Which column ?

[simontwithers]

I have spent the last few days searching through all the previous posts on power steering for a series landrover which has bought up some great posts and photos on the subject.

I have a range rover v8 steering pump and box. My series 2a is a SD1 3.5 v8 conversion.

Previous posts seem to suggest that i need a late defender steering colum.

Right first question: after what year is a "late" defender ?

and am i right in thinking that this column will fit the splines on my RR box and the steering boss for my 2a steering wheel ? or will i need a range rover lower section???

Thanks in advance. I have seen there are quite a few who have carried out this conversion.

Cheers Simon.

[bill van snorkle]

For those that are unable to source a Defender column it is possible to cut the series column shaft,grind 2 flats 180 degrees apart and fit the lower half of a RRC steering shaft to it. I bush the top of the series steering box to support the RRC shaft and cut away some of the series box housing to give room for the steering universal to operate.The section of the series steering box that supported the old sector shaft(pitman arm) has the correct bush diameter for the RRC lower shaft. This can be sawn off anda step machined onto one end to fit into the old bearing bore of the series steering box. This way the bulkhead support still supports the column and the standard steering wheel and controls remain. There are some photos in an old article somewhere on these pages.

Bill.

[jericho]

Any Defender column will fit the lower steering linkage to your steering box.

Your series steering wheel will not fit on the column though.

I had to shorten the lower linkage by an inch or so for my series - easily done.

[6cyltdi]

There is a complete kit available from a sweedish company...... That is fairly priced....

Here's one in birmingham, pretty expensive tho.... http://www.allabout4x4.com/landroverseriespowersteering.html

There is quite alot of work in fitting PAS box, colum etc....?

Up to you, i can't find the sweedish place just now, i'm sure the price wasn't too bad tho...

[simontwithers]

Thanks for all your help.

Where the series steering wheel did not fit, is it best to use the defender steering boss and wheel along with the complete defender coloumn ?

I like the idea of mating the bottom half of a RR column to the remaining series shaft as i can then avoid the extra cost of a steering wheel and boss.

Plus there are RR bottom halfs available for like £20.

Thanks again, Simon

[Jon White]

I used an entire defender column.

IMHO its a waste of time and effort messing about modifying things to fit when an off the shelf column will more or less bolt straight up. The standard series bulkhead suppport still fits, but you need to fabricate an upper column support bracket behind the dash as it is on a defender otherwise the top of the column moves about too much. I used the lower column unmodified.

Those bolt on kits are horrible. If you've ever driven one with one fitted adn then compared it to one fitted witha defender set up there is no comparison. The defender one gives less turns lock to lock, and also due to the lack of extra joints and linkages in the system gives much more precise steering. That kit just gives you power assisted vague steering. Finally the kit is expensive, where the other conversion can be done with scrap yard parts.

Tonk had one of these kits fitted to his truck for a while, but immediately he drove my truck with a defender based set up on it took it off and fitted the same as me.

Jon

[Tonk]

no need to make a top column bracket on a series 2a, it has a far beefier one than a series 3 and bolts round the def column perfectly.