I need to replace my passenger front brake caliper (I'm going to do both sides), and I'm putting on new rotors all around too (also a bit of an axle seal leak in the left rear).

The real question is: the wheel bearings sound fine and there isn't any play in the tires, but I'm wondering if I should replace them while I have everything torn apart, or just repack them and call it a day?

I haven't done rotors before. Is there anything I should check for while I am in there? I've gone through the RAVE, youtube, LR forum searches, but I don't even know how much I don't know.

 

I'm in the same boat. Getting ready to tackle the job.

Check the tech section, there is an excellent write up.

https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...earings-44462/

Good luck.

 

If you're replacing front calipers there is ZERO reason NOT to upgrade to D90 calipers/rotors. Everything is a direct bolt on and the price is the same.
Zero downside and you gain stopping performance.
If your truck has 177k miles and the bearing history is unknown I personally would replace them. Use the D90 hub seals, RTC3511 as they seal better.

 

I already bought the calipers and rotors and seals, but i will keep the D90 kit in mind for next time (or for the next rover that comes my way), and just orderd the bearings so this looks like it will be my weekend plans now.

I have that write up bookmarked and have read it a few times already.

 

It's really not a bad job with a good punch and a 52mm socket. Driving out the old races is the worst part.

 

If you can afford to have the truck down to buy the bearings you can wait and inspect them and only replace if needed.
http://www.timken.com/en-us/products...ments/6347.pdf
Another option is to buy two so if they need replacing you can do it and put the truck back together.

The bearings are Timken SET37, SKF BR37, *** KIT38 or National A-37. Use whichever you can get the cheapest and/or most easily.

Also get the proper socket for the bearing lock nuts, you'll use it ever year when you service your bearings.

 

Pretty straight forward job and if your going as far as replacing the calipers may as well get into those bearings and replace them Rovers are notorious for shredding and welding wheel bearings. So if the bearing history is unknown I'd replace them proactively.

 

Rovers (with full floating axles) are only notorious for shredding hub bearings because people don't maintain them properly.

 

yea I should have stated that mine shredded post buy after a few weeks while I was working through the giant unmaintained beast and going through the "new to me maintenance" once you replace 10-20 yo "wear" parts things start rolling right along. But usually wheel bearings are forgotten easily by most mall drivers.

 

Thanks for all the input not only in this thread but the hundreds of others that I have looked through figuring these things out. I never worked on my own vehicles until a few years ago when I bought an old problem jeep (which i sold before upgrading to a problem landrover), and have slowly been building some experience and tools, but like most things I do with the truck, I spend three times as much time looking at all the bits, how they come apart and what they do than the time it actually takes to fix things.

I only started on the rear last night. Surprising the both passengers bearings/races look fine, considering there was absolutely no grease on them—just gear oil from the leaking seals. The left sounds bad and has a little play with the wheel still on it, so I'm not expecting good things there.

I am planning on checking the breather hose front and rear, and if they do turn out to be clogged, what is the best way to clear them out?