Electric power steering project

[Carbuilder]

Since installing A/C behind the dash was not challenging enough (see my other thread) I thought, as long as the dash is out, why not install power steering? The other reason is that I want a smaller steering wheel; I just happen to think the stock one looks too big. And of course a small wheel means more steering effort, hence, PS. The current effort is perfect when driving, but a bit of a pain when maneuvering slowly. I go to a number of cruise nights and we always back into spots. There is a lot of steering wheel cranking for that. Anyways, my car is far from stock so why not?

My brother, who is restoring a Manta kit car, showed me this electric unit from Flaming River. Runs off 12V, and can mount anywhere in the steering column where there is room. You basically cut about a 9" section of the current column out and adapt the unit to fit. Since there is pretty much zero room in the engine compartment, and plenty of room behind the dash with the various vents and hoses removed, that is where it is going.

The stock steering column taken apart and the electric PS unit:



Bracket arrangement for mounting the unit. I'm using the stock column support as the rear mount point:





Installed for a test fit. It needs another support at the front as the unit is almost 10 lbs:



Now that I know it fits, the column needs some serious work. As many have found, the existing bearings in the column are not very good. The description of bicycle bearings is a good one. Since I'm redoing all of this I figured replacing the bearings with some good sealed ones is in order. I ordered a pack of 10 bearings from Amazon, 1" ID, 1.5" OD, .3" thick, sealed deep groove ball bearings. The inner column is just a touch over 1" diameter so a light skim takes it down. I found a piece of black iron pipe that was a perfect size to machine the OD to fit in the outer column tube, and the ID to fit the bearings. This is the upper part of the column. One bearing on the left is not shown. As the bearings are fairly small, I'm using 2 at each location. The circled part is the old bicycle bearing assembly. This is the part of the column that goes from the steering wheel to the PS unit. I'm not using, and don't need, the current spring and spacer hardware.



This shows the sub-assembly of 2 bearings in the new sleeve before being installed in the outer column tube:



I bought 2 steering column couplers (the piece on the left) that each have an inner spline to match the external one on the PS unit, and a 3/4" dia bore in the other end. I machined a support piece (middle piece) that fits into the inner column and also in to the coupler. I'll slide these together, with Loctite, and then put a cross pin in each section to lock it all together.



Coming along very well I think. The lower part of the column (PS unit to steering rack U-joint assembly) is similar. Working on that now.

Rick

 

[65beam]

Since installing A/C behind the dash was not challenging enough (see my other thread) I thought, as long as the dash is out, why not install power steering? The other reason is that I want a smaller steering wheel; I just happen to think the stock one looks too big. And of course a small wheel means more steering effort, hence, PS. The current effort is perfect when driving, but a bit of a pain when maneuvering slowly. I go to a number of cruise nights and we always back into spots. There is a lot of steering wheel cranking for that. Anyways, my car is far from stock so why not?

My brother, who is restoring a Manta kit car, showed me this electric unit from Flaming River. Runs off 12V, and can mount anywhere in the steering column where there is room. You basically cut about a 9" section of the current column out and adapt the unit to fit. Since there is pretty much zero room in the engine compartment, and plenty of room behind the dash with the various vents and hoses removed, that is where it is going.

The stock steering column taken apart and the electric PS unit:

View attachment 19049

Bracket arrangement for mounting the unit. I'm using the stock column support as the rear mount point:

View attachment 19050

View attachment 19051

Installed for a test fit. It needs another support at the front as the unit is almost 10 lbs:

View attachment 19052

Now that I know it fits, the column needs some serious work. As many have found, the existing bearings in the column are not very good. The description of bicycle bearings is a good one. Since I'm redoing all of this I figured replacing the bearings with some good sealed ones is in order. I ordered a pack of 10 bearings from Amazon, 1" ID, 1.5" OD, .3" thick, sealed deep groove ball bearings. The inner column is just a touch over 1" diameter so a light skim takes it down. I found a piece of black iron pipe that was a perfect size to machine the OD to fit in the outer column tube, and the ID to fit the bearings. This is the upper part of the column. One bearing on the left is not shown. As the bearings are fairly small, I'm using 2 at each location. The circled part is the old bicycle bearing assembly. This is the part of the column that goes from the steering wheel to the PS unit. I'm not using, and don't need, the current spring and spacer hardware.

View attachment 19053

This shows the sub-assembly of 2 bearings in the new sleeve before being installed in the outer column tube:

View attachment 19054

I bought 2 steering column couplers (the piece on the left) that each have an inner spline to match the external one on the PS unit, and a 3/4" dia bore in the other end. I machined a support piece (middle piece) that fits into the inner column and also in to the coupler. I'll slide these together, with Loctite, and then put a cross pin in each section to lock it all together.

View attachment 19055

Coming along very well I think. The lower part of the column (PS unit to steering rack U-joint assembly) is similar. Working on that now.

Rick

It looks like you've got it handled. There's an owner in S. Carolina that has engineered an under dash unit for the Alpines. He goes by DanR on the SAOCA forum.

 

[0neoffive]

Since installing A/C behind the dash was not challenging enough (see my other thread) I thought, as long as the dash is out, why not install power steering? The other reason is that I want a smaller steering wheel; I just happen to think the stock one looks too big. And of course a small wheel means more steering effort, hence, PS. The current effort is perfect when driving, but a bit of a pain when maneuvering slowly. I go to a number of cruise nights and we always back into spots. There is a lot of steering wheel cranking for that. Anyways, my car is far from stock so why not?

