Axle replacement

[Gilbay]

This is my first post since joining the forum. Having bought an 05 Berlingo shortly after moving here from South Africa last year, I was faced with a failed Mot this year. Excessively worn rear axle bearings and bushes. - I wonder how it passed Mot when I bought it from the dealer last year. (Can one "make a plan"here too, as is common practice in SA!) Anyway, no point in crying so after checking out what an axle swap entailed on uTube, I got a refurbished unit from Imaxle, delivered within 2 days, and have just completed the swap. it is pretty straight forward to anyone of average DIY ability. The biggest issue was it's removal due to the horrific underbody corrosion one finds in this country. I have been spoilt by SA's hot dry climate. Two products really stand out when tackling this job - "Crack It" freezing aerosol spray used by plumbers (from Screwfix) and a catalyst penetrating fluid.(Amazon) Forget about WD40. But  be prepared to use the cold chisel and hammer method too. A blowtorch is a No No with the plastic fuel tank nearby.
The axle weighs around 50kg, so is a bit of a challenge if you are working alone, but it is quite easy if you use a small pallet or make up a simple frame to hold the unit level while jacking it up into place. the secret is to keep it horizontal. A big 5 ton trolley jack is great if you have one, but I used a small 2 ton trolley jack which was fine with a couple of wooden blocks. Remove the spare wheel cradle before you start the job. You will need a couple of special tools- an impact driver, essential, a 40mm socket, for the large axle nut, a 3 leg bearing puller and and a long T50 Torx driver to go through the hole in the axle frame. I also welded a cut off T50 Torx driver into a 9mm socket to use with the impact driver to remove the 4 Torx bolts in the front mounting holes.  So if you are faced with this issue, don't be put off by what looks like a huge job,it really isn't, and save your Berlingo from the breakers.

[jj9]

Good to hear that you had success fitting your axle, your berlingo lives on 


.

[Gadgetman]

The MOT is a 'just this moment' status, not a 'this part is going to fail soon, replace it' and while the technician doing the insspection might tell the owner about things that may fail in the future, it usually isn't written down.

The most painful about he swap was the brakes in my case.
(My M49 has drums with manual adjuster. They're a pain to rebuild)

Did you replace any other parts at the same time?
The rubber blocks at the rear is a common failure point and shocks really should be swapped since you have them out in the open...

I pretty much rebuilt the rear brakes and most of the brake lines.
(OK, I had to do that since absolutely nothing could free them without damaging them... )

[Gilbay]

The MOT is a 'just this moment' status, not a 'this part is going to fail soon, replace it' and while the technician doing the insspection might tell the owner about things that may fail in the future, it usually isn't written down.    

The most painful about he swap was the brakes in my case.
(My M49 has drums with manual adjuster. They're a pain to rebuild)    

Did you replace any other parts at the same time?  
The rubber blocks at the rear is a common failure point and shocks really should be swapped since you have them out in the open...

I pretty much rebuilt the rear brakes and most of the brake lines.
(OK, I had to do that since absolutely nothing could free them without damaging them... )

[Gilbay]

Yes,I did quite a lot more than just the axle. Because of the corrosion the brake pipe ferrules were impossible to free off so it made sense to replace the copper pipes and flex hoses, making new brackets at the same time. also replaced the bump stops, rear brake shoes and wheel cylinders. Shocks too. The brake backing plates just needed serious cleaning and priming. I have used cold galvanising aerosol and "Curust" to delay further deterioration. fortunately I have a second 05 M59, a Desire, so I use it as a reference to make brackets etc and see where things should go.My long term plan is to produce a small "fleet" of simple, efficient campers for rental. So I am making an effort to get to know these fantastic little vehicles and build up the facilities needed to do as much as possible myself. Electronics are a mystery to me, hence my choice of the simplest, basic vehicles I could find.

[Gadgetman]

If you want the simplest, most basic, you want a Pre-2000 M49.
No BSI, no CAN-bus, not much else, either...

you may want to start stocking up some parts, though.
Some are beginning to disappear from the 'usual suspects' online listings.

I have the Webasto Ragtop on mine. What I would really like to do is to make a 'pop up' (motorized) tent on top, put a bed in there and add a ladder.