My first encounter of the drive spheres on a Defender was many years ago. The Police force I worked for had a fleet of Land Rover 110s, and the spheres were one of the components that required regular attention.

One regular problem was that the seals around the spheres would pick up grit and grime, which would then work its way into the seal, damaging the seal and allowing the lubricant to escape. Since those early days, I have stripped and repaired quite a few hubs on Land Rovers and so when this 2015 Land Rover Defender 90 XS 2.2 TDCi came in, I was very familiar with the procedure required to replace the failed front sphere seals and clean up the spheres.

Thankfully, this owner is a little more conscious of the problems that can occur due to neglect and so is quite happy to ensure that they are kept in good order along with the rest of the vehicle.

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