On Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:28:12 +0100, Mizter T wrote:

On 22/10/2012 20:39, Bruce wrote:
The company that makes London Taxis (LTI) has called in the
Administrators.

http://tinyurl.com/8fqam4x

From the Wikipedia entry for Manganese Bronze (aka LTI), this
(unreferenced) para:

---quote---
On 12 October 2012 the London Taxi Company announced the recall of some
four hundred TX4 models delivered since late February 2012 owing to two
incidents involving a loss of power steering. For reasons not yet fully
understood by the Company a hydraulic line had on the affected cabs
become detached at the steering box resulting in a partial loss of power
steering. As the cause/circumstances of the failure is yet to fully
understood, and a remedy made available, no new cabs can be sold.
---/quote---

I suspect, having seen earlier reports relating to this story, that
someone in china has used a cheaper alternative component to something
specified in the steering system, or the manufacturer of a part has used
a cheaper production method or material, and whichever it was, it's
buggered the steering.

Found at http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/m...ticle-2216982/
Manganese-Bronze-shares-frozen-vehicle-recall.html
or: http://tinyurl.com/986qy3w

"Manganese recalled 400 TX4 Hackney carriages, after two cabbies found
themselves unable to steer properly due to a faulty part made in China."

Also, at https://cabtradenews.wordpress.com/t...ng-box-recall/ or:
http://tinyurl.com/9a6pfxk

"The steering box is a new design from a new supplier that was introduced
in production at the Coventry factory in late February 2012."

There's also some info at http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/
oct/12/400-london-taxis-recalled-safety or: http://tinyurl.com/9hcbbeb

"Coventry-based company - which manufactures the cabs in China"

"a circlip, which holds hydraulic fluid pipes in place, had either fallen
off or been damaged."

"the company had recently contracted a new Chinese company to supply its
steering box."

Rgds

Denis McMahon