Rear brakes/bearings check

Ok, taken it all to bits using the guide at Rear wheel bearings renewed to try find the problem...

It looks like the brakes are all fine, nothing loose, nothing jammed etc and even the shoes are ok... I then dismantled the hub and removed the bearings (what a pain that was!) and they are both fine too!

I thought I better get a second opinion as I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination so I chucked all the bits in a bag and have just been to see my local friendly Landy garage.

He says that the brakes are fine and the bearings are too. The only thing he can think of is the diff now even though he said he'd have expected both wheels to lock if that was the case.

Anyway, next job is to drain the rear diff oil and see if any bits of metal come out...

Scary moment!

I was just coming home and as I was approaching a roundabout at around 50mph I began to slow down and the rear drivers side wheel locked up completely!!!

I managed to keep it pretty straight considering and luckily there were no other cars nearby to worry about. Once I'd stopped I got out and had a look but couldn't see anything obviously wrong (wheel on it's side or anything) but just a mahoosive black tyre mark on the road about 100 yards long. I got back in and tried to move it forwards but could feel the wheel still locked. Thought I better move it to the very edge of the road so started dragging it and it freed off. As I was only a mile from home I limped back carefully at 25 mph (it drove fine) and it is now in my garage ready for inspection.

All I can think is that something has broken in the rear drum, jiggled its way about, and then jammed the drum and caused the lockup.

A bar repainted

On Friday night I removed the bumper and A bar and repainted the A bar with smooth black Hammerite. Then on Saturday I refitted the grille, the bumper and A bar. It doesn't look too bad but could do with another coat while in situ as a couple of spots got marked etc when refitting :(

Bonnet cable

Well today I went to my local Landy specialist and picked up the screw nut for the end of the bonnet cable. I'd thought about using a choc block electrical connector but that would have been a bodge and I wanted to do it right! Anyway, all fitted in a couple of minutes and I now have a bonnet that can be opened from a lever inside instead of the piece of the rope I was having to use poking through the grille!

While I was at the garage then I also bought a rocker cover gasket in anticipation of adjusting the tappets sometime soon as they are making quite a noise.

New bonnet release cable

To get to the bonnet catch I had to remove the A bar and the front bumper. The front A bar needs repainting anyway as the black spray didn't key to it last time I tried to paint it and is peeling off in chunks - especially after the day offroading through mud etc. This time it is going to get a coat of smooth Hammerite which should stay put!

After removing the A bar and bumper the front grille was removed so I could fit the new bonnet cable. Old cable came straight out but was a pain to remove old broken bolt in cabin where the bonnet pull should go (was broken). New cable fitted and run through but there isn't a proper connector to attach this to the latch :( I'll have to get one tomorrow now before I can refit everything...

Parkwood (Tong) off road day

Day out offroading at Parkwood which is in Tong, near Bradford, West Yorkshire. Had a great time and can't believe some of the stuff the Landy can do!!! I started off quite sensible until I knew what I was doing. By the end of the day though I was going up/down stuff that other people couldn't manage and we'd thought were impossible in the morning :)

Bits and bats

After the problem of not being able to get the wheel nuts off before I thought I better coppaslip them all which I did. I also greased all the UJ's and took a look at the minor power steering leak. It looks like it is just the seeping from the drain plug/washer rather than the front seals so I'll have to remove and replace them soon to avoid leaving small puddles of power steering fluid on the garage floor!