Underside Steering Protection

[mdmccallum]

I need to start thinking about protecting my steering parts. Can some of you guys give me some ideas and possibly some pis of your protection?

[flippedrover]

Rovertym steering gear.

[norros]

So, the Rovertym steering gear is just a beefy set of steering components correct ?

Do they make any 'guards' or anything like that ? Didn't see anything on their website.


Thanks

Nicholas Orros

[rover4x4]

Rovertym??? Southdown or Mantec without a doubt

[norros]

Rovertym??? Southdown or Mantec without a doubt

Ah yes... Do tell... I really am curious as to what's the best. I know Mantec from the rear tire carrier on mine, but not Southdown. I'll have to check 'em out.

Been crossing my fingers every time I go through an unknown water crossing, and there's nothing but swamps down here. It's neat though...

Thanks man.

Nicholas

[flippedrover]

So, the Rovertym steering gear is just a beefy set of steering components correct ?

Do they make any 'guards' or anything like that ? Didn't see anything on their website.


Thanks

Nicholas Orros
They only make steering gear. No guards. Ask Hippert about his southdown plow. :)

[woldd90]

If you have an ARB Brush Bar, Rovers North makes a 10 MM skid plate that really works pretty well. It covers the front tie/track rod and steering damper, but the back on is still exposed.

I have the Rovertym Tie/track rods and they are very strong. I have bent the back one, but was able to straiten it.

The Southdown guard steering/diff guard in my opinion is very shovel like. I think if you could combine one of their other guards in front of it, like AB shows in it's catalog for the disco, then you might be ok. But my buddy has it, and it digs into everything. And if you are going into swamps, you are bound to get a mess off stuff tied up in it.

[jimmy salmon]

you can have my southdown plow for a case of guinness plus shipping

[norros]

Ok, I probably won't get the SouthDown.

So the Mantec will probably be the route unless anyone else has input.

I did some searching for the front diff guard for Mantec and came across 2, one from the Mantec site, and one from RoverAccessories ... They both say they are made by Mantec, but what's the difference... or were there just different 'series' of diff guards they produced ?

Attached are the pics.

Nicholas

[Mike Hippert]

I like Rovertracks tie rod, a sewer cap and the Rovers North steering gaurd. And yes it's not Southdown, it's South PLOW!

[artm]

Hey Jimmy, if your offer's real I just MAY take that Southdown.

After reading all of this now I'm wondering...the RN is the same shape as Southdown, just with holes. The Mantec has more of a slope and looks less plowish but I prefer steel. RN doesn't even list how thick it is, hmmm.

???

[chrisvonc]

Southdown Ax guard is nothing like any of the other diff covers on the market. The huge positive is that it's the only axle guard on the market that offers protection to both the front and back of the front diff as well as the rest of the axle. The huge minus as other pointed out is that because it spans the entire axle at the same height, it will act like a plow in some cases of deep mud, cresting sand or snow. I originally ran one on my disco but took it off for the same reasons but as I started getting away from mud and sand for more rock and woodland trails, I put one on both my Disco as well as my D90 since I was not really wheeling in anything that would cause the plow effect.

There was one other guard for the front that basicly covered the entire front diff like the Southdown rear diff guard does but I only saw prototype pics of it, cant remember who was making it and even if they were going to make a public run of them.

[Tdi Lurker]

this is a good setup for your protection needs......oh yes built with pride in Langley BC Canada


gord

[chrisvonc]

Almost all the steering guards are the same. they pretty much are just plates, bolts up to take the higher blows.

[artm]

Wait a minute...are we talking steering guard or axle guard? And which Southdown is the plow? I was looking at their steering guard.

Rockware also makes a diff/axle guard.

[chrisvonc]

Sorry.. Tyler got the topic thrown to axle guards. The "plow" the girls are talking about is a Southdown diff/axle guard, NOT their steering guard.

[sheki]

I have the steel Mantec steering guard. It does a great job of protecting the steering dampener. Rover Tracks makes a good beefy upgraded steering system (tie rod, panhard rod, drag link). For the diff guards everyone likes the Mantec ones, they are very strong, I just installed the QT guards, I liked them because they went front to back of the diff and bolted onto welded tabs.

[jimmy salmon]

Hey Jimmy, if your offer's real I just MAY take that Southdown.

After reading all of this now I'm wondering...the RN is the same shape as Southdown, just with holes. The Mantec has more of a slope and looks less plowish but I prefer steel. RN doesn't even list how thick it is, hmmm.

???Arthur mine is the axle/diff gaurd.If you want it,free if you pick up.
You can just see it in the pic below just behind the steering gaurd



http://www.southdown4x4.co.uk/grafix/90FRNTfeather.jpg (http://www.southdown4x4.co.uk/grafix/90FRNTfeather.jpg)/

[flippedrover]

Sorry.. Tyler got the topic thrown to axle guards. The "plow" the girls are talking about is a Southdown diff/axle guard, NOT their steering guard.
My Bad.

[rover4x4]

http://www.southdownusa.com/

Follow-up Post:

http://www.southdownusa.com/steer.html steering

http://www.southdownusa.com/axle.html plow

[JohnC]

I have the Rovertym Tie/track rods and they are very strong. I have bent the back one, but was able to straiten it.


If you bent the track rod then how strong can it be? I know another D90 owner that has bent his RTE track rod.

I've also seen the SD bolts break off..

[flippedrover]

Its a solid piece of stainless so its pretty strong. I bent mine the last time I went out among other things that I bent. They are hard to bend back on the trail but it is do able.

[artm]

Jimmy,

Thanks for the offer but I'll pass. I can't use it so I'll leave it for someone who can.


-Art

[rover4x4]

I got a case of Guiness if its still availible

[chrisvonc]

Phil.. its only really needed if you wheel.

[jimmy salmon]

I got a case of Guiness if its still availibleYOURS
picture of southdown