Rotating swivels properly and cheaply

[C.A.Moseley]

Hey guys, the other day we made a jig up to slot out my swivels to return standard steering angles. Rather then bending arms or buying after market arms, simply slot the mounting holes in a mill. You tell me how big your lift is and i'll slot them to suit. All done in mates fully equiped machine shop. Not to sure on price as yet, may be able to get him under $200 a pair. Let me know if your interested asap, as i can prob get him down a bit more if he can set up to do a few at a time.
Chris 0439 741 971.

[Gwagensteve]

I might be way out of line here, but doesn't that change the way the bolts are now working, in that they are doing nothing to locate the swivel in shear and are doing all their work in tension?

Surely it would be preferable to dowel the assembly after this was done?

I'm not super up with rovers, but I am aware the swivel is removable and wondered about how easy it was to rotate by changing bolt hole position.

Steve.

[RangingRover]

Surely it would be preferable to dowel the assembly after this was done?
Steve.

Correct. I have also seen tack welds used after the swivel is bolted on, to hold it to the diff housing, which are ground off when the swivel needs to be removed. Dowels are a better option though, if simply for ease of removal when that cv blows.

[C.A.Moseley]

The amount of rotation ranges but is only around 5mm. so the holes can't be redrilled. As for movement, it is only braking force which will try to turn them back. I've previously run 35's on a rangie with slotted swivels and they never moved, did break diffs. They dont have to be removed to replace cv's so the tack weld would work, but being hardened steel the heat will cause a weekness. On the up side i will drill a hole in your swivels and you can drill a hole in the end flange of your diff housing and put a bolt in it to locate it.

[C.A.Moseley]

RangingRover i think you may be thinking of stub axle not swivel? Either way Im only offering to help you guys, im not a sales man, It does work, I've got it all set up if you want them done properly and cheaply, let me know. If not LRA does them for $180 a side.

[DL]

Hi,

I slotted mine and welded the slots back to holes. Easy. Looks very stock which was important to me.

If you search around you will not be able to find anyone, who has slotted swivels without dowelling or tack welds, who has had them rotate.

Please prove me wrong.

BTW it is the best mod you can do to lifted RRC.

cheers, DL

[C.A.Moseley]

Hi,

I slotted mine and welded the slots back to holes. Easy. Looks very stock which was important to me.

BTW it is the best mod you can do to lifted RRC.

cheers, DL

Thanks
I run a washer to cover the slot and spread more load.
you dont realise how bad they handle till you correct it.

[nottie]

BTW it is the best mod you can do to lifted RRC.

cheers, DL

I disagree!
Cranked front arms are my preferred method.
And no not arms out of England or The USA

[HSV Rangie]

same here cranked arms.

was easier to crank.

Michael.

[defmec]

can the original arms be cranked.i seen a mob in the uk heat the arms up and bend them has anyone in au tried

[Euan]

I cranked mine with a gas axe and ratchet straps. (Still got the jig here in perth if any one wants to use it.)
But I rekon sloted swivels and locating bolt has got to be the best /easist way to do it.
I've not heard of anyone havong problems with them.

[DL]

Hi Nottie and HSV,

Don't you get probs with vibration from the increased diff pinion to driveshaft angle with cranked arms? Just interested.

cheers, DL

[C.A.Moseley]

Thats it. If you crank arms not only do you weaken them due to heat stress, but also, what is more likely to bend or fracture, a straight arm or one that you've already started the bend and put a stress point in? Dont get me wrong it will bodge up the handling, as long as you feed it uni's, next your getting up to a $K double cardenal front shaft made. No need for any of it with rotated swivels. Confirmed price at $180 a pair with new seals, plus postage. Can also do complete drive in drive out, with all new seals and bearings while we're in there. POA, prob around $300, that if every bearing is shot.

[HSV Rangie]

you get no loss strength.
they are made of crap iron.

they were tested in enzud before heating and tested after heating they suffered no il afect.

either option is good.

Michael.

[dck7aok]

Funny how something as simple as castor correction can be fixed with mutiple different methods. The physics is quite simple - as you lift your Rover you lose the req'd factory castor angle, the solution is to rotate the diff back to factory settings - We all aggree on that!
Methods: Castor bushes(bad as rover bushes are too small already and so lead to binding and brocken mounts), Castor plates(cannot be engineered in Qld), cranked arms( works but takes massive effort in a press or with lots of heat - downside is increased agle on top uni joint meaning more vibration and more wear), and finally rotated swivel housings(only on a rover would you find a bolted on swivel housing probably for ease of replacing that brocken diff centre!!! I have always and will always use dowels when changing holes to slots in swivel housings- factory holes are slightly larger than the bolts so rover wasn't too concerned about movement... but best to be sure. What ever method you use, try not to pay out on someone else for there methods, epsecially if you have never tried it yourself, you just look like a tool.......my tcw.

[matt_w]

hey was just wondering if anyone has pics of how they slot their swivels, i assume you are rotating the hubs to standard angle and then drilling out new holes?

Matt

[nottie]

The cranked arms we are making are not bent in any way what so ever.

[ISUZUROVER]

The cranked arms we are making are not bent in any way what so ever.

Any pics?

[RRturboD]

When I setup my front end, I had the bolt holes slotted to allow movement. At the time it was suggested that when in the correct position, drill and tap somewhere along the joint (at 90 degs to retaining bolts) and put in a small bolt to hold the position. I got as far as getting the front end alignment and caster etc correct, marked the position, disassembled, applied gasket goop to the joint and reassembled. 3 years later no movement. One day I'll put in the locking bolt!.

[blackrangie]

just got mine done,

bruce davis landys NSW

proper job, slotted swivels,big washers,drilled and tapped the joint and bolted in place.

not cheap,but awesome job.

he knows what he is doing.

i can feel straight ahead position while driving at speed now:)

[matt_w]

Hey blackrangie,

any idea how much it costs for Bruce Davis?

Matt

[blackrangie]

Hey blackrangie,

any idea how much it costs for Bruce Davis?

Matt

I think around $1000+ drive in drive out,would derend on how much has to be replaced whilst doing the job though.

Give him a call, if you can do some yourself it might be cheaper,but it looks fairly complicated.

Drilled out, rotated, big washers, drilled and tapped into position, changed to oil, extended breathers put on.

Call him, he will explain better.

[advdisco1]

i have just installed 3" flexcoils, new power steering box and whilst at new balljoints. Today had wheel alignment done and my castor was -00'40.
Thats with castor correction bushes in. So my question is what would the castor angle be if i get the swivels rotated.

Paul

[davew]

While redrilling/slotting the swivels sorts out the castor it doesn't do anything for the nose of the diff.

For the propshaft (driveshaft?) to work at it's best the flanges at each end should be parallel to each other. Using corrected arms sorts out the castor and also moves the nose of the diff back to it's original angle, reducing vibration from the propshaft. (assuming it's phased correctly)