Thread: Swapping Defender Indicator stalk side to side a-la Jap vehicles

Ok, I've swapped my '95 Defender Indicator and windscreen wash/wiper stalks from side to side so that it is as per japanese vehicles. Landrover purists, read no further.

This took me less than an 2 hours, and I’m not fast.

Steps

• Remove the LR badge from the centre of the steering wheel, undo the 22mm retaining nut and wobble the steering wheel to remove from the splined shaft. I marked the wheel and shaft to aid later assembly and to retain alignment.
• Remove the top and bottom steering column shrouds
• Loosen the small screw running L-R that clamps the black plastic stalk assembly to the outer steering column.
• You should be able to pull the whole stalk assembly towards you and over the end of the steering column.
• Undo the retaining nut that holds the parking and main beam light switch and remove the light switch from the rest of the indicator assembly.
• On the passenger side of the outer steering column you should notice a small notch cut into the tube. This locates the stalk assembly so that it does not rotate. You need to cut a similar notch 180 degrees on the other side as per the photo
• Refit the indicator assembly back onto the steering column, but this time, rotate the assembly clockwise by 180 degrees so that the plastic tab on the assembly not slots into the new locating notch you cut. Tighten the screw that clamps the assembly to the column.
• I chose to refit the parking/main beam light switch back onto the passenger side of the steering. Problem is, the mounting plate has been rotated 180 degrees and the plate no longer lines up with the hole in the plastic shroud. So you need to make an extension piece from thin plate that extends the original plate down so that the hole now aligns with that in the plastic shroud. I bent the plate so that the switch can’t rotate in-situ.
  
  
• I pop-riveted the extension plate onto the existing plate
  
• Refit the light switch into the extension plate and test the lights. My parkers work without the ignition being switched on but main beam requires ignition power to work.
• Refit the upper and lower steering column shrouds. All screws should go in original holes except two small self tappers that used to retain the lower shroud to the indicator mounting plate. I have left these out so far with no noticeable problems
• Refit the steering wheel
• Roadtest

Annoying things (no big deal to me):
a. Whilst the indicator stalk works and self-cancels fine, the logo is upside down

b. The washer/wiper switch is also upside down. Pushing it up wipes once. Pulling it down starts low speed and pulling lower increases the wiper speed.


Hope to hear from others who have further tips on this and can perhaps take the idea even further.

Good stuff.

While I don;t see the need for this in my own vehicle I think its great that you did !

I encourage EVERYONE to post these type of projects / tutorails. I know I learned things from it ! Cheers !!