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WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD??
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 8:16 pm
by SMOKE GREY
Anyone know what needs to be changed. I can think of steering rack,throttle pedal, relocate dip switch, door handle and lock swopped over, heater??
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 8:30 pm
by tjw89
Master cylinders
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 8:34 pm
by GraemeC
Headlights?
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 9:57 pm
by Dr.Mabo
Door handle and look swap over won't work.
You really need a set of door handles and looks for LHD. If you just swap from one side to the other you have to open the doors by pulling the handles upwards rather than pushing down. But some of the handle guides don't allow to pull up the handle.
At least you need one look and one drivers side handle for LHD. Then you can keep the codriver handle and look where it is and the Mini ibe unlooked by key on both doors.
I just had this problem on my MK2 while I changed from RHD to LHD.
so long
the Doc
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 11:16 pm
by BRI MK1
I have a left hand drive throttle pedal if you need one cheers Bri.
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 3:15 am
by Craig
Longer brake and clutch pipes from the masters ......
Craig
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 4:19 am
by Spider
Pedal box.
Strictly speaking, the inner of the steering column, but only so the Cancel Peg ends up the right way, if it were me, I'd probably just refit it 180 degrees around.
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 11:46 am
by ianh1968
Spider wrote:<SNIP>I'd probably just refit it 180 degrees around.
AREN'T THE RACKS DIFFERENT?
I read here recently something about the fact that you can't just
turn the rack over, or you'll end up with back to front steering.
PLEASE CHECK!
Ian
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 12:00 pm
by mk1
The racks are different.
M
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 12:14 pm
by rich@minispares.com
ianh1968 wrote:
I read here recently something about the fact that you can't just
turn the rack over, or you'll end up with back to front steering.
PLEASE CHECK!
Ian
the rack is different
I know someone who fitted a lh rack to a rh car and crashed their car into the garage wall as they drove it out.........

Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 1:21 pm
by nick@dunsdale
yep defo the rack
i converted an innocenti many years ago and found this out lol
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 2:02 pm
by rich@minispares.com
nick@dunsdale wrote:yep defo the rack
i converted an innocenti many years ago and found this out lol
mind you, once you got used to it, it would be a great theft deterrent....

Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 3:46 pm
by cheleker
Wiper arms, if you want to be precise. The wipers should park in front of the driver.
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 6:07 pm
by GraemeC
ianh1968 wrote:Spider wrote:<SNIP>I'd probably just refit it 180 degrees around.
AREN'T THE RACKS DIFFERENT?
I read here recently something about the fact that you can't just
turn the rack over, or you'll end up with back to front steering.
PLEASE CHECK!
Ian
Hang on - you've 'snipped' the important bit where Spider says COLUMN. No one has suggested flipping the rack
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Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 9:00 pm
by Spider
GraemeC wrote:ianh1968 wrote:Spider wrote:<SNIP>I'd probably just refit it 180 degrees around.
AREN'T THE RACKS DIFFERENT?
I read here recently something about the fact that you can't just
turn the rack over, or you'll end up with back to front steering.
PLEASE CHECK!
Ian
Hang on - you've 'snipped' the important bit where Moke says COLUMN. No one has suggested flipping the rack
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Thanks Graham.
My wordy.
I was banging on about the inner column, but now I've looked in to it a bit more, I'm not sure if this was an issue with the UK Built Cars.
We had 2 different pinions fitted to the racks here
Those with the scollop (on the left) were fitted such that the scollop was facing down when in the straight ahead position. I am unsure if the UK made racks were similar? So, with the rack having a positive index, the column can only be fitted one way (unless the rack is disassembled of course, but I'm referring to production). That being the case, the cancel peg would end up in the wrong position.
For a short while here, it was just a matter of doing this;-
You'd have to cut a new hole in the floor to flip the rack and then 'adjust' to a new driving technique!
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 10:38 pm
by Spider
cheleker wrote:Wiper arms, if you want to be precise. The wipers should park in front of the driver.
Yes, true, and if the wipers are self parking, there's a different wheel in the wiper motor, so they park the other way.
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 10:45 pm
by ianh1968
GraemeC wrote:No one has suggested flipping the rack
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Exactly my point - Nobody had suggested the rack and this was prompted
by Spider's column observation...
I didn't <SNIP> anything important - Both are relevant here!
It was not a case of me not knowing the difference between a column
and a rack!
And as Spider points out, there are two types of splined spigot, the one
which allows any orientation of the column, and the one which will only
assemble in one position. But if the rack is upside down and inside out
and steers back-to-front, this may not be relevant anyway.
Ian
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 3:54 am
by Spider
ianh1968 wrote:GraemeC wrote:No one has suggested flipping the rack

Exactly my point - Nobody had suggested the rack
Ian
I was sure I read in in one of the posts,,,,,,
Hangem on
SMOKE GREY wrote:Anyone know what needs to be changed. I can think of steering rack,throttle pedal, relocate dip switch, door handle and lock swopped over, heater??
Never mind mate, I miss stuff all the time,,,,,,,,,
Now, to make a Christmas list,,,,,
Ian Reading Glasses,
Mark A bigger shed with a heated floor,
850man Appointment with Dr for tetanus shots,,,
these are easy, but where it comes to Rich, I'm evenly torn between a box of Scotch or a booking for rehab,,,,,
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 11:25 am
by ianh1968
Spider wrote:Ian Reading Glasses,
Yep - Definitely - I'm due an opticians appointment...
... must sort that out asap.
If nothing else, my "Duplicated Rack" suggestion did highlight
WHY this is necessary, so it may have been of some benefit after-all.
Ian's List:
1) Go to opticians
2) Get new glasses
3) Read stuff properly before posting...
(Sorry!)
Ian
Re: WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO COVERT A MK1 FROM RHD TO LHD
Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 12:31 pm
by Spider
ianh1968 wrote:
If nothing else, my "Duplicated Rack" suggestion did highlight
WHY this is necessary, so it may have been of some benefit after-all.
Ian's List:
1) Go to opticians
2) Get new glasses
3) Read stuff properly before posting...
(Sorry!)
Ian
rack?
did someone say RACK?
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