame you need to undo the nut, as it is not necessarily required. Re-installation and being sure the nut doesn't undo itself has several possibilities as you can read in old threads. If possible a new locknut should be used (both are normal right-hand thread). I mark the nut afterwards to be able to check once in a while if it is not undoing itself. Other prefer to lock-wire, but I don't like drilling the axle.

The rear springs on mine are almost not under load when the wheel is of the ground (A-frame) and no spring compressor is required. I always undo the bottom bolt and have no issues to put it back during re-assembly.

Not to difficult a job, but that you only know often after tackling it the first time.

Rob

[adam quantrill]

If you can do it without undoing the hub nut it will save a lot of effort.

But if you really must undo it, I put a spanner into the outer UJ yoke to stop it turning, and crack it open on the car before taking off the suspension.