Land Rover Maintenance Work – The Cost of Repairing a Defender Steering Box.
What the Adjustment Involves
The worm and roller mesh is set to take up any excess play, and then locked off in the correct position. A well maintained steering box of this type can be adjusted within the hour, however, components have seized and it has taken longer to complete the job.
Seized Adjusters Add Labour
If the screw or lock nut is stuck solid due to corrosion then the use of penetrating fluids and possibly heat will be required to release them. The additional time to achieve the above will be charged at the labour rate for the job.
Leaks Found at the Same Time
Leaks from the Output Shaft Seal will need to be repaired at the same time, but are reasonably priced and won’t add too much to the overall cost when done at the same time.
Specialist vs General Garage
A specialist steering repairer will normally charge more per hour than a garage that carries out general repairs. However, their expertise means that they will normally diagnose the underlying cause of a problem with your Land Rover’s steering very quickly, which in the long run will cost you less than if a series of repairs were carried out by a garage that did not understand the problem. If you are looking for a Land Rover Defender Steering Box, see https://westernpowersteering.co.uk/vehicles/land-rover/land-rover-defender-steering-box/.
When Replacement Makes More Sense
The timing adjustment on a Defender can wear in no time and if you keep adjusting it, you will probably end up with a reconditioned steering box within 12 months which will probably cost less in the long run.
Check the Quote Carefully
Some items will be costed in addition to the main job, e.g. has the mechanic included the cost for topping up of the steering box’s lubricating fluid, gaskets for any parts that have been released and then re-lapped, re-checking of the wheel’s alignment etc. these can be very expensive if not listed.
Getting a clear, itemized quote before they start work on your vehicle will help you know exactly what to expect as far as the final bill.