 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Quick ratio p38 steering box |
 
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| Chicken Drumstick Member Since: 17 Aug 2020 Location: Near MK Posts: 921  
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It's a live axle 4x4 designed to be used off road. The axle is distanced from the chassis by 8 rubber bushes...
I don't think you'll really sharpen the steering up. It is just the wrong kind of vehicle from a fundamental design point of view. Haven't personally heard of a quicker ratio p38 steering box, the regular one is what Land Rover's own classic works use. Quicker ratio would also mean heavier. |
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26th May 2025 9:36pm |
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| rustandoil Member Since: 08 Sep 2012 Location: Cotswolds Posts: 856  
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Have a read of this thread..
https://www.defender2.net/forum/post1066031.html#1066031 |
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26th May 2025 10:23pm |
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| Zed Member Since: 07 Oct 2017 Location: In the woods Posts: 3357 
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Back in the day Bowler used to sell a quick ratio steering box and it was very good. Unfortunately I have no idea who supplied them but they are out there. WARNING.
This post may contain sarcasm. |
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27th May 2025 6:15pm |
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| MercianRover Member Since: 07 Apr 2022 Location: Culworth Posts: 158 
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It was Adwest and not certified for road use.
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27th May 2025 9:23pm |
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| HardCharger Member Since: 03 Mar 2013 Location: Manila Posts: 777  
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Recently bought an OEM ADWEST 4 bolt LHD steering from LR Parts. It was sourced from China
Hopefully still good as what I'm replacing it with. No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy |
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28th May 2025 9:07am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17850 
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I'm really not sure I want to know that!
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28th May 2025 10:57am |
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| Linds Hanson Member Since: 16 Jan 2021 Location: Cornwall Posts: 528
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Overfinch originally commissioned the Adwest quick ratio box for RRC conversions it was something Land Rover also looked at when developing a more road biased RRC but never introduced it. It was never recommended for 90 wheelbase due to their sudden induced oversteer in the wrong hands. I fitted many over the years and found they sharpened up the steering considerably with obviously slightly heavier low speed steering. The P38 box is already slightly quicker ratio than the Adwest but I don't think anyone ever produced a quicker version, another Overfinch mod was to redrill the swivel housing location for the draglink ball joint closer to the housing. This again reduces steering travel but would require a engineering taper machining operation.
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28th May 2025 11:26am |
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| S1lverdale Member Since: 26 May 2025 Location: London Posts: 3
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Thanks Guys for all of your assistance. It appears that, if the suspension is new and the steering damper (both from Alive Tuning), the p38 box is new/reconditioned/ the wheels and spacers are new and the bushes are new and I have a smaller steering wheel that I am Just going to have to live with vague steering generally.
I would have thought given the power and therefore speed that Twisted or one of the other companies providing high power defenders would have concentrated on providing precise steering…. Any thoughts or ideas would be gratefully received. |
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29th May 2025 1:01pm |
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| Linds Hanson Member Since: 16 Jan 2021 Location: Cornwall Posts: 528
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What tyre's are you running and what Panhard rod bushes??? Have you got uprated steering tubes/bars?
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29th May 2025 1:19pm |
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| S1lverdale Member Since: 26 May 2025 Location: London Posts: 3
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Running 275x60x20 all terrain sport tyres by Renegade….
No idea about panhead bushes but I expect they are new…. |
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30th May 2025 4:23am |
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| Mo Murphy Member Since: 01 Jun 2008 Location: Letchworth Garden City, Herts Posts: 2360 
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You have recirculating ball steering. It will never be as precise as rack and pinion steering on modern cars.
Mo The Land Rover 90 - Many are called, few are chosen. 50 Shades of Pennine Grey |
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30th May 2025 9:06am |
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| Bluest Member Since: 23 Apr 2016 Location: Lancashire Posts: 4289 
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I have not tried it, but do intend to, my feeling is that HD steering bars would offer some improvement in steering precision. The stock ones can easily be flexed by hand which is not conducive to precise handling. Wouldn't speed up the ratio though. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS
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30th May 2025 9:15am |
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| MercianRover Member Since: 07 Apr 2022 Location: Culworth Posts: 158
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It's a tricky thing to improve given that they are beam axles with fixed caster and scrub geometry, more so given the warranty implications of modifying type-approved parts. Have you considered D2 axles? The front has significantly improved scrub geometry resulting from using open knuckles, not sure what they did with the caster. You having spacers is going to make the steering more sensitive to feedback from clipping objects like cat's eyes and other surface deviations. I found a change as seemingly minimal as swapping 7" steel modular rims for HD tubeless made a big improvement in this aspect. |
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17th Jun 2025 8:41am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17850
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Can you explain how the open or closed nature of the knuckle affects the geometry? I can understand that the Disco2 geometry may be different (although I am not sure in what way and by how much) but since the geometry is just that - a particular set of angles and offsets - the open or closed nature of the knuckles is surely irrelevant? An open knuckle is cheaper to manufacture and less prone to leakage which probably explains the popularity of the type. On the other hand it is a lot more complex to replace the swivels on a Disco2 than a Defender. |
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17th Jun 2025 9:04am |
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