My brother, who is restoring a Manta kit car, showed me this electric unit from Flaming River. Runs off 12V, and can mount anywhere in the steering column where there is room. You basically cut about a 9" section of the current column out and adapt the unit to fit. Since there is pretty much zero room in the engine compartment, and plenty of room behind the dash with the various vents and hoses removed, that is where it is going.

The stock steering column taken apart and the electric PS unit:

View attachment 19049

Bracket arrangement for mounting the unit. I'm using the stock column support as the rear mount point:

View attachment 19050

View attachment 19051

Installed for a test fit. It needs another support at the front as the unit is almost 10 lbs:

View attachment 19052

Now that I know it fits, the column needs some serious work. As many have found, the existing bearings in the column are not very good. The description of bicycle bearings is a good one. Since I'm redoing all of this I figured replacing the bearings with some good sealed ones is in order. I ordered a pack of 10 bearings from Amazon, 1" ID, 1.5" OD, .3" thick, sealed deep groove ball bearings. The inner column is just a touch over 1" diameter so a light skim takes it down. I found a piece of black iron pipe that was a perfect size to machine the OD to fit in the outer column tube, and the ID to fit the bearings. This is the upper part of the column. One bearing on the left is not shown. As the bearings are fairly small, I'm using 2 at each location. The circled part is the old bicycle bearing assembly. This is the part of the column that goes from the steering wheel to the PS unit. I'm not using, and don't need, the current spring and spacer hardware.

View attachment 19053

This shows the sub-assembly of 2 bearings in the new sleeve before being installed in the outer column tube:

View attachment 19054

I bought 2 steering column couplers (the piece on the left) that each have an inner spline to match the external one on the PS unit, and a 3/4" dia bore in the other end. I machined a support piece (middle piece) that fits into the inner column and also in to the coupler. I'll slide these together, with Loctite, and then put a cross pin in each section to lock it all together.

View attachment 19055

Coming along very well I think. The lower part of the column (PS unit to steering rack U-joint assembly) is similar. Working on that now.

Rick

Hi; I'll be glad to take those bicycle bearings and the spacer hardware off your hands. just sayin'

 

[66TigerMK1A]

Jim ovens in the UK has made quite few power ‘columns’ using a sacrificial Alpine column and an electric unit from a certain compact car. It’s totally ‘stealth’ as all the bits are between the firewall and dash Buggest issue is that you need a way of reducing the power as the speed rises so it’s not ‘twitchy’ at speed. I’ve solved that problem on my Mazda ps rack but it required a lot of sorting to find the right controller. You can solve almost anything if you have time and internet. lol

 

[at the beach]

I installed one of the UK units. It was nice around town and in twisty areas but on the open road the Tiger would not track properly even when the caster was maxed out. If I was in a turn and let go of the steering wheel it would barely return to center. On the highway it took constant correction. Open road driving was massively more work. I soon took it out.
Buck

 

[Carbuilder]

The unit I'm using has a speed sensor system. You set the speed where you want it to basically add no assist. Below that speed it increases the assist as you slow down. I've read good reviews on it, so we'll see.....or feel. But they all have reduced "return to centre" action compared with standard steering since they use a worm drive (which can't drive back through the system). But again from what I've read, it is not too intrusive and you get used to it quickly with this unit.

Rick

 

[Carbuilder]

Hi; I'll be glad to take those bicycle bearings and the spacer hardware off your hands. just sayin'

Let me take another look at the bits I won't need and I'll let you know.

 

[0neoffive]

Let me take another look at the bits I won't need and I'll let you know.

I'm rebuilding a corroded column and could use those spacers rather than fire up the lathe. The actual 21 balls can be replaced and the cup race smoothed for re-use, thanks.

 

[Carbuilder]

Here is what I have that I'm not using:



I'm going to be using the snap rings. One of the bearing assemblies, not shown, is not usable in any way. The inner race was seized/rusted onto the shaft so I machined it off. But you can have what is shown. I'll send you a PM.

 

[Carbuilder]

The bearing inner race on the lower portion of the column was seized/rusted onto the shaft, so I machined it off:



It more or less follows the same procedure as the upper column piece. I put double bearings on the lower end with the snap ring to hold them in place:



I cut a new snap ring groove at the upper bearing location. This really just holds things in place while assembling the shaft so the inner shaft doesn't fall out of the outer tube. Once installed in the car it can't go anywhere:



Back to the upper portion of the column. This is the inner shaft in place. The screw/nut goes into the groove in the male spline to keep the shaft in place. I had to grind some of it off to slip the outer tube in place:



I wanted the bracket on the PS housing to help locate the outer tube, but didn't think ahead. I should have left the outer tube longer, but didn't, so I made an extension piece with a collar to join it to the main part of the tube:



So the column pieces are done. Now to work out the new steering wheel mounting. I don't think it's possible to have both the horn and telescoping steering wheel with the replacement wheel. I'll choose the telescoping feature and have the horn on a dash switch if I can't work out how to have both.

Rick

 

[Carbuilder]

Been a while, but I did finish the install of this unit. The telescoping steering wheel hardware was retained, but the horn switch is on the dash now.



I wired it up and tried it. With the car stationary, obviously I can't move the steering shaft with just the steering wheel mounting hub on the end. With the power assist cranked up, I can turn the wheels easily by just turning the steering wheel mounting hub. When the car is on the road I can set where I want the effort to be essentially zero. When parking, it will have full assist. So far, really pleased with it.

Rick