200TDI swan neck drop arm removal?

Evening All,

Trying to remove the steering from my defender to replace with Gwyn Lewis. From what I gather I need a disco drop arm to replace the swan neck for my 200tdi defender?

I've heard rumblings of cutting into the knuckle at the top of the neck on the steering box end. I'm a welder so in ok with a wizzy wheel, though not massively keen on cutting into the grooved bar of the steering box pin. I've left it soaking over night in plus gas, fashioned a lid from a bottle so it sits in it. Will dry off and apply heat tomorrow and try and budge.

Before I go too mad, anyone have any tips on removing?

Many thanks
Jim

Pretty certain I slit mine then opened it up a knatts cock with a nice thin chisel.
Bit of a mark on the shaft wont hurt it, think mine was blemish free, and Im blind!

Yeah o had to cut a slit with a grinder and open it up with a chisel as well.

be careful with heat, you don’t want to get the shaft to hot as you will trash the seals in the box

Are you sure you have the correct replacement?
I have the GL kit, but it only ifts certain steering boxes. iirc 6 bolt.

On my old steering box, I used a proper clamp ( iirc Draper) and an impact wrench to remove the drop arm, and I ended up loading it and leaving it, then going back releasing ti them loading it again. But it took a few attempts.

Cheers

Lots of videos on YouTube how to do this. You just need to hit it very hard, multiple times with a long drift from above. Or take it off and use a press like I did.

@neilly
There is a GL kit that uses the disco drop arm & puts the RTC shocker on a bracket on the new bar.
It’s easier to change a TRE than a landy ball joint

Hicap phill said:

@neilly
There is a GL kit that uses the disco drop arm & puts the RTC shocker on a bracket on the new bar.
It’s easier to change a TRE than a landy ball joint

Click to expand...

Hi Phil,

Read my first line,LOL, I have one fitted.

But iirc it does not fit a 4 bolt steering box only a 6 bolt steering box.

Cheers

Other way around, it fits the 3-bolt and 4-bolt (Adwest) but not the 6-bolt (Gemmer) boxes.

https://gwynlewis4x4.co.uk/product/defender-drop-arm-conversion-kit-stainless-steel/

I used a hydraulic gear puller to get mine off.

Where abouts are you? If local you can borrow it.

Grebby said:

I used a hydraulic gear puller to get mine off.

Where abouts are you? If local you can borrow it.

Click to expand...

That would be ideal, though probably miles away! I'm in Berkshire. Best, Jim

I'm in Sutton Coldfield so not exactly close.

Good luck, even with the puller it was still not as easy as I'd hoped it would be.