Sunday, Sep 22, 2019 at 23:57
Abqaiq - The article link at the bottom of this post, provides the information you seek.
The Australian RAM agent selected by Dodge for the official factory-backed, LHD to RHD conversion, is American Special Vehicles (ASV).
ASV fit a complete, newly-manufactured steering box, to the outboard side of the right-hand chassis rail, replacing the original steering box that is fitted to the left-hand chassis rail.
Local automotive component companies manufacture a complete new dashboard, a new RHD wiring harness, glovebox lid and instrument surrounds, revised seating, and elements for the firewall and floorpan.
New A/C and heating ducts and vents are made by the Korean company KOPLA.
The converted RAM vehicle is tested to ensure it meets all ADR's, including crash-testing and correct airbag operation.
Probably most importantly, the ASV conversion includes a revised front-left
suspension strut that provides improved adjustment for toe-in, camber and castor angle, that refines the RAM's straight line driving and cornering ability, when converted to RHD.
One of the problems with many of the previous LHD-to-RHD conversions was that the LHD front end setup was left basically unchanged.
But LHD vehicles are set up for driving on the RH side of the road, where the road camber (or crossfall) slopes to the right.
But in Australia, our road camber slopes to the left, and this means that a vehicle set up for RHS-of-the-road driving does not steer or corner correctly, due to the steering construction geometry being incorrect.
The effect is subtle, but it can become very obvious in some driving situations and conditions.
ASV are to be congratulated on doing their RHD RAM conversions properly and completely - even to changing the wiper arm positioning to wipe correctly for RHD.
However, that conversion comes at a cost, as the selling price of the RAM reflects.
RAM conversion done right
Be aware, however, that there are other small-scale companies carrying out LHD-to-RHD conversions (on RAM's, as
well as other vehicles) - which DO NOT carry out a full RH steering box installation as part of the conversion.
These companies carry out what is known as a Cross-Shaft-Conversion (CSC), utilising small gearboxes and a cross-shaft, to transfer the steering movement to the steering box still mounted in its original position on the LHS.
Naturally, this a cheap, shortcut method to change from LHD to RHD, and it eventually incurs more play in the steering mechanism, once it starts to wear.
The American Car Co in
Brisbane is one of the smaller conversion companies that actually carries out a full RH steering box conversion - and it warns buyers on its website, of the hidden dangers of the cheaper CSC conversions.
Beware of CSC conversions
Cheers, Ron.
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