Symptoms
Steering that is very heavy or tight, especially on a truck that has stood outside for years, or oil weeping from the bottom of the relay.
The fix, step by step
- The relay is the box-shaped unit in the chassis crossmember ahead of the radiator.
- It isn't the steering box at the foot of the column.
- Rule out dry ball joints and the steering damper first.
- Rovers North forum members say the radiator has to come out to reach the relay bracket bolts.
- A stubborn relay can be rebuilt without pulling it from the chassis, and one owner freed a seized unit with a 3 ft pipe over the arm.
- Inside, the bushes need lubrication.
- One owner found his 'bone dry' and could turn the shaft by hand with pliers after the rebuild.
- For a leak, members say you can remove the retaining ring and bottom plate and fit a new seal without stripping the whole relay.
- Refill with 90-weight gear oil.
Tools & part numbers
- Spanners and sockets
- ball-joint splitter
- 3 ft pipe for leverage
- relay seals
- 90-weight gear oil
Where to buy the parts
230294 steering relay retainer plate, Series 1948–84LR Direct ↗Amazon ↗
Series steering relay parts (search)Rovers North ↗
EP90 gear oil, 1 LLR Direct ↗Amazon ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for Land Rover Series I–III parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.