Another white westy - Busted again!

[issit]

Westy looking sweet bud

 

[Grazy]

Looking dope Darius 8)

 

[radish]

update time
The break down bus broke again on the saturday of volksworld show as i tried to get off my drive, the steering idler box ripped off again. Not down to dodgy welding but probably the heat from the welds has weaked he metal so it just sheared off!! This has nothing to do with a late bay box conversion which worked graet.
So i decided to go for power steering instead of making a box for the steering idler pin, what a stupid idea that was . I have had a great deal of time to work on it so i have had a few hours over the alst few weeks to try and make it work.

List of parts:
T25 bevel box saxo steering pump astra mk3 power rack
1302 steering coupling uni joint
corsa double uni joint
I machined the 20mm rods at work Free
20mm rod eye bearings a
few pieces of flat bar for supports Free
Hydraulic hose Free
Stainless nuts & bolts
track rod arm are a astra with a new M14 thread so T2 track rod ends can be used.

I have it all tacked in place now with wheels turning, the arms need modded a little then i can pull it apart and weld up everything. I may underseal it as i have 5ltr or i could spend even more time under there cleaning the crap off and stone chip it instead.









I will update when it is finished.

Oh yes i forgot to mention i took inspiration from Mycha to build this, thanks by the way. One problem is i run K&L Mycha has BJ, the tubes on a ball joint beam are further apart so when i looked at pictures and used them for referance some things just don't fit in the same place.
Also if you have a beam narrower than 60mm it probably won't work.


Cheers Darius

 

[Graham L]

Looking good Darius , is the rack mounted to the beam or chassis?

 

[radish]

Hello Graham its mounted to the chassis, it mounts where i made the notch's. Because the length of it it needs to poke through the chassis.

 

[mychatype3]

Looking good

 

[radish]

Thanks Mycha, it isn't as simple as i thought from looking at your photo's but it's nearly there. I need to mount the pump which is slightly larger than yours, so its giving me a problem making a bracket. I'll be back on it tonight though, need to use the bus.

I've also made the rods out of stainless now due to the mild steel ones when painted wouldn't fit as the rod eye bearing and rods are both 20mm exactly.

 

[radish]

Hello all, my power steering still isn't finished as i am waiting for proper UJ's as i mocked it all up with welded UJ's which i didn't like to keep.

In the mean time i have made a boss(along with the help of my old machinist) for a steering wheel. It needs holes drilling and the polishing needs finishing off.

 

[Myvanway]

I notched the chassis too.

Very neat notches.

 

[radish]

It's been a while but the breakdown bus is back and running like a dream.


power steering turned into a bastard to get working, so don't bother try to do what I have done if you have a k&l beam, bj beams have their tubes further apart so it would be easier like mycha has done.

Anyway the bus works and I have upgraded the air to a tank and viair compressor, Water trap and Gabriel shocks up front and rears to fit.

 

[DeeDeeTheBay]

That is one cooool bus! 8)

 

[Dogo]

As said above, but i only re-drilled for 1 bolt hole.

Sorry, a little late to the party. Love the bus and the late box conversion! And this may be a stupid question, but please bear with my ignorance.... Do you (or anyone) foresee any issues with running just the three bolts? You know, for us non-welders.

 

[radish]

Cheers Deedee

Dogo,
You don't have to weld but what you can do is drill out the 4th bolt sleeve and re drill the 4th hole, then position the sleeve where the new hole is and put the bolt through. If this doesn't make sense pm me and i'll give you my number and i may be able to explain it better, this is a very easy part of the job.
I wouldn't advise running 3 bolts as there are 4 for a reason and its your steering after all. This coming from a man who has gone from early to late to power steering but i spent ages working it out so all you guys could do the job safely.

 

[Dogo]

Many thanks. I think it's perfectly clear.
-Drill out spot welds on the one sleeve and pop the sleeve off.
-Drill 4th bolt hole in new location.
-Slip in the sleeve (just loose, without welding) and bolt in new location.
-All else remains the same (other than opening larger holes)
Correct?

From all I've read/seen, would it not be ideal to go with a TRW box, as opposed to the ZF? Just seems like one would have less clearance issues with the inner valance since the TRW doesn't have that large round protrusion (?)

 

[radish]

Many thanks. I think it's perfectly clear.
-Drill out spot welds on the one sleeve and pop the sleeve off.
-Drill 4th bolt hole in new location.
-Slip in the sleeve (just loose, without welding) and bolt in new location.
-All else remains the same (other than opening larger holes)
Correct?

From all I've read/seen, would it not be ideal to go with a TRW box, as opposed to the ZF? Just seems like one would have less clearance issues with the inner valance since the TRW doesn't have that large round protrusion (?)

You got it.

I gather the trw box does work but at the time no one else had done this conversion so I didn't want to spend £200 and worked with a zf. I have read recently on the samba that trw are great but they bitch on there like vzi at times. Either will work mate.

 

[Dogo]

Thank you! 8)

 

[radish]

Few pics of the bus as I've used it!!!







Ive also started to make some brackets to help the air shox with lifting the bus

 

[*Sam*]

Nice one mate can't beat 4 corner air shox, great ride quality.

 

[mychatype3]

looking good mate, the shock extenders are great I’ve mounted them on a balljoint beam and there was 3cm extra lift

 

[radish]

Here is a clip, front has never lifted much but rides so well

Cheers guys