Conversion of a two door Range Rover Classic from left to right hand drive

[jeffrey]

Parts needed to convert a 1981 Classic Two Door Range Rover from left to right hand drive
My VIN number is AA110627, and it is important to relate that to the vehicle you are trying to convert.

Steering:
a)   power steering box AEU1029 (many versions over the years) and hoses-the steering pump remains in the same position, so a long hose is required to reach the box on the right side of the chassis. The chassis has fittings for both left and right hand drive steering boxes. The power steering box is very heavy, and although available shipping is going to be expensive
b)   Swivel ball housing left side 571750 and right side 571749-in fact you can keep the right sided one as the LHD one has two arms on it, and the rear arm is all that is needed, so the front one is redundant. It can be left on or ground off.
c)   Steering column support 390330 (RHD) 390331 (LHD)-the main bracket is the same for LHD and RHD, however some modification is necessary to accommodate the steering column. This can be done by drilling out the spot welds, and basically reversing the rest of it. Of note the firewall, or bulkhead has all the fittings to accommodate LHD or RHD steering
d)   RHD steering box drop arm RTC 6396
e)   Panhard rod mount 594944 for RHD
f)   RHD tie bar for power steering 594947

Pedals:
a)   The brake, clutch and accelerator pedals are different on a LHD and RHD vehicle.  The LHD ones are set at an angle from the main supporting bracket, whereas for a RHD vehicle they are straight. The LHD unit will not fit in the space for a RHD vehicle as the pedals are at an angle. I chose to buy a new clutch, brake and accelerator pedal which are all straight, and then fit them to the same unit which is moved over from the left to right hand side-servo unit etc. The part number is 575816 for RHD and this same pedal is used for the brake and clutch pedals.  The accelerator pedal number for RHD is 572462

Main Gear lever: FRC2870 is the one for my transmission, this is for RHD. You could still use the LHD one even though it would be at a slightly different angle for the RHD driver

Handbrake:
a)   Handbrake NRC8478
b)   Operating rod NRC5298
c)   Mounting plate 592520
d)   Relay lever 90575680
e)   Bracket handbrake relay 90575682
f)   Fulcrum pin 90575676
g)   Clevis link 90577521-female
h)   Clevis link 90577522-male

The RHD handbrake parts were some of the most difficult to obtain, and I used multiple sites to eventually get the bits

Dash:
My truck had air conditioning, and I decided to leave it out as I could not find a RHD dash set up for air conditioning
a)   The top dash is the same for LHD or RHD, however the holes for switches are different. This can be overcome by putting in dummy switches. The instrument binnacle moves from left to right side, however there is a fill in piece on the passenger side, which is specific for RHD or LHD. The RHD piece is 392768-this usually comes with a complete dash, and I could not find it as a separate unit-392767 for RHD.  I bought a whole new upper dash without lots of extra holes in it, and it also had the fill in piece for the left side. Also, there is a rubber mat that goes on top of the upper dash on the left side for a RHD vehicle (390573)-this is not a big deal as it is easy to fabricate such an item.
b)   The dash underneath the steering column is different AEU1459 for RHD. 
c)   This then leaves the part under the passenger side, which has a glove box, RHD 390297
d)   There is a corner piece that is sided-390293 for RHD which is next to the glove box
e)   The central console can be reused, though a couple of the gauges are on the opposite side, which really doesn't matter
f)   The colour was pretty standard, so that was not an issue

Cables:

a)   Choke cable is sided, so you need a RHD cable NRC5392
b)   Accelerator linkage is sided, so you need a RHD one 566426 for a 4 speed transmission
c)   Hood, or bonnet lock is also sided, and goes along with the hood release having to be mounted on the right side of the firewall (there is already a fitting for it) 368011-bonnet lock for RHD

Electrical components:

a)   Wiring harness: These are dictated by the VIN number of the vehicle. The engine harness is the same for LHD or RHD, it also depends on whether there is air conditioning, which determines the size of the alternator. The main harness is specific for LHD or RHD and again dictated by the VIN number. There is a rear harness as well, which is not specific for LHD or RHD. There is a company in the UK called Auto Sparks where harnesses can be obtained (information from Bert Van Riel)
b)   Steering column switches: These are specific for LHD or RHD, but if you wanted to you could leave the original ones in, but they would be opposite to how they are positioned on a RHD vehicle. I changed them to the correct side, so 589886 is for the RHD wiper and 589884 is for the indicators and lights.
c)   Windscreen wipers: There is a difference between the wipers for a LHD or RHD vehicle. For a LHD vehicle they are positioned to the right side when stationary, and the opposite for a RHD vehicle. Also, the position of the wiper arms in the cowling are different for LHD or RHD.  You could leave them as they are, but when stationary they would partly block your view in a RHD vehicle. The problem is finding an RHD wiper assembly unit-very difficult. The wiper motor is not "sided", but is just rotated 180 degrees for a RHD versus a LHD. The problem is finding the mounting bracket. What I did was to take the unit that I had and modify it for a RHD vehicle, then just rotating the wiper motor 180 degrees. New holes have to be made in the cowling, and the old ones blanked off-I had this done professionally at a body shop. AEU4089 RHD and AEU 4088 LHD
d)   The wiper arms: are also specific for LHD or RHD (RHD PRC1896)

I spent about three months tracking down the various parts that were necessary to convert the two door Range Rover from LHD to RHD. The parts came from the UK, Holland, Australia, Cyprus and some from Canada. The parts are pretty rare and I had to do a lot of searching on the internet. John Craddock, and Famous Four, Dingcroft, APB trading, PA Blanchard were some of the sites. The handbrake parts were the hardest to get and they came from the UK but from several sources. The Land Rover Treasure Shop out of Cyprus was good for the swivel hubs, plus one of the RHD column switches. I used ebay to find some of the dash parts, and Holland for a new top dash from Range Rover Classic Barn, also Paul Safari components out of Queenston in Ontario had some of the components.

Cost of converting LHD to RHD: Apart from the power steering box (the most expensive component somewhere in the vicinity of $2000-3000 new, so used cheaper) the rest of the components cost about $4300 Canadian (including shipping), plus duties that are also charged when the parts are shipped to Canada. There was also a cost to the modification of the wiper support assembly, and the modification of the steering support. These could be done by an individual who was good at welding and metalwork, as the modifications are not difficult.

Also, having a copy of the Range Rover parts catalogue is invaluable, as without it searching the various parts is a challenge.  I have a genuine hard copy, but online versions are available.

I have included just some of the images from the catalogue book. The vehicle image shows the wiper position for RHD-note the steering wheel has not been moved over yet.

I may have forgotten some things, so please feel free to comment on anything else that might need to be done to convert it from LHD to RHD

   
 

[binch]

Very nice write up Jeffrey!   And the clarity of the schematics are wonderful too!

Good Job sir!!!!