Steering box bolts

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rob1miles

Well-Known Member
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3,565
Location
Slough and Bath
I know the 2 bottom bolts to the chassis bracket are nuts and bolts, the top one apprears threaded into the steering box,but i can't get a good line of sight onto the rear one, is it bolted or threaded into the box?
thanks
 
Threaded. One has a steel insert, the other straight into the alloy, both are blind, the one with the steel insert takes thee shorter of the two bolts.
Lyns Iphone 2018.jpg
 
Perfect, just what i needed. The two blind ones are UNC and the nuts and bolts are UNF. I went out this monring to adust it as I've been getting even more slack than usual. When undoing the adjuster I noticed the whole box move which I wasn't aware of so tightened it up, wasn't happy with how the two blind bolts felt, hence the question. Got them out now and ran a die over the treads and they have tightened up much better now. Intersting that the box was loose, not someothg I would ever see as its really only visible if you are watching it while somoene else turns the steering. In the past the MOT would have picked it up but now its MOT exempt. I check everything (or so I thought) so I'll keep a watch on that.
 
Perfect, just what i needed. The two blind ones are UNC and the nuts and bolts are UNF. I went out this monring to adust it as I've been getting even more slack than usual. When undoing the adjuster I noticed the whole box move which I wasn't aware of so tightened it up, wasn't happy with how the two blind bolts felt, hence the question. Got them out now and ran a die over the treads and they have tightened up much better now. Intersting that the box was loose, not someothg I would ever see as its really only visible if you are watching it while somoene else turns the steering. In the past the MOT would have picked it up but now its MOT exempt. I check everything (or so I thought) so I'll keep a watch on that.

Even though it’s MOT exempt you can still stick it through an MOT from time to time for peace of mind
 
Citizen, that photo was really helpfull but I'm most interested in your comment that the longer bolt goes in the rear (ally) thread and the shorter one in the steel insert. Mine were the other way round but the way you said is better engineering and makes sense so I put them in short - steel, long - ally. Last night I searched all the on-line parts books and manuals to see where the two bolt lengths were referred to: No where! The parts book lists the short and long - 1 of each, but says nothing about where and the manual ignores the whole thing. Where did you find this nugget?
 
I only know as I have two steering boxes apart on the bench. The steel insert hole is about 17mm deep, the alloy one about 24mm deep. The longer of the two bolts is 1" long so despite the relatively thick washer and the two plates it clamps it may be that it was going thread bound if it was in the steel insert . Interestingly on both steering boxes I have the bolts show evidence of being fitted with blue Loctite (presumably nut lock).
 
Pretty sure if you measure the depth of the hole with the steel insert you will find it is shallower than the other hole hence shorter bolt. probably due to the thickness of casing at that point.
Parts book shows the differing lengths. Series 3 .
 

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Intersting about locktite. My box was moving slightly but only under force so I never saw it move until I was trying to loosen the adjuster locknut. when I tried to tighten the bolts up they felt wrong so I tried to undo them and found it took the same torque so they were all threadbound and there was no clamping force. They all came out very dry - could be loctite. Ran dies over the treads and put them in with copper slip so I could feel them pull up. Pinched up lock tabs but I will keep a watch on them and swap the 2 UNC bolts over to loctite if they work loose, I think the UNF bolts with tabs and nylocks should be OK. Thanks for the hole depths, I pleased I put them in the way you said.
 
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