Thread: Extremely light steering Range Rover Classic 1982

"...When you say you are in 2wd have you changed the centre diff over for a part time system, or are some of your axles out/drive shaft off...regardless, how do you find it? I was considering a conversion but Ashcroft recons you might not like the feel of the vehicle – not sure if it is to do with power transfer ratios front to back (not sure what split landys have). Going to put in their centre diff replacement to avoid fusing thrust washers (you wouldn't think it would happen)...."

Nope. I've got a '95 Classic with the Borg Warner (son of Satan) transfer case.
These can last for 200 - 400K, or the Viscous Coupling component 'freezes' up in less than 100K.... They also chew splines on the output shaft... When they go, you don't. Same box in the P38 spares the shaft....but wears the chain instead, so I'm told.
When this happens, you've effectively got a totally locked Front/Rear 4WD. NOT kind to the rest of the driveline on sealed roads... The front prop shaft travels in comfort, in the boot.... One day I'll install my 'good' s/h VC.
- Till then, handling is IMHO safe & predictable, as we Old Fashioned Luddites can revert to 'real' driving.... hands steer the front end, right foot the rear. Much more fun in the wet on roundabouts.
Or not.

Borg...Land Rover certainly knows how to pick its parts...ditto the leaking vacuum pump and problematic ABS system by another manufacturer.

You should consider yourself a trend setter – the 4x4 look without the actual 4x4, just like some Jeep models, and same strategy I think Land Rover are considering

Can the Borg unit be swapped out for a conventional transfer case LT230? Ashcroft for example don't seem to have an alternative to replace the Borg other than another Borg.

I've been told of a sense rod in the ps box that breaks causing play station steering. But I've never experienced it myself.

Yep, LR certainly picked'em, or more to the point, the Yanks saw them coming.. first with the Buick all-alloy V8 (destined for an epic fail) which they not only sold to LR, but included the Chief Engineer as well.
Borg Warner also saw them afar off... mind you, Im told that similar VC's are in Jeeps and other vehicles. - More fools don't make an idea any better, only widespread.

Yes, in the Eastern States may RR sufferers replace them with LT230's. Over here we have more beach-sand than hills/rocks/mud/etc which is more to the 'strength' of the BW concept. We tend to replace or fix, whichever is cheaper.

You must be very old, if you indulged in FIXING vacuum boosters.... and remember NON PS steering.

I'm not impressed with laziness of the modern (?) suspension engineers, relying on hydraulic grunt to make up for poor geometry. Sure, it's always a compromise.... but when there is so much effort required without the boost then surely that in itself is a potential time-bomb. Imagine a woman suddenly being faced with no-boost when at high speed.. the effort would feel (as you've pointed out) like it's locked solid and that second or two for her to get her head around the possibility that Rambo-like effort WILL move the wheel, could be the differance between crashing or not.
Or worse.

My original Crown and HX Holden and VW Passat were'nt boosted, nor was the Chrysler... and the VW had the lightest of the lot. So much so, that there was NO road induced wheel deflection. This was due to good design, and in over a million ks, none of the steering joints showed any slack at all. The rack & pinion was as precise and steady as anything I've driven before or since. Indeed, as a loan car, it was so responsive that I always warned drivers to be careful of the light 'power steering'.

Alas, can't say the same about the speedos, was on the third one when sold...

Bottom line, power consumed in the steering gear still comes out of your wallet at the bowser.

Maybe Spencer-King designed it 'only' for the standard (skinny) 205 SR 16 tyres it came with.

Reckon the last poster is right, something is broken/damaged inside the box so as to give you 200% assist at all engine speeds.

Remember non power steering fondly – just keep your fingers out of the spokes.

First encounter ps when buying another Land Cruiser troopy. Yes, I'll have the long range tanks and snorkel. But no power steering thanks – just another thing to go wrong.

Dealer: power steering is no longer an option, comes standard and is very robust.

Me: Can you take it off?

Dealer: No, its integrated!

And what's the first thing to fail after warranty expires?!

What are the strengths of Borg in sand vs LT230?

Thanks Dougal, I skim read some stuff on power steering and saw mention of what sounds like the sensor rod.

Also trying to research land rover chassis welding at the moment, for when I start adding supports for the Isuzu engine etc. Long way off yet though. Long list of things non landy as well.

"...What are the strengths of Borg in sand vs LT230?..."

My BW's Viscious (sic) coupling died and locked up before I had a chance to go beach hooning... hence front prop-shaft removal to the boot.

Going on hearsay,the operation in sand is seamless, locking up as and when required and letting go(ish) when front wheel spinning stops.
An LT 230 should be in the locked mode in sand, but this means that NO 'diffing' can take place between front and rear axles... which the BW Abomination (relunctantly) allows, therefore you get further and faster and easier with the Sinner...

Ashcroft strongly suggest locking the LT230 when off the sealed road and wheel-spin is possible. (with lots of 'diffing' done by the rather lightly built OEM centre-diff in the 230.)

Enthusiastic driving in sand will, I understand, result in front-wheel spins...

I haven't had my BW in sand, just one bog. In any situation where your wheels are spinning it's not really any different to a locked centre diff. A few percent speed difference from front to rear is imperceptible.

It's in low speed crawling that I think you'll find the only real difference between a locked LT230/LT95 and the BW.

I'd tend to agree with that, though the BW is always trying to 'insist on' a 50/50 split front to rear. I'm told that this is not the most desirable on sealed roads at least, more like F/R of 37/63%.

In theory, because the LT230 is an open diff, the F/R prop-shaft speed variation is perfectly accommodated when turning, whereas the BW is not happy with such differances and starts to get grippy... resulting in - once again in theory - a wider turn.

This is how I noticed that my VC had died, going wide on roundabouts as well as the chirping front tyres...

Folk who have a working BW are generally very happy with them.
But those like me who have a failure shortly after buying the car tend to have a more critical view...

Have you got the RAVE manual on disc? There's enough for the more competant to work out what may or may not be happening... (just don't ask me!)