Hi All...
Right...
Does anyone here know where I can get a replacement bearing for the lower end of an early Defender (90/110) upper steering column? And don't say eBay!
LR only list a part no: for the complete column, though I have an official manual that tells how to strip and overhaul the column, therefore change the bearing.
Mine sized so making steering the thing a tad problematic, to say the least... (Seems to be a common failure!)
I got a "Spare" column from a friend, in good faith, but that proved to have exactly the same trouble, though the shaft slipped inside the race inner OK for a while then started to gall up again, so I stripped it apart to look....
I did manage to find a SKF part number (from a Romanian bearing seller website!) but SKF and agents say that it's a "Protected" part, and even if they had any (not made for some time) they could not sell me one, due to legal restrictions. (We do that at work with some electronic parts our products use, so it's not an uncommon practice in industry etc, sadly...)
Column #3 (eBay!) and same again.. This one though, someone has oiled the thing, as again the shaft is running inside the locked inner race, and it is very "notchy" as a result...
Basic spec of the dammed thing...
ID 7/8" dead.
OD 35mm +- May be imperial, but may be mix of metric/imperial by design.
Width a sniff under 10mm.
Dust sealed grease lubed with PTFE shields.
Single ball race.
It's illustrated on page 5 of book 4 (section 57 "Steering: Overhaul the steering column") of the official 90 workshop manual (dated 1986) Item 30 of the right lower illustration.
But, I cannot find any LR part number for anything other than the complete column assembly, and you don't want to know the list price of them!
OK, so my "Original" column was not new, but was free to move and quiet when spun when I fitted it, and it's only had some 4 years "use" since then. I'd like to replace the bearing with a propper fully sealed part if possible.
Anyone any ideas?...
Dave B.
LR 109/110 Hybrid.
200TDi, LT77/230
Rear Airlocker
Steering by Telekinesis!
