Electric power steering (EPAS) conversion

[ktel]

Has anybody performed an electric power steering conversion to a 944? Based on my research it is very popular to MGs, Jags and older euro classics. I think I 've encountered somewhere a 924 with such a conversion. Most people use a Corsa steering column, some others Toyota parts...

Here is a link from a US forum discussing solutions for muscle cars and hotrods:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspension-brakes/1848775-35-electric-power-steering-fail-safe-no-ebay-module-no-caster-issues.html

I think it is very interesting since it does not require all the complex hydraulic components, pumps, belts etc of the factory power steering PLUS it can be completely disabled using a swith!

 

[924Srr27l]

I think there's probably more interest for Power steering owners to switch to a Manual rack for better feel / driving experience than consider an electric rack ?

R

 

[Dan944t]

Has anybody performed an electric power steering conversion to a 944? Based on my research it is very popular to MGs, Jags and older euro classics. I think I 've encountered somewhere a 924 with such a conversion. Most people use a Corsa steering column, some others Toyota parts...

Here is a link from a US forum discussing solutions for muscle cars and hotrods:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspension-brakes/1848775-35-electric-power-steering-fail-safe-no-ebay-module-no-caster-issues.html

I think it is very interesting since it does not require all the complex hydraulic components, pumps, belts etc of the factory power steering PLUS it can be completely disabled using a swith!

Hi Ktel,

i see where your your interest is in these electric power steering units , but personally wouldnt ebtertain them.

my wife bought a brand new Alf’s Romeo meto fully loaded and the electric steering locked up on us doing national speed going round a sharp bend coming off the m25, luck I was in the passenger and managed to grab the steering and turn it onto hard shoulder! Needless to say if I wasn’t there god knows what would have happened as it locked up so stiff i needed both hands to steer it.

moral is I don’t trust them and never will . Your better off as roger mentioned with no power steering or with a hydraulic pump as standard running off the crank via a belt.

Each to there own though ??

 

[924Srr27l]

Has anybody performed an electric power steering conversion to a 944? Based on my research it is very popular to MGs, Jags and older euro classics. I think I 've encountered somewhere a 924 with such a conversion. Most people use a Corsa steering column, some others Toyota parts...

Here is a link from a US forum discussing solutions for muscle cars and hotrods:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspension-brakes/1848775-35-electric-power-steering-fail-safe-no-ebay-module-no-caster-issues.html

I think it is very interesting since it does not require all the complex hydraulic components, pumps, belts etc of the factory power steering PLUS it can be completely disabled using a swith!

Hi Ktel,
i see where your your interest is in these electric power steering units , but personally wouldnt ebtertain them.
my wife bought a brand new Alf’s Romeo meto fully loaded and the electric steering locked up on us doing national speed going round a sharp bend coming off the m25, luck I was in the passenger and managed to grab the steering and turn it onto hard shoulder! Needless to say if I wasn’t there god knows what would have happened as it locked up so stiff i needed both hands to steer it.
moral is I don’t trust them and never will . Your better off as roger mentioned with no power steering or with a hydraulic pump as standard running off the crank via a belt.
Each to there own though ??

Scary ! I've got a similar issue with the electric steering on my Seat TDI where the ABS Hub Rings have worn, they are not giving out a signal to the ECU, hence no traction control, ABS or 100% Electric steering because it's all linked...Hence the steering at slow speeds is hard to turn, ok after 40mph but if you need to swerve
quickly it tightens and unless your Popeye you'll not have enough "Spinach" to move it as fast as the situation allows!

Ktel: Is your 44 an early car with Manual steering ? if so it's only tough for parking but great everywhere else ? or does it have large heavy wheels on it ?

R

 

[ktel]

Mine has a manual steering rack from factory. It's a bit difficult to turn on low speeds with the 16" Fuchs...

 

[Waylander]

I have a 2013 A4, and after having a tyre blow out at 70+ after hitting the bit of rear box that fell off a transit in the middle lane of the M42,

the electric steering has been wrong ever since, anyway after changing the wheel the steering was 90 degrees out of line and totally crap

even before this it was totally dead feel and massively over assisted, Audi had to change the rack and all the sensors to get it back in-line

I really dislike electric steering period, I would much rather drive my 968 than the soulless A4

 

[Dan944t]

I have a 2013 A4, and after having a tyre blow out at 70+ after hitting the bit of rear box that fell off a transit in the middle lane of the M42,

the electric steering has been wrong ever since, anyway after changing the wheel the steering was 90 degrees out of line and totally crap

even before this it was totally dead feel and massively over assisted, Audi had to change the rack and all the sensors to get it back in-line

I really dislike electric steering period, I would much rather drive my 968 than the soulless A4

Yep ....exactly!

