1927 chummy steering box.

[Dave Mann]

i had a friend around yesterday who told me that his 'new' chummy steering box has the two mounting lugs broken off. Are replacements available?

[Alan]

Apart from the later ones and sports versions, aren’t they all the same? I’ve probably got one somewhere, Dave.

[Dave Mann]

If you can find it I'm interested, see you on Thursday Alan.

[Parazine]

Apart from the later ones and sports versions, aren’t they all the same?  I’ve probably got one somewhere,    Dave.

Very definitely not!

I rebuilt my Chummy fifteen years ago and the original box was cracked on the thread locking area. I rashly assumed that all steering boxes are the same and fitted the innards to a Box Saloon type aluminium casting but had a lot of trouble fitting it to the car. The column is at slightly the wrong angle, so it's very tight under the dash and it puts the wheel about 3/4" towards the centre of the car, messing up the mounting holes alignment. The Chummy still has the wrong box forced in because it actually steers very nicely; I have a correct, vintage box in the garage all ready to fit but don't see the point at the moment.

Visually, you can tell the vintage box as it's more "bulbous", the later kind are more "conical"

Vintage tourers/saloons, XL896 or 1A6025

Later cars 1A6068/1A6075/1A6084

Not sure when the changeover was, 1930 perhaps? With the steel body?

[Mike Costigan]

I think the change came with the long-chassis (RN).

[Ivor Hawkins]

When I built the Chummystein, I was searching my stock of parts for a box and column that was the right angle and the right length and ended up with a cast iron steering box, which I assume came from a military Austin…so there’s another variant!

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I think I am correct in saying that cast steel boxes were used on factory cars in the early 1930s.

[Reckless Rat]

Yep. My 33 build RP has a cast steel steering box.

[Steve Jones]

Steel steering boxes are very popular with the trialing community for obvious reasons. We had a cast aluminium one break on a Scottish Trial some years ago. Replaced by a steel alternative that's on the car to this day as far as I know. However, it does mean that steel versions aren't all that easy to come across as the trialers have hoovered them up.

Steve

[Ivor Hawkins]

Ah, early 30’s box, I remember where that one came from then!