Fitting Britpart Swivel Kit

[ajh]

So, my Paddocks order arrived today (amazing how quick despite being trans-atlantic shipping) and I started to fit things together. It is a 1991 110 so the kit came with the Railko Bushings, everything seems OK until I go to insert the top pin and at that point even with all the shims in place the preload is too great to even turn it at all by hand and getting the top pin back out is a painful nightmare.

Any suggestions on what I could be doing wrong? Both the bearing race and bushing cup are fitted all the way flush with the ball (pressed in) and things LOOK how they're supposed to from what I can tell.

UPDATE: I accidentally fitted the other one without the thrust disc, and it seems to preload properly with only the 3 thin shims. Is it possible that I could need 3-4mm of shim for this?

[pat_pending]

If it's the Britpart kit, they don't include nearly enough shims, although 3-4mm seems excessive.

IRC, when i did mine with genuine parts there was about 2mm of shims in each side. Depends on what machining tolerance Britpart work to. If it's all assembled correctly then just keep adding shims until it's right.

Don't forget to use a torque wrench on the pin bolts otherwise the preload will go all over the place as you swop shims about, then loctite the bolts for final assembly.

[reb78]

Perhaps a silly question, But how do you fellas get a socket on the rear bolt on the upper swivel pin? On mine the brake pipes are in the way so i can only get a spanner on the bolt and thus cant torque it. The bracket that holds the pipe is held in place by this bolt so you cant really move it.

[LandyManLuke]

Take the brake pipe off the bracket, slot the top of the bracket so the brake pipe can now slide in and out in future without taking the brake pipe apart. Refit the bracket without the brake pipe. torque up. refit the brake pipe.

[Litch]

I fitted the Britpart kits from Paddocks to my 90 a couple of years ago and it all went together very well with no problems occuring since.

Before I purchased the kit I rang a few workshops to see which swivels they fitted to customer vehicles and they all said they used the Britpart units. With regards to seals etc I didn't ask as it was the swivels themselves I was more interested in.

[diver110]

I fitted the Britpart kits from Paddocks to my 90 a couple of years ago and it all went together very well with no problems occuring since.

Seconded, no probs with mine either (92 90tdi)

[LandyLee]

thirded , we use the britpart kits in work for customer`s vehicles , I also used them on my 200 tdi disco when I rebuilt front axlw ,,,

[ajh]

OK, with enough shims it seems to be OK now. However I have another issue where I have two double armed swivel housings and they seem to use different bolts for securing the seal washer goes. One took M6 but the same do not thread into the other. They differ slightly too in other ways, the seal washer is a slightly different shape as is the surface it mates with on the original one and that one does not take the M6 thread. The reason they differ is I am swapping one to go from RHD to LHD. Other than the threads they look OK, should I just helicoil the old one to take M6 and be done with it?

[ajh]

Pn HRC1163.

The corrosion in the threads was the issue with the bolts, guess they stored them without bolts before shipping the housing.

I am guessing the seal shape difference won't make a difference.