Bedford Mj

[wozza]

Hi, i have a Bedford MJ with the 330ci turbo diesel and am wondering if anyone knows where to get a power steering kit from? The truck has a hiab behind the cab and this makes manouvering almost impossible. Any help would be much appreciated. Warren

[antarmike]

Power steering kits available in the local gym, just concentrate on the Biceps!

[Stormin]

Power steering kits available in the local gym, just concentrate on the Biceps!

 

I used to find it was all in the shoulders!

Get your body over the wheel whilst manouvering and keep the vehicle rolling. The wheel won't move at all whilst it's stationary, not without excessive force, not good for you or the steering components.

[paulob1]

its so typical of the british vehicles they are just not user friendly...the russian zils back in the 50's had power steering....its the problem our army has today, shoddy equipment made cheaply to maximise profits for the manufacturer rather than give our soldiers good useable equipment...I know that part of the problem is the small numbers of vehicles the army buys but power steering, its not a big ask is it...

[N.O.S.]

If the cost of local gym membership is frightening you Wozza, why not install a power steering kit? :idea:

 

Best bet would be to find a scrap civilian model truck (e.g. one of the many gritter trucks), you'll need the following bits:

 

- engine-mounted pump (comes with relief valve built in)

- oil reservoir (on L/H chassis rail behnd engine) and feed/return hoses

- Power steering ram/valve assy and hoses to pump

- drag link (probably different, I'm not 100% certain)

- mounting bracket for steering ram (fits top of chassis rail behind axle) - no idea if army chassis is drilled for this fitment

 

I'm pretty certain you do not have to change the steering box arm. Rams are readily available new / N.O.S. no problem, no idea on the other bits.

 

For a set of used parts, try Crouch Recovery near Leicester. They often break these models. Or SBS Spares near Ipswich. There is / was a yard with a large stock of gritter trucks for breaking up Leeds/Sheffield way, but the name escapes me.

 

Good luck!

Edited May 18, 2009 by N.O.S.

[wozza]

Ha ha cheers guys! Im actually entering a strongman comp later in the year so i dont think i could do any more in the gym lol! Will try finding a scrap civilian one and remove the necessary components. Until then its just a case of grit my teeth. Maybe in real tight situations i could put the legs on the hiab down to raise the front end a bit then turn the wheels.....might work?

[Tony B]

Tap the HIAB hydraulics to a turn table, lower and spin. OH LOOK a military roundabout! :cool2: Jack would (Currently) make a great Dougal. Dave Ives has the moustache for for Mr Rusty (Was that the name of the bloke who owned the roundabaout?) Sorry but I don't look good in a skirt so we'd need a Florence.:-D

[chevpol]

Tap the HIAB hydraulics to a turn table, lower and spin. OH LOOK a military roundabout! :cool2: Jack would (Currently) make a great Dougal. Dave Ives has the moustache for for Mr Rusty (Was that the name of the bloke who owned the roundabaout?) Sorry but I don't look good in a skirt so we'd need a Florence.:-D

 

Rosie?

 

think I had better disappear smartish after that suggestion!!!!

 

Mark (currently living with an assumed identity!!!)

[Stone]

- engine-mounted pump (comes with relief valve built in)

- oil reservoir (on L/H chassis rail behnd engine) and feed/return hoses

- Power steering ram/valve assy and hoses to pump

- drag link (probably different, I'm not 100% certain)

- mounting bracket for steering ram (fits top of chassis rail behind axle) - no idea if army chassis is drilled for this fitment

 

I'm pretty certain you do not have to change the steering box arm. Rams are readily available new / N.O.S. no problem, no idea on the other bits.

I spent a frustrating half hour under ours earlier for something unrelated, so here's a couple of pics of what we have...do they let you see if the fitting holes are correct? If they don't I'll take some more, I wasn't really taking them for this purpose so never mind

 

Couple of questions:

1) On which side does the ram mount?

