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Z24O
3rd August 2008, 06:37 PM
Recently purchased a '68 SWB and wouldn't mind putting power steering in it.What are the options?Any mods that are cheap,easy and readily available?

JDNSW
3rd August 2008, 07:54 PM
Recently purchased a '68 SWB and wouldn't mind putting power steering in it.What are the options?Any mods that are cheap,easy and readily available?

In a word - NO.

It is possible to fit power steering to any Series Landrover, but none of the possibilities are cheap, easy or readily available.

There is a UK kit that has been sold, not sure whether it is currently available. It adds a power cylinder to the existing setup. Relatively easy to fit, but far from cheap. Similar conversions have been done using parts from local models, early Falcon comes to mind. Fairly cheap, if you do the work yourself, but not easy nor readily available. Perhaps the most stisfactory would be to rework the steering column similar to 90/110/Defender and fit the power steering box off one of these. This involves extensive work including chassis modifications, but at least most of the bits are readily available. If you pay someone to do it, it will be very expensive, and the box alone will be $500 -1200.

All of these options would require engineering approval. Power steering was never an option on any Series Landrover.

One of the things that I have thought about from time to time, but with standard tyre sizes and the proper pressures and everything in good shape, the steering is not too bad anyway.

John

UncleHo
3rd August 2008, 08:16 PM
G'day Z240 :)

JDNSW hit the nail on the head right off, and as he said, with the original size tyre/rim/inflation combo they are fairly light on the steering, providing that the swivel pins and relay are in good condition and adjusted correctly, setting the correct preload on the swivels is a major factor in this.:)

cheers

Z24O
3rd August 2008, 08:31 PM
not realy what i wanted to hear,but thanks fellas:mad:

isuzurover
3rd August 2008, 11:35 PM
A 60 series cruiser PAS box is the easiest option IMHO, and is what I will be doing. However it is a custom job.

Olive Drab
4th August 2008, 10:45 AM
keep us posted with what you come up with, in the meantime just get used to lots of 3 point turns. One other option you may consider is MQ patrol steering box unassisted these seem to have a great mechanical advantage over all the moving parts.

101RRS
4th August 2008, 12:03 PM
Late 60s holden kingswood might go as I understand it was a bolt on addition rather than fully integrated - I understand the hydraulic ram can bolt onto one of the landie steering rods.

Have heard it done but other than that I have not details - and I do not know how well it works.

Garry

Rangier Rover
4th August 2008, 06:14 PM
I have a heap of Land Rover Owner International mags here and a few cover this topic. If I come across them I'll scan and post up. As the other boys say if its on stock tyres and in fair order they are not that bad. I've found they have no bad Kickback unlike the early Toyotas we have here(They will break your arm). For this reason I've never bothered converting a series.Tony.

Slunnie
4th August 2008, 06:23 PM
A 60 series cruiser PAS box is the easiest option IMHO, and is what I will be doing. However it is a custom job.
LC60 PAS box is a good conversion. I've done this.

Defender column, down to a LC60 jack shaft which goes onto the LC60 PAS box. I then ran this to LC60 axles.

You will need to plate the chassis where the PAS box goes on and it sits on the outside of the chassis, not the inside. We also welded the LC60 jackshaft to the Defender uni on the steering. I had moved the front Xmember to fit a V8, so I'm not sure how this will interfere with mounting the PAS box.

Lotz-A-Landies
4th August 2008, 09:09 PM
Z240 (and Simon etc.)

I am just investigating a different option. P38A power steering, unlike the Defender, Range Rover classic and Discovery 1 and 2 power steering, the P38a power steering box fits on the outside of the chassis rail very similar to the Toyota type. The other thing about it is that unlike the rest of the P38a the power steering doesn't have a reputation for failure.

You would have to steal a steering column from something, and a County or Defender column would be the simplest as the column mounts to a very similar firewall.

Diana

P.S. Now lets watch the price of second hand p38A power steering boxes go through the roof. :D :D

Slunnie
4th August 2008, 09:49 PM
The P38 PAS box sounds like a good option then Diana! I like the sounds of it. The other thing that may be good about it, is that it may potentially be able to use fairly standard Rover parts into it such as ball joints, links and jack shafts which have splines that are compatible.

isuzurover
4th August 2008, 10:30 PM
Z240 (and Simon etc.)

I am just investigating a different option. P38A power steering, unlike the Defender, Range Rover classic and Discovery 1 and 2 power steering, the P38a power steering box fits on the outside of the chassis rail very similar to the Toyota type. The other thing about it is that unlike the rest of the P38a the power steering doesn't have a reputation for failure.

You would have to steal a steering column from something, and a County or Defender column would be the simplest as the column mounts to a very similar firewall.

Diana

P.S. Now lets watch the price of second hand p38A power steering boxes go through the roof. :D :D

How soon will you be doing this? Would be interested to hear how you go!

Lotz-A-Landies
5th August 2008, 09:53 AM
The P38 PAS box sounds like a good option then Diana! I like the sounds of it. The other thing that may be good about it, is that it may potentially be able to use fairly standard Rover parts into it such as ball joints, links and jack shafts which have splines that are compatible.
Simon that is the hope to use Rover bits as much as possible, the drag link will need to change as it needs to be a little longer for the changed position of the lower lever on the P38a PAS box and the length of the intermediate steering shaft between the column and the PAS box may have to be adjusted but the idea looks good.


How soon will you be doing this? Would be interested to hear how you go!
IsuzuR..

Already have the p38a box, however my modification will not be a lot of help to most series owners because it will be on an SIIB, rotated 180 degrees to face forward and mounted on the inside of the F/C chassis rail driven through a Mitsubishi L300 steering bevel drive.

Haven't yet decided whether I will use the RRc column I have or get a p38a tilt and push column yet. :)

C Ya
Diana