How much play should there be in a stub shaft?

[Kermit power]

I'm in the process of changing the discs & pads on my Shogun.

Having stripped everything down, I'm somewhat concerned about the drive shaft/CV joints etc on the driver's side. There's rather a lot of play, but I have no idea what constitutes "normal" - just that there's a lot more clunking than there is on the other side.

Before I either strip it down further, or fit the new brake parts only to discover I'm going to have to strip it all back down again to change something, I wonder if anyone could take a look at the video here and let me know what you think?

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

No expert on this car - I only know about Jeeps really

But two things I will comment on.

First - the movement seems to be movement available from back at the UJ / CV joint. If I saw movement like that in either a CV joint OR a UJ (spicer-type joint) then knackeredness would be my instant diagnosis...

Second - I assume the stub axle is held in place inside the wheel hub by a bearing, no? In which case - you don't normally get a bearing giving that amount of movement without similar levels of 'knackeredness' either.


Either way, if it was my car, I'd have to strip and investigate before I went anywhere near putting a wheel back onto that!


Have you Googled round to see any other information? Must be loads on the web?

[Kermit power]

The bearings look OK, but are already off the truck.

I posted the same thing on the Pajero owner's club website yesterday, but no answers there yet.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

So, the bearings that support that stub shaft have already been removed, yes?

[Kermit power]

Ray Luxury-Yacht said:

So, the bearings that support that stub shaft have already been removed, yes?

The wheel bearings have. I don't know if there are other bearings further up. I suspect I'll be stripping it all anyway.

I just wish it would stop bloody raining for a couple of evenings so I could get it all done!

[mat13]

If its the same as my trooper the bearing supports the stub shaft, so with it out you will have a fair bit of play.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

Kermit power said:

The wheel bearings have. I don't know if there are other bearings further up. I suspect I'll be stripping it all anyway.

I just wish it would stop bloody raining for a couple of evenings so I could get it all done!

I know, the weather's gay isn't it??!!

A mate has a 'pop-up' gazebo thing that you can raise / lower in a matter of seconds. When I was working on his Westfield recently, he brought it over and it was brilliant - popped it up in 30 seconds and could work away in the pissing rain on the driveway in complete comfort and dryness - thinking of getting one myself, maybe you should too, lol!

Ok, so it looks like the wheel bearings that you've removed probably locate and hold the stub axle in place when it's all together.

So, the movement you have is probably the CV / UJ joints in the drive axle I guess, assuming there's no other bearings in the hub.

Up and down movement would be normal, as the UJ provides this movement naturally, with the wheel bearings preventing it.

However, the 'in and out' movement shouldn't be there, no, unless the CV / UJ is toast I think.

Do you know what type of joint it is at the other end of the stub axle mate?

[Kermit power]

There was movement with the wheel bearings still on, so maybe I should just replace that anyway. Not too painful at 20 quid.

Not sure what's at the other end. I guess it's time to take the gaiters off to see what they're hiding.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

Oh the drive shafts have rubber gaiters?

In that case - it's probably 'ball and cup' type 'CV' joints - which shouldn't move at all in my experience, unless on your particular car they're specifically designed to for some reason...

But anyway yeah, looks like a bit more detective work is required mate!

Can't you open up your garage door, and nose the front of the car under it / into the garage to give you a bit of shelter to work (assuming you have a garage of course )

[Kermit power]

Even if it would fit in the garage (which was built around the time of the Austin Seven) I'd have to put everything back together to move it!

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

Kermit power said:

Even if it would fit in the garage (which was built around the time of the Austin Seven) I'd have to put everything back together to move it!

In that case, I've just sent a prayer to the 'rain Gods' for you to let off from precipitation in Surrey for the next few days, ok?

Disclaimer - it doesn't always work