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IronKettle



Member Since: 08 Dec 2024
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 15

United Kingdom 2000 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Alveston Red
Swivel Pin Shim Advice
Rebuilding my swivel hubs as the bearings finally gave out. Castor corrected ones are going on (as the previous owner had them in the truck when I bought it!).

I'm at the stage where I'm setting the preload on the bench, but the number of shims required seems insane. With no shims and doing the bolts up hand tight to give a little bit of resistance, there is a gap of 2-3mm.


Click image to enlarge


Is this normal? Even using the largest shims I'd need a fair few! I've only got a few on hand at the moment.

Thanks in advance!
Post #1074301 29th Aug 2025 10:58am
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landy andy



Member Since: 15 Feb 2009
Location: Ware, Herts
Posts: 5991

2006 Defender 110 Td5 USW Zermatt Silver
No. That doesn’t look correct to me.
Post #1074302 29th Aug 2025 11:27am
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17933

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
Are the outer bearing races pressed firmly against the seats in the ball? If so, I suggest measuring the seat-to-seat dimension of the original and castor-corrected balls in case the castor-corrected one is out-of-spec.
Post #1074309 29th Aug 2025 11:51am
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IronKettle



Member Since: 08 Dec 2024
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 15

United Kingdom 2000 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Alveston Red
Yep, bearing outers are fully tapped in!

I'll tap the top one out again and measure vs original (or whatever was on the truck before...).
Post #1074310 29th Aug 2025 11:55am
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bankz5152



Member Since: 02 Feb 2017
Location: South London/North Kent
Posts: 2228

 2004 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Epsom Green
A little odd but not unheard of.

Afaik you cant set preload in the bench, all needs to be assembled and set by feel or a newton meter (baggage/fishing scales can work)

Is the bearing sat flat in the race? Ive made that mistake before. Fitted it slightly off center and crushed it.
Post #1074322 29th Aug 2025 3:46pm
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IronKettle



Member Since: 08 Dec 2024
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 15

United Kingdom 2000 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Alveston Red
From my reading & watching videos you should be able to set it on the bench with some hanging scales.

I dug out 2 of the thickest shims (which isn't far off what was on the existing swivel) and that seems to fill the space & set the preload pretty close (haven't faffed with thinner shims yet, was just playing around with it on lunch).[/quote]
Post #1074324 29th Aug 2025 4:24pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17933

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
There's no reason at all why you can't set the preload on the bench.
Post #1074326 29th Aug 2025 4:47pm
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bankz5152



Member Since: 02 Feb 2017
Location: South London/North Kent
Posts: 2228

 2004 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Epsom Green
Thats me schooled!

Always done the job on car with everything attached.
Post #1074327 29th Aug 2025 5:10pm
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Oldowner



Member Since: 26 Dec 2018
Location: South west
Posts: 683

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Aintree Green
I have had this before with combination of replacement aftermarket swivel balls and aftermarket pins; I’ve always figured that aftermarket manufacturers have erred on the side of caution and and added a little bit to the swivel and shim measurements so as to avoid having the situation where the preload is incorrect without any shims

It important to use the correct bolts, those look like incorrect stainless steel ones, which is fine for initial shimming but after the correct shim stack has been obtained they should be swapped to new genuine high tensile bolts for final assembly.

Preload can be set on bench as long as rear seal and retainer are fitted to housing as this provides the resistance that you have to overcome. I used to have a bracket I clamped in a vice to bolt the swivel to when I did lots of them.
Post #1074336 29th Aug 2025 10:30pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17933

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
The swivel preload should be set without the ball seal fitted.
Post #1074339 29th Aug 2025 11:06pm
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Oldowner



Member Since: 26 Dec 2018
Location: South west
Posts: 683

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Aintree Green
Correct! Its a long time since I’ve done one!
Post #1074342 29th Aug 2025 11:55pm
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4RF RDS



Member Since: 19 Jul 2015
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 988

Canada 2000 Defender 110 Td5 XS CSW Epsom Green
Its quite possible you have the bearing reversed. Verify you don‘t have the upper in the lower and vice versa.

Good luck. 2010 Range Rover MkIII Autobiography Super Charged (Idris)
2003 Range Rover Mk III (Desmond FitzWilliam)
2000 Defender 110 CSW TD5 (CTX)
1992 Range Rover Classic (Lizzy)
1972 Series III 300 Tdi (Stanwood)
1967 MGB GT

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.
H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)
Post #1074378 30th Aug 2025 5:20pm
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IronKettle



Member Since: 08 Dec 2024
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 15

United Kingdom 2000 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Alveston Red
Oldowner wrote:
I have had this before with combination of replacement aftermarket swivel balls and aftermarket pins; I’ve always figured that aftermarket manufacturers have erred on the side of caution and and added a little bit to the swivel and shim measurements so as to avoid having the situation where the preload is incorrect without any shims

It important to use the correct bolts, those look like incorrect stainless steel ones, which is fine for initial shimming but after the correct shim stack has been obtained they should be swapped to new genuine high tensile bolts for final assembly.

Preload can be set on bench as long as rear seal and retainer are fitted to housing as this provides the resistance that you have to overcome. I used to have a bracket I clamped in a vice to bolt the swivel to when I did lots of them.


Do I really need the high tensile bolts over stainless? The bolts shouldn't take much stress as the pin fills the entire housing, any axial load should be placed on the pin I'd have thought...


4RF RDS wrote:
Its quite possible you have the bearing reversed. Verify you don‘t have the upper in the lower and vice versa.

Good luck.


Bearings are the same top and bottom.
Post #1074448 31st Aug 2025 6:29pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17933

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
All the weight on the corner of the vehicle is trying to push the top pin out, so there is a fair load (which will be increased by the radial load on the taper bearing pushing in the same way).

Perhaps a more relevant question is what possible reason could there be for using stainless fasteners there (or almost anywhere else for that matter)? I cannot think of a single advantage or justification myself.
Post #1074452 31st Aug 2025 6:43pm
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