Column Switch question LHD or RHD?

[Val. h]

I'm new to the Stag and will be collecting my first one next week. In the mean time, I've been looking into the parts situation.

Whilst doing this, I've noticed that the indicator and the wiper switches mounted on the steering column are on opposite sides for LHD and RHD cars. I've never seen (or noticed at least) this on any other car.
As the RHD Stag has the indicator on the right, where modern cars produced from the 90s on have the indicator switch on the now common left side of the wheel, I was wondering if anyone has made the conversion by fitting the LHD switches, and if so are the plugs the same on LHD and RHD cars?

I know many of you will now be saying to yourselves 'Why not just live with what is and get used to it'. I kind of agree, and indeed have not had a problem using my MG with it's right hand indicator switch over the last several years of ownership. But I just wonder.
One, why they did this.
Two, If it's done on any other British cars.
Three, Why not if it makes the driver feel happier in the control of their vehicle?


Interested in views and opinions.


Val.

[jbuckl]

Welcome….
This is also true for us in rhd countries.
Many have swapped for LHD stalks!
What were triumph thinking we may ask?
only explanation is it was the 1970s … psychedelic colours…. Shrooms Etc etc.

personally I chose to live with the weird set up…

I believe you can buy the stalks you want new…. Or even used from eBay or tony white, who has a massive store of original parts .

[sujitroy]

If I'm gear shifting using my left hand, I'd prefer the indicator to be on the right.
When I was in UK, we had a Triumph Toledo and the indicator was on the right. Shifting was on the left. My brother bought a Ford Orion, and the indicator was on the left. Navigating the gears and indicator was a pain, which needed getting used to.
I have a Fed. Feb '71 Stag. It has a indicator stalk from a RHD car. (it was like this from the factory, I was told) The trumpet handle is upside down. It works. I ran into an issue with my wipers and have a spare wiper stalk from a RHD car. It worked on my LHD Stag. I don't have any experience with a Mk2 Stag.
Sujit

[KOY 23]

Easy enough to rotate the switches and indicator self cancelling clip 180 degrees. Symbols are inverted but that’s no problem.

[jbuckl]

Easy enough to rotate the switches and indicator self cancelling clip 180 degrees. Symbols are inverted but that’s no problem.

100 times better than a bmw , where the indicator stalk is redundant from the get go.

[dasadrew]

When buying new / used switches beware that there are also wiring differences. Years ago I bought a "correct" LHD switch for my car and the wiring didn't match. Supplier swapped it for another one which was different, but still didn't match my original one. We agreed to not continue, supplier gave me a generous rebate and I sorted the wiring myself. This seems to indicate (no pun intended) that there are at least 3 different configurations for LHD Mk2 Stags!

[Ray Smith]

hi Val, I converted mine to the 'modern' configuration some years ago by buying ones for a LHD car, as Drew has said the wiring is different , you will need to fiddle about with this to sort but doable.
Ray
, ,

[Val. h]

Thanks for the replies fellas. Interesting to read it's not as straight forward as you'd think.

hi Val, I converted mine to the 'modern' configuration some years ago by buying ones for a LHD car, as Drew has said the wiring is different , you will need to fiddle about with this to sort but doable.
Ray
, ,

Was it a case of popping the contacts out of the block to get them in the right order, or a cut and splice?

[PeteJS]

My Ex USA Stag was converted to RHD from LHD, but retains the LHD steering column on the right hand side of the car. It therefore has the Indicator on the LH side of the column as most modern cars do. The usual Stag RHD configuration doesn't bother me, but my other half finds the car much easier to get on with than my previous Stag.
Funnily enough I had the opposite problem, my head said "OK we're in an old Triumph, therefore the switches are the other way around" and they weren't...............

[Ray Smith]

I removed contacts from block, a small probe is needed to squeeze a small spur flat to allow contact to slide out.
Ray

[Val. h]

I removed contacts from block, a small probe is needed to squeeze a small spur flat to allow contact to slide out.
Ray

Yes, I've done that before, easy enough. Thought it might end up being a cut and splice job.

[dasadrew]

I'm afraid I didn't take notes on the modification hoops that I had to jump through, but swapping pins didn't do the job 100%. I seem to recall having to bridge two contacts on the switch itself. I assume the differences were due to different legal requirements in different countries rather than a simple Mk1 vs. Mk2 or LHD vs. RHD. Anyway, whatever . it's not such a complicated job determining what to do with a multimeter and pin swap, maybe a soldered bridge.

[dasadrew]

Just had a dig around and found the exchange with Rimmers. It seems that one of the original LHD switch configurations was no longer being produced and the manufacturer modified later ones to suit. Unfortunately, this modification made the switch unusable for at least my Mk 2 LHD. Here are the pics I took. Rimmers made a full refund and I could modify the switch so all were happy.

Original Switch LHD.jpg Rimmers 219155 supplied.jpg

[Val. h]

Just had a dig around and found the exchange with Rimmers. It seems that one of the original LHD switch configurations was no longer being produced and the manufacturer modified later ones to suit. Unfortunately, this modification made the switch unusable for at least my Mk 2 LHD. Here are the pics I took. Rimmers made a full refund and I could modify the switch so all were happy.

Original Switch LHD.jpg Rimmers 219155 supplied.jpg

Thanks, I'll tag this, so I can find it for reference if I decide (or my wife decides) to go this route.

Val.

[Graham.Fountain]

I don't know the Stags, I'm only here waiting to see if anyone will post pictures of the different clocks. However, I've done this job on both my Dolomite Sprint and Herald, by turning the existing set around. That's easy enough, but in both cases it needs the lug on the steering column shaft turning through 180 degrees. That lug is the one that cancels the indicators when you turn the wheel back, and if it's not right, that does not always happen correctly.

That was easy on the Herald, because the lug is a spring clip on the shaft. But the Dolomite's is integral to the shaft, so that had to be pulled out of the top coupling and turned 180.

Graham