Really enjoyed watching that even though its a old one, still very relevant

If you're stuck for a tap to clean up an existing thread, an old mechanic's trick is to file a couple of sharp edged notches in a bolt (or the old track rod end, in your case) to create a makeshift tap, it works surprisingly well.

Oh Mike, it is perversely reassuring that the professional can be thwarted like us amateurs. Since owning my Defender I have learnt that any five minute job will take at least two hours and that if you have multiple bolts to undo, then at least one will not come out without a great deal of grunting, swearing and even, at times, tears 😂

Thanks Mike, great tutorial. Except my dog went mental when you removed the squeaky ball joint!

Great tutorial Mike I came across the drama myself changing from 1980 steering box to 1995 RRC as part of the up grade , us boilermakers carry fox wedges as part of our kit , I used that to pry open the slotted end to allow the balljiont to wind off easily and as you said get the clamp in the correct position to crimp down on the new threads to stop the tow in and out changing it's setting, and very true you show it how it is in real time and tips, never to much said, it's knowledge we need , 👌

You can get a slightly longer drop arm. It quickens up your steering a little bit

Oh Mike you’ve gone through everything that are usually have to go through drives absolutely mad doesn’t it. The world is against us 😂

I did a PAS conversion on my 109. I avoided the hassle of the drop arm ball joint and leaky box seals by using a P38 box. Much better engineered, and it uses the same rod and ball joint architecture as the Discovery and RRC. A lot of enthusiasts in the UK replace the Defender drop arm with Discovery units when the ball joint needs replacing. Only snag is having to make a steering damper mount on the drag link, but that’s not hard using a sturdy piece of angle and a couple of U bolts.

get an old track rod end and cut a couple of parallel groves along the thread it makes a passable thread chaser, the great thing is you can do the same with a left hand thread track rod as well...

Thank you Mike for the many valuable tips and that you let us share in your experience. It helps me to make my Land Rover a little better!

Hi Mike Great videos, just about to sort the steering on my 1994 90 200tdi, so timing was perfect. Btw replacement track rod rubber boots for Defenders are available from Paddocks for 99p, part code is 214649, Cheers Steve

So to recap "The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle. The flagon with the dragon is the brew that is true." Cheers

I've got a transfer box that looks the same as that. (On the bench in bits!)

Love the whale song music :-)

Well in fairness map gas is very handy that's all I have alot of the time i need more heat 😬

For cleaning up internal threads, get an old whatever-came-out-of-it (in this case, the balljoint) and grind 3 or 4 flats onto the thread to create a rudimentary "tap". Similarly, you can make a "die" for cleaning up external threads by using a needle-file to file slots into the threads of nuts. Obviously, having done this, you can't actually re-fit the modified part(s) onto the vehicle.

Thaks Mike... I changed the drop link and all the rods and track rod ends on my defender. Thought I had done well until I discovered the alignment was all over the place. Now Im not sure if the drop arm on steering box is the issue or a combination of that and the adjustment of the rods etc... On hard lock one of my wheels is coming in contact with chassis now... Maybe I need to take it to garage just seems a shame as Ive done all the work myself... Its a 1995 110... Cheers...GN

Hi Mike very well done as always very great help many thanks Eliot how cold is it out there now

What about adding two threaded studs through plates on either side of your two-arm puller? They could be tightened to keep it from splaying and alos locate it on the arm. No clearance?

...I totally empathise mate....went to lift the body off of the chassis on my Defender yesterday and found that I'd missed the 2 bolts that hold the chassis to the seatbox....and they are both bastards to get at and are rotted solid with sod all room to get at....Laphroaig time! ....oh, and I've rebuilt my drag arm joint 3 times so far, it's a twat to do but I've always managed it with the careful use of a very old valve spring compressor to press and hold the bits together whilst re-fitting the circlip....shitty job though

Personaly i think The 'pickling fork' should be banned, as you have mentioned before give the arm a whack to free the taper, better still use the pivot style ball joint splitters they are my preferred go to tool for ball joints...

Michael I've watched your content for some time an It still his my favorite show on the internet. But I've got a mystery for you. I've got a Disco 1 and a RR 3 door both 200Tdi. The steering box on the Disco was kaput has you said. And I've purchased a used one and after assembly the box has 0 leaks and 0 play on the steering wheel. However every time I go over any imperfections on the road I feel it on the steering as if I had no power steering. On the RR you have 20% kik back that I have on the disco. Before you ask the pump is ok because I've put my foot on the brakes and go lock to lock draging the tires on the pavement with not much efort. Before I start fideling with the box is better to talk to the experts. Keep up te good work. Stay Safe.

No tap available, then I would probably get the cutting disc out and run a couple of slits in the old rod end and use that as a homemade tap.

Would a small wire wheel be able to reach down into the tube to help clean the threads?

Name that tune, I'll name that tune in one Tom, It's Arthur Mullard and Irene Handel singing Your the one that I want, from Grease. Appropriate song. Cheers

When did we go decimal? Still drinking pints over here. Cheers

Hi Mike. great video on the track rod ends etc. I am about to change the ball joints on my 2015 Puma as one of them is already in a poor state. LRparts seem to sell these at a much reduced price than the genuine landrover items on their website . Do you feel that the lower cost items are likely to reflect in the quality of the parts? possibly a daft question! :-) The difference is huge!! Thanks.