New Member - Herald 13/60 owner

[Motivforz]

Hello all, 

 

I've had a 13/60 for over a year now, which is has been completely reliable and a hoot to own. I bought it in reasonable condition with running gear in really good order. Bodywork could definitely do with some improvement all over, with a prevalent leak into the boot managed by keeping it in a dry garage most of the time. 

 

A few weeks ago I heard the faintest of knocking from I believe the RL corner, certainly rear axle, so I took it off the road to investigate further.

 

I've stripped the uprights and shafts off the car and got to the point where I need to take the drive flange off with the specific puller. Does anyone vaguely local to South Oxfordshire have a tool that could be borrowed in exchange for a crate of beer? I would hugely appreciate it as I've got myself stuck at this point. 

 

Cheers, 

Chris

 

[Pete Lewis]

why do you need to take the flange off you can change the UJ by removing the trunion bolt or take the whole upright off

 

is there something other than the UJ giving grief   like the needle rollers etc.  

 

Pete

[Motivforz]

Thanks for your interest. The uj doesn't feel like it has any play, but will be checked over in more detail. At the moment the needle roller is the suspect because there's evidence of grease escaping past the boot. Hence I'd like to get it apart check the condition of the bearing races, if it's not already too late.

[Pete Lewis]

the seal is designed to be fitted to allow grease to escape outwards, the lip is fitted (or should be) facing down towards the diff end

 

its more to stop road dirt going in the bearing than keeping grease inside ,  the plan is you grease it till it leaks out this inboard seal 

so seeing grease there is not indicative of a bearing failure ....but doesnt exclude the possibility.

 

Pete

[Motivforz]

Thanks for the info. The seal installation appears correct to the assembly drawing in the Haynes manual. There's a lot of grease outside of the boot on the suspect side (LH) compared with the other side.

 

As you seem to be experienced in this area, perhaps you could offer any other suggestions for investigation? The symptoms were a knocking noise from the rear, proportional to wheel speed, not engine speed, which was louder marginally during overrun (light engine braking just by lifting off) than during acceleration, and was worse with light turning in one direction. My Google powers returned comments of either UJ or outboard wheel bearing, I don't know if anything else it's likely to be?

 

Thanks for offering opinions, it's good to have someone to ask!

[Casper]

Sounds like classic UJ.  Worse when going round a bend?

[Pete Lewis]

Yes this has to be the classic uj with float or degraded bearings or damaged cross pins

 

these uj must not have the slightest movement or lift, float in the yoke

its best tocheck for lift with the wheels off the deck to give you access but support the upright to raise the

Wheel intoits running position

get a decent pry bar or lever into the yoke and look carefully at the cross pin it must not move

 

do also check the wheelnuts and the hub centre nut is tight.

 

but a rumbly knock from the rear which is road wheel rotational seed is a slack, worn uj

 

club shop sell std ones and ex landrover which cost more but last longer, depends how many miles you hope to do, the std ones have lasted all these years.

[Motivforz]

Yes it was worse with light turning - more so in one direction than the other, although can't remember which now. 

 

Thanks for that, I'll try putting a bit of load through the UJs to identify any play. Both sides of driveshaft and upright assembly are off the car and on the bench, but I've got room to clamp up on the flange in a vice and get a pry bar in as you suggest. 

 

Wheelnuts were tight, and hub nuts were tight as a tight thing! Needed my heft on a 60cm breaker bar for the hub nuts. 

 

I did once fail an MOT for a loose wheel bearing, when in fact I just hadn't torqued the wheel nuts. Not made that mistake again since, could have been so much worse! 

[Pete Lewis]

rear hubs are only 100/110 lbft so  should not be  that hard to do without a hernia  !!

 

Pete

 

if there is any lift you can get thicker circlips from Canley classics

 

but if in dough about condition i would strip them out and have a look as they are now on the bench.

[Motivforz]

Well then, I found a small amount of play on one UJ by using a lever, which on closer inspection showed one of the bearing caps to be cracked on the inside seal lip. This one was particularly hard to press out compared to the others and showed some corrosion in and around. Thanks for the strong point towards the UJ as otherwise I would probably have just done the bearings and deemed the UJ ok. I've pressed them all out for now, got some cleaning up to do. 

 

Still would like to do the wheel bearings whilst I'm there - if they've not been done recently would make sense for me to attack them now whilst the whole assembly is on the bench.