[Rovernet] de Dion gaiter replacement question

[Lance La Certe]

And even more thanks to Vern for simplifying the process.










________________________________
From: Rovernet <rovernet-bounces at rovernet.org> on behalf of Vern Inkspot via Rovernet <rovernet at rovernet.org>
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2022 2:37 PM
To: Rovernet <rovernet at rovernet.org>
Cc: Vern Inkspot <vern at inkspotco.com>
Subject: Re: [Rovernet] de Dion gaiter replacement question

That’s taking too much apart. All you need to do is unbolt the inner tube end from the elbow, no need to remove the half shaft. There is enough flexibility in the trailing arm bushes to drop the tube end down far enough to slid the new gaiter on. It's a bit of work to get it over the flange, but doable.
Don’t tighten the gaiter clamp until the car is back down on the ground and and you've bounced it up and down a few times. Other wise you might end up with the boot twisted and it’ll soon tear.

By the way, if your tube is an oil filled one a lot of folks are now draining the oil and just greasing the tube on assembly, which is what Rover did in the end. Seems to work well by all accounts, and might preserve the boot a bit longer.

It also seems to me there should be a hole in the boot somewhere to allow air to equalize, but I’m not sure about that. If so, it should be at the top.

I’ve left the bit out about supporting the car safely on jackstands etc, etc.

If you go to http://www.classicroverforum.net/index.php and search for dedion boot you’ll find lengthly how to’s. One by harveyP6 will be most informative.

Yours
Vern

On Jan 21, 2022, at 1:09 PM, Lance La Certe via Rovernet <rovernet at rovernet.org<mailto:rovernet at rovernet.org>> wrote:

Several years ago I serviced the entire de Dion unit, installing new seals, as well as a new, aftermarket gaiter.   Unfortunately, even with very little mileage, the cheap reproduction has begun to fail (the rubber folds are beginning to crack, not due to any extreme mechanical force).  I recently acquired an excellent, NOS, OEM gaiter for replacement.

Here's the question.  Is there any reason why, with the driver's side de Dion elbow and center tube supported, that I can't just remove the passenger side half-shaft, disconnect the linkage, remove the right de Dion elbow's four nuts and 12 set bolts, slide the right elbow off, remove the defective gaiter, and then just replace the gaiter and reassemble in reverse?

It would sure save a lot of time over removing the entire de Dion tube.   Would appreciate any input, especially if anyone has accomplished this in such a manner.

Thanks in advance,   Lance



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