Swivel housing rebuild and preload

Symptoms

The fix, step by step

1. Support the chassis on stands, pull the wheels and disconnect the track rod.
2. Rebuild with new bearings, seals and gaskets, fit the swivel pins with shims, torque lower then upper bolts, and check turning effort with a spring balance at the track-rod bore before fitting the seal.
3. Workshop-manual text quoted on Defender2: 1.16–1.46 kg once initial inertia is overcome, with the swivel bearing housing-to-axle bolts at 73 Nm, lower swivel pin bolts at 25 Nm and top pin bolts at 65 Nm (thread sealant STC50552 on the pin bolts).
4. The manuals disagree, though: a RAVE table quoted on AULRO matches those bolt torques (65 Nm upper, 25 Nm lower, 73 Nm housing-to-axle), but a 05/99 workshop-manual table quoted in the same thread gives 78 Nm for both upper and lower pins, and a Defender2 owner reports the older manual's 22–28 Nm lower figure against 78 Nm in a newer one.
5. The 1983–1995 workshop manual and Haynes give a turning effort of 3.6–4.5 kg rather than 1.16–1.46 kg.
6. Use the manual for your exact axle confirm in manual.
7. Add or remove top-pin shims to adjust, then refill with one-shot grease.

Tools & part numbers

• Axle stands, spring balance, vernier, torque wrench
• Rovers North RNA3178 swivel rebuild kit with ball (1994–98 Defender, one side)
• one-shot grease

Where to buy the parts

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