2) What does the ram push on, the top of the drag link or further up the chain where the torque exits the steering box? Is the steering box still mechanically connected to the steering post-modification or is it completely isolated through the hydraulics?

3) How does the valve interface to the steering box? By the gear sticking out of the bottom-left side as you look at it?

4) I think I remember someone saying the engine block is drilled for mounting the pump - but how is the pump driven? Extra belt or by a gear?

 

Ta

 

Stone

[N.O.S.]

The ram (rod end) is attached to a bracket mounted on the chassis using the holes seen around the shock absorber bracket (or maybe the axle stay mount - wait for photos).

 

The cylinder end has two steering ball joints close to each other - one is fastened to the spool valve within the cylinder end housing (it looks and behaves just like a spring-loaded ball joint) and this fits onto the steering box drop arm where the drag link went. The other ball joint (mounted rigidly on the cylinder) takes the drag link which originally went on the steering box drop arm.

 

So when the steering drop arm moves, it opens the valve which causes the ram to push / pull against the chassis until the resulting cylinder movement causes the valve to centralise again.

 

If you lose oil flow, the system becomes a standard system (but with a little more effort - in pushing the oil about), since the ball joint which actuates the spool valve in end of ram is effectively just like a very 'soft' spring-loaded ball joint.

 

The pump (incorporating a relief valve, set at about 800psi) continuously pumps oil to the ram valve and back via the small reservoir until the valve diverts oil into the cylinder to do some work.

 

With a good ram (they are easy to get repaired) the system is pretty trouble free - unless you happen to leave it running on full lock in which case relief valve heats up oil which boils up faster than a kettle! You only do it once....

 

I think the pump is gear driven from the Bedford gear timing case, same as our Cummins powered truck.

 

I can take a couple of pics tomorrow of the old 330 powered one - they won't be as pretty as yours (that is one clean Bedford).

[Stone]

Ah, thank you, that makes a lot more sense now!

 

I can take a couple of pics tomorrow of the old 330 powered one - they won't be as pretty as yours (that is one clean Bedford).

Yes please. I don't think it's really that clean, it's just been pressure-washed a few times and the green paint on everything (including all the hoses :argh:) masks a multitude of sins We've not really done anything much to it - it's a working vehicle so it's pretty much as-from-Withams. But thank you

 

Stone

Edited May 20, 2009 by Stone

[retriever]

try L W Vass they sell a kit. They often fit them to vehicles they sell 01525 403255. Makes much nicer drive.

[Stone]

try L W Vass they sell a kit. They often fit them to vehicles they sell 01525 403255. Makes much nicer drive.

Wow, the guy they have on the phone is mega-grumpy! He just quoted me

 

Steering ram £615

+ bracket (£140)

Hydraulic pump £410

New drag link £420

Reservoir £120

 

So £1705 before you even start on hoses or my labour :shocked:

'But we might have some second-hand bits kicking around' - are they having a laugh?!

 

Stone

[N.O.S.]

Ouch! I'd hope to pay about £400 for a full set of take-off bits from a good truck in a breakers yard! Try SBS Spares (John / Jamie, 01473 652454). If they haven't got one it won't be long before they do. I'm sure they'll give you a guide price for the set.

 

The 330 pump sits immediately below the compressor.(the shiny thing is the front diff not my head).

Edited May 20, 2009 by N.O.S.

[Stone]

Thanks for the pics!

 

I'd expect the pump to be the hardest of that lot to fit - can it be done with the cab still fitted? If not I can see it turning into a right pig of a job as we don't really have any suitable lifting equipment around...

 

There might be some budget left over if our current trial goes OK so I might push for it to have a bit of money spent on it

 

Cheers

 

Stone

[N.O.S.]

I'd expect the pump to be the hardest of that lot to fit - can it be done with the cab still fitted?

Stone

 

Not a problem, the best access is from underneath in same way photo was taken, from behind front axle.