Singer Owner September 1998

Roadster Repairs - Steering Boxes

Ashley Crossland

This is a brief diversion from the ongoing subject of making Roadster front seats - I'm conscious that if you have no interest in seats, then you could get bored. The seat saga will continue, but for this issue a word about steering boxes.

I have recently made two drawings to help a member sort out his steering boxes. It occurs to me that there can be others in a similar or worse predicament, so hopefully these drawings are worth printing in the mag. I have been lucky to have original equipment come with all my Roadsters, but Singers have made it very confusing for anyone trying to refer to parts lists or handbooks for information. To be precise:

Owners Handbook - no photos or drawings

Parts List - drawings reasonable I suppose

Scientific Magazines workshop manual 4A diagram totally wrong, 4AB/D reasonable

Singer Owner Mar/Apr 78 totally accurate drawing of a 4A steering box produced by the Roadster Registrar

So if you need any help identifying steering boxes, or need to go hunting around autojumbles, then I hope the two drawings will be of help. They are both drawn for a right hand drive car, and seen as if you had your head where the off-side wheel should be. The drawings are accurate but obviously the dimensions have not been taken with a micrometer so don't complain over an odd thou - THE OVERALL CORRECTNESS OF THE STEERING BOX WILL confirm whether its right or not. However if anyone does need any extra details then please do not hesitate to contact me. The main actuating screw thread/worm is a right hand thread in both cases.

One important piece of information relative to the 4AB/4AD steering box is that it is not interchangeable with the SM1500 saloon/Hunter steering box. You might have thought that Singers would have tried a bit of standardisation but apparently not. And 4AD steering wheels started life being black, got changed to brown, and ended up cream. Do not worry about colour as long as your steering is safe! More another time.