Swivel preload - how far over book would be reasonable?

[Northwards]

Hi folks,

I did a quick search and read a few posts, but none with my specific question, which isn’t even that technical.

I’m refurbing the ends of the front axle - new swivel balls, new swivel bearings and pins, refurbed swivel housings. I’m trying to get to the WS manual preload settings of 1.16-1.46kg. Bearing cups are definitely properly seated - using a press.

I had a shim kit with 4 shims in it, and I’ve used them all on the first side, and even then am only getting down to about 2kg of preload. I can probably get another kit in town tomorrow for the other side, but I thought I’d take a wee peek on here to see what the wise heads say.

I’ve seen a few references to setting the swivel up a bit tighter initially to allow for things to bed in. I’m good with that, but has anyone got a figure they went with here? As it is at the moment, at 2kg feels pretty good, though even 3kg didn’t feel terrible. If I got to 1.46kg I’m sure that would feel quite loose to be honest - though this is only the second time I’ve done this job. 
 

Grateful for any suggestions.

Ta.

[Retroanaconda]

I wouldn’t be worried about it being at 2kg at all. 

[Bowie69]

I'm sure it will be fine, better to be a little tight as they loosen as they bed in... and then you end up taking shims out, which is no fun.

[Northwards]

👍 ….. have to say I was hoping that someone would say the likes of ‘3kg is fine’ so that I could use some of the shims on the other side! But at least it’s Monday tomorrow and I won’t lose another day.

[smallfry]

I would try the other side with no shims first, with just the empty swivel. Might save you a trip !

Were there none fitted with the originals you could use ?

[Northwards]

I was just getting to that stage when I needed to give up for the day, but kind of assumed that as I’d I needed at least 4 on one side that I’d need more than one on the other.

The ones that came off were unusable - only two thin ones, and too corroded.

[landroversforever]

On 3/26/2023 at 8:28 PM, Northwards said:

I was just getting to that stage when I needed to give up for the day, but kind of assumed that as I’d I needed at least 4 on one side that I’d need more than one on the other.

The ones that came off were unusable - only two thin ones, and too corroded.

As long as they’re ok across most of the width, a bit of corrosion isn’t an issue. 

[Northwards]

Thanks for that 👍.  I’d probably have taken that view if they were a wee bit rusty, but they were so corroded they were snapping in two and falling apart. This job was well overdue, and they’d probably been there for 15 years or more.

In the event I found another four shims “hiding” on top of the other upper swivel pin - just so neatly lined up (OCD? Who.. me?) that I couldn’t see them.

I ended up with about a 2kg pull on the N/S and 2.8kg on the O/S - using all the shims - and I decided that in the context of a 29 year old vehicle, closely resembling a tractor, that this would be “fine”, while fully expecting things to ease off anyway as soon as I’ve done the first few hundred miles.