Thread: Help! Steering relay removal

Same thing happened to me on my S1 and S3, although I eventually managed to get the S1 one out.

On the S3 I did an in-chassis rebuild by making the special tool shown in the workshop manual. I weigh about 86kg and I was only just heavy enough to compress the spring. I originally tried the tool as found in the S1 manual but the spring started to escape at one point and it nearly required a change of jocks.

Cheers Charlie

Originally Posted by Craigb

Well I thought I was pretty good at getting stubborn bits apart and have a lot of patience but I have found my limits! I am trying to get the steering relay out of a S3 landrover. I have cleaned all around it including compressed air and for some weeks have been squirting penetrating oil of different types in there. I have thumped it with a big hammer and brass drift and levered, hammering in wedges etc and haven't moved it one bit. I have pulled off the arms and jacked with a wood block from underneath so it is suspending the car on it and then belted all around the top and underneath. I can't see that applying heat will help since the sleeve it is seized in is within the chassis member. For the time involved I should have cut it out of the chassis, made a new part and then welded it back in!

Any suggestions?

But it is proving i am starting to expect such things, like a big diameter sleeve with lots of surface area for seizing and rusting, situated at the front with mud and water able to sit on top of the chassis ensuring that water can get in there and rust. How do they think up such challenges!

With all that you have tried I doubt that you will ever be able to remove the relay unit without destroying the crossmember, bearing in mind that it including the sleeve was constructed from material only 2mm thin.
Best follow Chazzas advice and rebuild in situ, preferably all kitted out in American Gridiron football clobber to give yourself a 50/50 chance of personal survival.
Bill.

Mine needed a lot of heat (gas axe) and a lot of hammering before it came out.

I fitted a new one, but not entirely sure it was worth the hassle after all that.

Steering is a little easier, but not the revelation I was hoping for.

Be afraid, and then inspired.

Check out the Ho Har's "bessie" resto in the REMLR Projects.

The relay section starts on about page 12, but the whole thread is awe

inspiring!!

Good luck!

Thanks for the responses. Just returned from a few days interstate - feeling emotionally strong now and ready to take on anything! But i have my answer - I forgot to mention that this is in the S3 chassis that I tried to give away in classifieds on here and elsewhere and is now headed to the scrap yard. I just hate the thought of throwing good stuff away but you can only try so hard and I feel now like i have put in enough effort even taking a stack of photos for someone and not even getting the courtesy of a thanks but no thanks for my efforts. So no question, i will cut it out and then carefully slice the sleeve off it.
Steering is great on my good S3 that had it replaced but nowhere near as good on the S2 ute and sure enough when i got my son to wiggle the wheel that relay is stuffed. So getting it out of the scrap S3 will be easy......... but will have a good read of the epic which i might need for getting the S3 one out..... have already started the penetrating oil on it!

Thanks again, i do appreciate your replies.

Sometimes but not always a relay that feels sloppy and worn out may actually be ok.
Due to irregular servicing,the split Tuffnol bushes sometimes stick in the housing or on the taper of the shaft, so that even that lethal spring xcan't push them further up the taper to adjust for wear.Before attempting any overhaul it is worth removing either the top or bottom, or both steering arms and relay end plates, and with a suitable size piece of pipe give the bushes a belt with a hammer in an attempt to unstick them from the shaft, and if you are lucky the spring may push them further up the taper for a more snug fit.
Bill.