Steering Box P38

Need a new steering box for my 98 P38 4.6L, any good sources out there? Is a same year disco box compatible? I heard that replacing the seals is not good.

You need ANR5320 for a 98.

A bit deer. Can you recommend a recon supplier?

RubyRR said:

A bit deer. Can you recommend a recon supplier?

Click to expand...

Sorry no have a look on Ebay. Be aware there is also an early type that will not fit your hose set up. ANR5320 is the later version and should be fitted to your car. If you retro fit it to earlier models a new fluid hose is also needed. So if you used an earlier version you would also need the earlier fluid hose which may not be available.

Mine is '95 but that's good to know. An afternoon down the scrapyard for an appropriate hose might be worth the potential savings if I fit a later box.
It's not leaking (yet) but the slack is unbearable even after tightening the adjuster.

The box has to be centered for tightening the adjuster ,on full lock either way you will have play ,it's normal but as long as there is no play when centered should be ok

dove said:

The box has to be centered for tightening the adjuster ,on full lock either way you will have play ,it's normal but as long as there is no play when centered should be ok

Click to expand...

On a worn box if you set no play at the centre you will more often than not get binding at either end. Sometimes compromise has to be reached. It's also worth checking the U/Js on the intermediate shaft.

When I adjusted out play at center with front wheels hanging the center was the first to bind. Although I had just replaced upper and lower ball joints both sides and the new ones were alarmingly stiff (gone now mostly, that was a terribly combination!). The column does have a tiny bit of play but only perhaps 1/4 the play of the box.

Someone said about drop arm bearing but wasn't sure. Is that a possible failure point?

RubyRR said:

When I adjusted out play at center with front wheels hanging the center was the first to bind. Although I had just replaced upper and lower ball joints both sides and the new ones were alarmingly stiff (gone now mostly, that was a terribly combination!). The column does have a tiny bit of play but only perhaps 1/4 the play of the box.

Someone said about drop arm bearing but wasn't sure. Is that a possible failure point?

Click to expand...

Oil seal may weep but not often you will get drop shaft moving about.

I bought a recon steering box from eBay awhile ago and fitted it... I think it was from Steering Specialists or someone like that. From memory, about £200 for the recon box on exchange for sending the old one back. I also think they had both the earlier and later ones listed.

I can look up the details if you need.

One of the other bits I replaced was the lower steering shaft - steering is a LOT more precise after swapping that, though the only ones that are available for non-stupid money come in a blue box, but the UJ's on it seem decent and the sliding joint on it is a different design and made it a lot easier to refit! I didn't realise how loose the UJ's on the old shaft were until I got the shaft out and compared them side by side before refitting the new one.

Thanks
These guys?

Yep, that's the one I went for - was shipped quickly, and looks to be good quality.
The only 'niggle' I had was that it doesn't ship with the drop arm/nut, so you have to re-use these from your old box. The nut is something massive like 44 or 46mm from memory, and the drop arm was a real pain to get off on mine - if only I'd bought my press a couple of months earlier, it would have been a piece of cake to press it off!

Other than that, the new steering box is just as it says it is... definitely felt a lot better after swapping it in, that's for sure!

"better than a new box" they say!

I'll start saving..

How difficult is it to replace? Which way does it come out from? Thinking of a new one myself now.

Bottom joint/arm, column off the back, two hoses and four bolts.
Out the top from memory, only intercooler hose and washer bottle pipe above it.

I bent the wheel arch liner back and then took mine out through the bottom side - it was easier than lifting it up and around the battery tray and cooling hoses, though mine is a Thor petrol, so the layout under there is a bit different. Was easy enough to get out the bottom without having to remove too much though.