Opposite Lock Wheel Carrier Help
Submitted: Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 11:21
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Member - Jack
Hi
I am wanting to replace the bearings in my caddy style Opposite Lock rear wheel carrier. It is fitted to my 80 series Land cruiser.
Yesterday I drove up to OL to find out how to get the carrier apart, and the guy told me to loosen off the bolt, hit it underneath with a hammer and the spindle/axle would slide up.
Well .. 3 hours down the track I have bashed it with a 9lb hammer, jacked the car up on the bolt, and pulled the bearing covers partially off, and satill it refuses to shift. I have poured the equivalent of 3 Warragamba Dams of WD40 through it ... I have scanned the thing to try and find (1) circlips, (2) hidden bolts or nuts or (3) any other form of retaining device, all without luck. It remains firmly attached. I think I even saw it grinning at me at one stage !!!!!!!!!!
I am hoping someone here has done a similar job who can advise me how to remove the swing arm so that I can replace the bearings before I become homicidal.
Responses like "buy a Kaymar" won't help much.
With thanks in advance, and the promise of untold riches, women and liquor for life for the correct answer ....
Jack
PS: I lied about the liquor, riches and women ......
Reply By: turbopete - Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 12:06
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 12:06
and u still have a sense of humour aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
AnswerID:
157500
Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 12:39
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 12:39
Is it humour ... sounded more like maniacal rantings from under the car.
Anyway Stephen has given me a hint .. so I will put it back together and do something more entertaining ... like trim my toenails with my chainsaw.
It's all good ...
:)
Jack
FollowupID:
411780
Reply By: Member - Stephen (WA) - Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 12:33
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 12:33
Jack,
I have one of those carriers. I had to remove it for a day to get the rego done on my LC.
I took it to Opposite Lock for them to remove the swingarm only. They tried and failed. It was easier to take the whole darn thing off (mount and all) than to remove the swingarm itself.
I know that this doesn't help you in your quest - but I hope that you find some solace in knowing that the supplier of the carrier could not do, what you are trying to do.
Kind regards
Stephen J.
AnswerID:
157505
Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 12:36
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 12:36
Thanks Stephen .. you have just about given me all the incentive I need to pack the bearing with grease "in situ" and put the whole shebang together again as it is. In doing so I know I will live longer .. :)
Much obliged.
Jack
FollowupID:
411779
Reply By: Member - Roachie (SA) - Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 13:55
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 13:55
Maybe I've just been lucky, but I have a Opp Lock dual wheel carrier on the Patrol and I only have the passenger's side swing arm on when I'm going on a long trip. It is very easy to remove..... in the same way you'd remove a hub from a box trailer. So I just prise-off the dust cover, take out the split pin, undo the castle-nut, undo the bolt that holds the gas-strut onto the swing arm, then lift the swing arm off. I've never needed to use a hammer.
I would have thought that if you used a high lift jack on the swing arm, as close as possible to the bearing housing, that should overcome any lock-up caused by the bearings having been pressed too hard down over a period of time.
Only other thing I can think of is to use heat on the outer side of the swing arm (gas torch), whilst already having the weight resting on the high lift jack.
Good luck
Roachie
AnswerID:
157527
Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 14:01
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 14:01
Thanks Roachie.
This setup seems to be different from the type you describe. But having removed the bolt and the covers from the bearings I "assumed" some tapping would start to shift it. But it did not move.
Oh well ... I just put it all back together again and when I have time I think I will give it to Opposite lock to fix and see how red their faces are at the end of the job .... as mine was : )
Thanks again ...
Jack
FollowupID:
411793
Follow Up By: Geoff M (Newcastle, NSW) - Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 14:39
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 14:39
Jack,
Get Opposite Lock to give you a fixed price quote before they start.
That should give you a chuckle when you pick it up,
Geoff.
| Geoff,
Landcruiser HDJ78,
Grey hair is hereditary, you get it from children. Baldness is caused by watching the Wallabies.
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FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 16:33
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 16:33
You have a bad mind, Geoff ... love it !!!!!!!!
Jack
FollowupID:
411831
Reply By: Moose - Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 14:18
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 14:18
G'day Jack
Why do you want to replace the bearings? I've had mine for yonks and never even looked in there. Given the limited amount of movement involved I have assumed that they are pretty much a "leave it alone" item. Mine still swings easily with no slop or noise. If it ain't
broke don't fix it!
Cheers from the Moose.
AnswerID:
157533
Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 16:36
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 16:36
Mine had slop .. and sometimes I could feel it as it moved forward as I stopped or it fell back as I started off.
Anyway ... after todays dramas I have put it all together and most of the slop has gone. Don't ask me how or why .. I had tightened it up last week to see if that would take the slop and and it was not much better. But today it is good ... who knows what tomorrow will bring.
I have to head over to my daughter's for dinner soojn .. if it is still on there when I get back I will give myself a pat on the back for a job well done. If it is missing, I will look seriously at Kaymars .....
All good fun ....
Jack
FollowupID:
411835
Reply By: Member - Andy Q (VIC) - Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 15:52
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 15:52
G'day Jack, You can try this method to remove the the swinging arm: either get hold of a small hand held gas bottle or my prefered item a decent heat gun. Heat up the bearing( sorry first get rid of all flammable grease, WD40 and such like), give it a decent heating but don't make it red hot(yet). Then whilst it is hot try banging it with your hammer.
This should do the trick, I have done it with mine and worked fine, now if you find you have yucked up the bearing just head to Bearing Service for a replacement, probably cheaper than going to opposite lock
andy
ps repeat if it doesn't work the first time ......don't force it
AnswerID:
157551
Reply By: Footloose - Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 15:53
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 15:53
Not trying to hijack the thread, but I have one to go on the LHS of an 80. I have barn doors, and am wondering how good they are. Do they stay latched on corros ? Is the install difficult if you have a towbar (one of the underneath mounts seems to foul the towbar arm...sits on top of it).
Have been meaning to get it attached, but worried about how tough it is, how much inconvenience it will cause and how it might affect fuel consumption.
And how do I organize the number plate and lights etc ?
AnswerID:
157552
Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 16:32
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 at 16:32
Hi Footloose:
I managed to fit mine OK, and I am a bit of a technical gelding.
From memory .... I was able to work the brackets around the towbar with no trouble. The bracket that sits behind the plastic part of the bumper took me a while to figure out. You need to remove the plastic bit totally (not difficult) and them work out which way the bracket fits.
Hardest part for me was working out where to drill the plastic to line up with the holes on the bracket. But .. after a few "trial holes" I found them.
It is a very solid unit, which I also use to climb over when I need to get up on the roofrack. It stays locked up on corros. I have adjusted it once using the slider plate provided for that purpose. Mine is on the right hand side (Driver), and whilst I'd have preferred one on the left, I got it for $200 off eBay so I am not complaining.
With the number plate light .. all I did was move my number plate along to the left a bit, drilled a hole (in the plate) and it sits there fine. I put a small rubber wedge thing in behind it so it won't rattle. I have been stopped for breath tests, had police following behind me, and passed three rego tests so it must be OK. I *think* Opposite Lock may have a number plate fitting with lights ... or if not probably one of those put out by ARB or Kaymar might fit pretty easily.
I can't comment on fuel consumption at all .. I wanted some ground clearance and it gave me that. It is weighty, as you would know, but mine sits on a non-turbo diesel, so I don't think it makes any difference to my fuel figures. Not that I would know, because I have never done any consumption figures.
Hope this helps.
Jack
FollowupID:
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