If you've been following @Marty SmartyCat's thread about Lite-Steer power steering you'll know that we've organised a Group Buy. If you've not been following it, the summary is that we have enough people for the discounted offer, but that there's no upper limit on the number of orders. The deal is £1000 including VAT and carriage to a UK address for the Late Bay kit, and £1030 for the Early. That's about 8-9% discount on the retail price. There's also an offer for Friday/Saturday DIY fitting at Lite-Steer in East Sussex, under the guidance of Neil Oakley from Lite-Steer, and using their facilities for £25 with camping and local hostelry - a sort of Techenders if you like. It's too far for me to go, but it could be fun for those nearer . Anyway, if you would like to avail yourself of this offer, send me a PM with which kit you want and whether you want to do the group fitting jaunt, and I'll put you on the list . John
Well done for organising this. Neil fitted mine a few years ago, top bloke and very accommodating. Taker uppers won’t be disappointed.
I'm interested in this deal if there is a kit for LHD, looks like some of the looms would be shorter ?... Is there a specific date for the fri/ sat group thing ?
I'll enquire about LHD, can't imagine that it's a problem. Don't think that there are enough takers for the group fitting to happen.
As I thought, the kits suit both left and right hand drive. I'll be sending PMs about the purchasing arrangements to the 7 people who, as I understand it, have told me that they are planning take up the group buy offer, although one is still tentative. Hope that's OK with everyone. Not too late to join if you wish .
Don't think so, not for the fitting jolly. I think it's just that there aren't 5 people who want to do it. Of the 6 definitely in the group buy, at least 3 of us live too far away to make a special trip there.
I'd imagine that if anyone brought their kit to a TE there'd be enough expertise around to help them fit it.
I might have considered it if I hadn’t let my lad have permanent use of my van, but I doubt he’d fork out the readies atm. We have spoken about it but I’m not sure he was serious enough. I’ll speak to him again, I don’t mind paying half!
Drop me a PM if you decide to get one and I'll let Neil know. Names are still coming in. I guess there'll be a deadline at some point as the idea is that they could do the TLB ones in one batch.
Needing a little bit of guidence regarding this lite-steer option... I read one of the magazine articles on fitting linked on their website, camper and bus magazine... They mention a needle roller bearing option thats apparently only for prototype bay but the cowling and paddles look awfully like my '74 setup. I know 1974 can be an odd year for some items crossing over so not sure what to order now to be honest. Edit: For some reason I’m seeing 'early' bay when editing but prototype bay when I look at my post..
Best talk to Neil. The article in question was written and published back in 2016 so may not be that accurate now.
It is quite likely that if you have the tapered steering wheel splines and the round stemmed indicator stalks, you have a space where a needle bearing can be fitted. My bus e.g. left factory 29th October 1973, registered March 1975 after a stay in Devon has a needle roller bearing that I fitted, to the crossover style steering column.
Mine is also a 74 model year. I'm assuming the Litesteer difference is to do with the indicators/washer switch general setup V the later ones with completely different switches and the big cowling wrapped around the column. Maybe we should check but I think the roller bearing thing may not be important. I haven't watched the video... maybe I should. Whatever, I'm pretty sure ours count as the early version of Litesteer. BTW where did you get the instructions, can only see a video on the litesteer site?
If you go to the news area on the website the first magazine article linked is for a VW T2 install… Spoke to Neil and apparently the deciding factor on early or late is the nut size on the wheel… 24 mm for late, 27 mm for early. I’ve been told the extra needle bearing in said article is for early yet it has 24mm nut and cowling/ paddle levers in the pictures as per my 1974. Could be just that’s it’s old (2016)… Neil couldn’t say if the article was early or late bay until he has looked at it.
The video shows an after mid '74 steering column, wrap around and squarish control levers The article shows pre mid '74 steering column, half and half with paddle control levers (like mine) I'm still unsure if this is the 'early' bay / late bay versions that lite-steer describe ... This article is calling up a late bay kit...
I think he'll ask you what size your steering wheel nut is. Having thought more and watched the video for the later late and instructions for the earlier late, seeing the top of the column chopped off on both I suspect the kits are identical except for the top splines and nut thread and that the early ones are more expensive due to the cost of making the tapered spline. What you think? I'm off to measure my nut...BRB. Edit :27mm
