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Steering box started leaking, best place to get reconditioned?


willfromsussex

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I'd buy an Adwest box outright TBH, I had a reconditioned one, waste of time, started loeaking in 18 months, replaced with an Adwest, WHAT A DIFFERENCE. Steering so much more direct now, really unbelievable, all play has gone.

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Bowie, did you get their "quickrack" version or just the standard replacement?

It was a quick version, makes quite a difference, think it removes one whole turn from lock to lock. Mine was on ebay second hand, but barely used (clearly very little use, from pic and when arrived) and came with a 300TDI Disco drop arm :)

Think I paid £200 for it second hand, but new they are ~£500, so a bit of a bargain. Drives really nicely now, more like a smaller car with less turns lock to lock. With a power steering pump tweak the steering weight has been made lighter than stock (clearly a quicker box will weight up the steering normally).

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I bought a new Adwest box for my RRC and fitting was very tight between the oil cooler hose and the box. I then took it for its MOT and as the tester arrived back in the forecourt all of the lube oil was dumped on the forecourt. This was caused by the new steering box cutting through the oil cooler hose and thus dumping the oil. Now, of course, all the hoses for either the power steering or the oil cooler are no longer available so it was back to my friendly hydraulic hose manfacturer who made me a pair of hoses. When I came to fit the hose adjacent to the steering box there was insufficient space to get it threaded onto the connector. So back to my hose supplier who then made a short steel pipe section which allowed the connector to be threaded and made up. I did bring this problem to the attention of Adwest ( I even sent them some photos) but of course this was "the first time this has ever happened sir" was the standard answer. Indeed they did not even bother to respond to my photos.

So be warned fitting the box is not all plain sailing - they do not appear to be the same as the original

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Sounds like you bought the wrong box to be honest, there are different variants you know! In the last 20 years a four bolt box is still the same even on the latest Defender.

I would NEVER buy a re-con box ever again after the farsicle experience i had with NPS, they are a joke. I bought a Brand new Adwest box from Dunsfold Landrovers for £240 + my box in exchange.

Steve

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No afraid not - that was of course the first topic of conversation with Adwest. I even sent them a photo showing the serial number and they confirmed that I had the correct box.

I would agree with your remarks regarding rebuilding of these boxes - it seems that nobody can get them correct and keep them sealed for any reasonable length of time

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Hmm., has anyone got experience of www.power-steering.co.uk? They have quoted me £140 + vat for exchange, including collecting my old unit when they deliver the new one.

Quick box sounds kind of cool for offroading etc but I would guess there is a possibility it is not as good as standard ratio at high speed motorway etc as a small movement could cause a big change in direction, especially not ideal for towing I would imagine. Just been to Berks and back in the Rangetrol towing a van on a trailer.

Would just be nice to make the standard box have a bit more lightness. Someone must have experimented with the internals, for example changing or reducing the diameter of the torque rod thing?

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Hmm., has anyone got experience of www.power-steering.co.uk? They have quoted me £140 + vat for exchange, including collecting my old unit when they deliver the new one.

Quick box sounds kind of cool for offroading etc but I would guess there is a possibility it is not as good as standard ratio at high speed motorway etc as a small movement could cause a big change in direction, especially not ideal for towing I would imagine. Just been to Berks and back in the Rangetrol towing a van on a trailer.

Would just be nice to make the standard box have a bit more lightness. Someone must have experimented with the internals, for example changing or reducing the diameter of the torque rod thing?

The Adwest boxes were what Overfinch fitted to their Range Rover Classics, designed very much with on-road in mind :)

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Thanks have found the thead about it. It doesn't feel like a flow issue, (which I would imagine would manifest itself by there being enough power at low turning speed but it fails to keep up with fast movements) its is just a low effort/pressure.

Bear in mind also I am using a Nissan power steering pump, unsure how pressures compare to the Range Rover one but the Patrol steering was definately lighter than this steering.

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Not quite true, by opening up the power steering pump to allow an increased FLOW, it has improved the lighteness of my steering significantly, if you read what DD says he get 38" boggers to turn with one finger :)

Which PAS pump do you have? The earlier V-belted RRC pumps were around 1000PSI, but the later P38 items and 300TDI pumps onwards are 1500PSI, so it could be that your pump deals in the higher pressure (1500PSI) but doesn't have the flow available for the clunky old RRC box -I'm assuming the Patrol box is going to be better built here ;)

It's not the wide offset wheels or wide rubber affecting your impression of lightness is it?

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Replacing the seals on the steering box is reasonably straight forward. I am not sure why you would replace a box just because the seals are leaking.

Because the shaft wears, and just replacing the seal will mean it will leak again in very quick time -one reason why recon boxes are so shockingly poor in their lifespan, they don't bother replacing the shaft if they think they can get away with it.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Ok, a box arrived from Power Steering Services. Whilst it was still sitting on the floor I connected a UJ to the input shaft and tried to turn it, very stiff, and when it moved it felt rough and notchy. I rang them and asked them to send another one, which they did, after a little sighing.

Second one felt a bit smoother but still quite tight but I decided to install it just incase it sorted itself out. Installed, bled, test driven, feels horrible. Very tight. Steering is heavy in the middle position then goes lighter once you get a bit of a turn going. This is unpleasant. It also won't self centre when you let the caster do its job . The wheel is stiff and stays where you put it, which makes precise adjustments to straight line driving a real chore.

I have tried losening the sector shaft endfloat adjuster a little but this just made it have play but still stiff to turn.

I am going to have to buy a new box and be done with it probably , as I don't want to ask this place for a third one, nobody should have to do that. Wonder what they will say when I ask them to take this box back and give a refund.

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Because the shaft wears, and just replacing the seal will mean it will leak again in very quick time -one reason why recon boxes are so shockingly poor in their lifespan, they don't bother replacing the shaft if they think they can get away with it.

I replaced the seal on the input shaft on my 1988 RRC with one from Zeus Engineering. This is a machined part with o-rings inside and out to provide the seal. These bear on a different place on the shaft and so avoid this problem. It was about £23 incl VAT & P&P but easy to fit and has done a great job of fixing my leak - it's 100% dry now and hads been for months. here is the page http://www.zeus.uk.com/land-rover.php

Pete

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