I purchased a steering box on 5th December for my RHD Land Rover 110 (1984). While the initial setup of attaching the steering box to the chassis was straightforward, issues arose when connecting the lower universal joint. Specifically:
Fitment Issues: The input shaft was 0.5mm smaller than the factory specification, indicating poor machining quality. To fit the cross with the box, we had to modify the collapsible shaft (to make it shorter), which is not an acceptable requirement for a new part.
Slack in the Steering Box: After installation, there was significant slack in the steering box, which should not occur with a new box.
On 31st December, I contacted the team at SP regarding these issues. Due to the holidays, I received a reply on 6th January, which was understandable. In the meantime, I consulted my mechanic to ensure the problem wasn’t from my end. My mechanic tested the original UJ from the car and a new one from Britpart which is a renowned Land Rover parts manufacturer, these two parts had the exact same measurements. The original one and the one from britpart both matched perfectly with the original ZF steering box but they had a lot of slack with the steering box supplied by SP.
After explaining these findings & providing proof to SP on 9th January, I was advised to purchase another lower steering joint. I expressed my concerns, as this was not disclosed in the product description, which stated “This is a direct replacement for all Adwest 4 bolts steering boxes as well as the earlier 3 Bolt and 6 Bolt steering boxes.” Had I been informed earlier, I would have purchased the joint upfront to avoid additional shipping costs, which are notably high for imports to Malta.
To resolve the issue, I asked If they could send the compatible lower steering joint for free, I would test it and, if successful, purchase a spare from them. I also tried explaining the overall costs for me to import to Malta. However, SP dismissed my request, claiming the issue stemmed from wear and tear over time, despite my mechanic’s thorough fitment testing with other universal joints and a new original steering box.
Their final email stated, “Please do not make another order from us again as we do not want your custom.” This response is unacceptable. On the same day, I attempted to contact via live chat but chats were ended upon seeing my name.
Following this, I had to hire a tow truck to tow the vehicle to my mechanic, incurring an additional €80. Despite the mechanics efforts, the box remains unsafe to use due to excessive slack, rendering the vehicle hazardous on the road. The mechanic which has been working on land rovers for the past thirty years said I still need to buy another steering box as the steering is still too loose and the play that there is was narrowed down to the new box.
Given the dangerous nature of this product and the poor customer service I have experienced, I requested a full refund for the total amount of €691.34. The steering box posed a significant safety risk on the road. The mechanic we hired specialises in Land Rover models. We were very patient with their customer service considering they took 2 weeks to communicate with us and they ended the conversation with ‘we don’t want your custom’. We tested multiple times with old and new joints, they all were within spec and they all experienced play on the input shaft of the new box from sp so the issue is 100% from the steering box supplied by SP.
I had also tried contacting PayPal to help me get my money back but the resolution they came up with was to send the parcel back to the seller, in which I had no problem with as the steering box was still unusable. However I had to pay the shipping to send it back. Resulting in more expenses from my end, which once again is unjust since they sent and confirmed that the fault is from their end. During the communication with PayPal and direct calls from us they also tend to change versions, such as when we directly call they say sorry and they will send a courier to retrieve the parcel. On the day they scheduled which was also a confirmation through email the courier was never sent, nor the shipping labels. And then they went on to tell PayPal that the courier was sent whilst we were waiting for him all day and he never showed up. On the same day the courier was ment to arrive we called them near the end of day to tell them that he has not arrived yet, and they said that we need to receive an email. 3 days later, no emails with labels and no couriers. I also called the shipping company so they provide me with more information on how it works and the lady confirmed that first I would need to receive an email with the labels, than I contact fed ex to schedule the appointment for pickup myself.
The total cost of this steering box added up to nearly 700e, in which I only managed to get €420, because I was forced to pay the shipping back to England. In total I spent 3 months with an underivable vehicle, communicating with them and waiting for a refund, And I still need to purchase another steering box. I have never experienced customer service as bad as this one. Definitely do not recommend this company!
Fitment Issues: The input shaft was 0.5mm smaller than the factory specification, indicating poor machining quality. To fit the cross with the box, we had to modify the collapsible shaft (to make it shorter), which is not an acceptable requirement for a new part.
Slack in the Steering Box: After installation, there was significant slack in the steering box, which should not occur with a new box.
On 31st December, I contacted the team at SP regarding these issues. Due to the holidays, I received a reply on 6th January, which was understandable. In the meantime, I consulted my mechanic to ensure the problem wasn’t from my end. My mechanic tested the original UJ from the car and a new one from Britpart which is a renowned Land Rover parts manufacturer, these two parts had the exact same measurements. The original one and the one from britpart both matched perfectly with the original ZF steering box but they had a lot of slack with the steering box supplied by SP.
After explaining these findings & providing proof to SP on 9th January, I was advised to purchase another lower steering joint. I expressed my concerns, as this was not disclosed in the product description, which stated “This is a direct replacement for all Adwest 4 bolts steering boxes as well as the earlier 3 Bolt and 6 Bolt steering boxes.” Had I been informed earlier, I would have purchased the joint upfront to avoid additional shipping costs, which are notably high for imports to Malta.
To resolve the issue, I asked If they could send the compatible lower steering joint for free, I would test it and, if successful, purchase a spare from them. I also tried explaining the overall costs for me to import to Malta. However, SP dismissed my request, claiming the issue stemmed from wear and tear over time, despite my mechanic’s thorough fitment testing with other universal joints and a new original steering box.
Their final email stated, “Please do not make another order from us again as we do not want your custom.” This response is unacceptable. On the same day, I attempted to contact via live chat but chats were ended upon seeing my name.
Following this, I had to hire a tow truck to tow the vehicle to my mechanic, incurring an additional €80. Despite the mechanics efforts, the box remains unsafe to use due to excessive slack, rendering the vehicle hazardous on the road. The mechanic which has been working on land rovers for the past thirty years said I still need to buy another steering box as the steering is still too loose and the play that there is was narrowed down to the new box.
Given the dangerous nature of this product and the poor customer service I have experienced, I requested a full refund for the total amount of €691.34. The steering box posed a significant safety risk on the road. The mechanic we hired specialises in Land Rover models. We were very patient with their customer service considering they took 2 weeks to communicate with us and they ended the conversation with ‘we don’t want your custom’. We tested multiple times with old and new joints, they all were within spec and they all experienced play on the input shaft of the new box from sp so the issue is 100% from the steering box supplied by SP.
I had also tried contacting PayPal to help me get my money back but the resolution they came up with was to send the parcel back to the seller, in which I had no problem with as the steering box was still unusable. However I had to pay the shipping to send it back. Resulting in more expenses from my end, which once again is unjust since they sent and confirmed that the fault is from their end. During the communication with PayPal and direct calls from us they also tend to change versions, such as when we directly call they say sorry and they will send a courier to retrieve the parcel. On the day they scheduled which was also a confirmation through email the courier was never sent, nor the shipping labels. And then they went on to tell PayPal that the courier was sent whilst we were waiting for him all day and he never showed up. On the same day the courier was ment to arrive we called them near the end of day to tell them that he has not arrived yet, and they said that we need to receive an email. 3 days later, no emails with labels and no couriers. I also called the shipping company so they provide me with more information on how it works and the lady confirmed that first I would need to receive an email with the labels, than I contact fed ex to schedule the appointment for pickup myself.
The total cost of this steering box added up to nearly 700e, in which I only managed to get €420, because I was forced to pay the shipping back to England. In total I spent 3 months with an underivable vehicle, communicating with them and waiting for a refund, And I still need to purchase another steering box. I have never experienced customer service as bad as this one. Definitely do not recommend this company!
