JCB 3CIII

[MrF]

Good luck with the jackleg pavement foot, the pin will either pop out easy, or you will be digging a hole and lifting the machine off the cylinder/sleeve and freeing it in a press is the best way I reckon now I've fought one a few times. I've had to cut out 2 of the 3 I've removed so far, maybe I just had really rough machines. But the 3rd just popped out good as gold...
I think the hydraclamp seal is the easiest to do, provided the long bolt that holds it to the rail doesnt rotate. My idea for that was to keep the nut under tension as it started to get slack, which keeps the bolt head into engagement with the flat on the rear plate which stops it rotating.

[CFD]

Any advice on replacing the seals in the rams? I have read a few posts here, but most just have a picture, but no specific detail on replacing the seals. I note the manual indicates two special tools for expanding the seals for fitting...is it necessary to have these?....or is it just a matter of carefully removing each one and replacing with new as you go?
Thanks...

[MrF]

Sorry, Its always been the case that I've been changing the ram because the hard chrome is knackered, or the hard pipework has rotted through & there's no point replacing seals in those circumstances though I have some new in a bag and now have a original jcb large ram nut spanner which came along with the spares machine and lots have said its not a extremely difficult thing to do, just the nut is rather tight so plan some mechanical assistance.
A few of my rams run fairly wet, but as they have dents in the hard chrome& the fluid isn't dripping off them in use I've just let them be. My machine has had a really hard life and was on demolition work at one point I think which leads to hard chrome damage from flying rubble...

[agrimax]

The seals are usually quite easy to replace. No need for any special tools. Internal gland seals can be prised out of their groove with a strong but pointed screw driver or such and the new one should push back in by hand. Piston seals,again will prise off and stretch over the piston.Same with refitting. They're tough rubber and will return to their original size when in the groove.
There are other types of seal made of types of plastic or nylon,that need heated to soften them so they stretch to fit and sometimes need a resizer tool to squash them back to original size,but I haven't came across them on a JCB. All good tough rubber...

[CFD]

Ok, great, thanks for that. Will see how it goes. I will crack open the caps in-situ on each ram before removing it. I'll post a few pics of the progress.

[CFD]

Actually decided to do some work on the front axle today - right hand side had a noticeable gap at the top of the kingpin, indicating bearing issues. Turned out be just a few bits of the top race left in the axle - significant amount of wear on the bottom of he axle on that side - although the bearing seat in the axle looks ok, but the lower part of a new bearing will be exposed....so have to see what to do there.

Will need a new set of bushes for the right hand side. Left side was better - bearing on the way out, but most of it still there and no damage done on the bottom of the axle.

So bearings for both sides and a set of bushes for the right side kingpin should do it.

Can anyone confirm if the part number for the bushes are: 808/00176?

The left side:

[CFD]

Steering ram needs a bit of work as well on the ball part, its quite worn - although most of the wear is in the pin, so could get away with just a new pin for it....is is possible to get just this end ball part of the ram and cut off old/weld on new?

[MrF]

I dont know about weld on replacement ends (I have to do the same one day possibly...) but your pin is missing the tab that bolts to the arm and keeps it in place. Mine's broke off and missing too, replacing it and greasing the crap out the joint and leaving the ball loose but with a new pin is higher on my todo list. If there was a push in spherical bearing that could be fitted in place that could be good, as I'd just bore the casting to suit the od and not have to get into welding new eyes onto a ram putting heat into a very well aged part and the risk that entails.
There's a felt seal at the top that is supposed to keep the grease in as a best effort, on the mk2 axle it still had one but it fell to bits taking the axle apart (and that had half the balls missing in the lower race same as yours), I've never taken my mk3 one out to check, I just grease the kingpins as part of my "going to use the machine this week" regime.
If you need parts, be careful as the mk2 and mk3 front axle is completely different. The ram is behind the axle, the stub axle castings are different as a result and the front axle itself is lighter on the older machine.

[stellacerv]

This is what a digger is also most useful for. Moving things about and lifting. It's only when you have to hand ball things about you wish the digger was there to make it so easy.

[agrimax]

Pt no. 552/06701 is shown on JCB parts list for the cylinder end weld on ball assembly and 552/02101 for the rod end. In fact every thing including the actual axle beam seems to be still available from JCB.The bushes pt no. is 808/00098.
CFD....Your part number for the spindle bushes is for a 3CX (also for the rare 3C that was really a 3CX but with 3C loader arms).