 

[John Sims]

When I took a Panzamera Turbo from Silverstone PEC to Autosport I pulled into the first garage on the way as I thought it had a flat tyre, the steering feel was so strange. Once I established all four wheels were present and correct we carried on and the car seemed to learn what was expected of it and it was no longer an issue.

So while I was sceptical at first, ultimately it wasn't a problem.

 

[924Srr27l]

Mine has a manual steering rack from factory. It's a bit difficult to turn on low speeds with the 16" Fuchs...

Ok, what width are they 6" , 7"? diameter 15 or 16" ? What tyre pressures do you run...


R

 

[ktel]

Mine has a manual steering rack from factory. It's a bit difficult to turn on low speeds with the 16" Fuchs...

Ok, what width are they 6" , 7"? diameter 15 or 16" ? What tyre pressures do you run...


R

They are 16" in diameter and 6" front with 195 tyres. I will check if they have lost pressure, I normally run on 30-32

 

[924Srr27l]

Mine has a manual steering rack from factory. It's a bit difficult to turn on low speeds with the 16" Fuchs...

Ok, what width are they 6" , 7"? diameter 15 or 16" ? What tyre pressures do you run...
R

They are 16" in diameter and 6" front with 195 tyres. I will check if they have lost pressure, I normally run on 30-32

6" rear also ? 195/55/16 ? or

try 35 psi be better for parking turning, For some strange reason Porsche decided for once to not do it properly on the early 944's
as they left the same 924 wishbone length on and fitted incorrect offset wheels, which affects the steering geometry and scrub radius
in other words makes it much heavier to turn the steering wheel.

They eventually fitted it with wider wishbones and the wheels went back to offset's in the 50's from the ET20's,

Although 6" fuch rims will be from the front of the 911 and I'm not sure what offset they are,



R

 

[blade7]

I worked for the hydraulics division of Gates, and they were VERY twitchy about failures. The Yankee boss claimed the steering would lock solid if the fluid leaked. I think that was an exageration TBH, but when the belt broke/fell off my old Volvo 850 it was very hard to steer. The electric steering on our Fiesta ST feels OK to me though.

 

[ktel]

6" rear also ? 195/55/16 ? or

try 35 psi be better for parking turning, For some strange reason Porsche decided for once to not do it properly on the early 944's
as they left the same 924 wishbone length on and fitted incorrect offset wheels, which affects the steering geometry and scrub radius
in other words makes it much heavier to turn the steering wheel.

They eventually ficed it with wider wishbones and the wheels went back to offset's in the 50's from the ET20's,

Although 6" fuch rims will be from the front of the 911 and I'm not sure what offset they are,

Yes they are from a 911, 16x7'' rear with 225 tyre width. Offset front is ET23 and rear ET36. I 'll try 35psi and let you know about the result.

 

[924Srr27l]

6" rear also ? 195/55/16 ? or

try 35 psi be better for parking turning, For some strange reason Porsche decided for once to not do it properly on the early 944's
as they left the same 924 wishbone length on and fitted incorrect offset wheels, which affects the steering geometry and scrub radius
in other words makes it much heavier to turn the steering wheel.
They eventually ficed it with wider wishbones and the wheels went back to offset's in the 50's from the ET20's,
Although 6" fuch rims will be from the front of the 911 and I'm not sure what offset they are,

Yes they are from a 911, 16x7'' rear with 225 tyre width. Offset front is ET23 and rear ET36. I 'll try 35psi and let you know about the result.

It'll be the other way round front 6" ET36 and rear 7" Et23.

The fronts on 195/55/16 ? and 35psi should be fine other than feeding the wheel when parking...
Unless you've got a smaller profile ? 195/50/16? which will make the steering heavier ?

R

 

[944Turbo]

Has anybody performed an electric power steering conversion to a 944? Based on my research it is very popular to MGs, Jags and older euro classics. I think I 've encountered somewhere a 924 with such a conversion. Most people use a Corsa steering column, some others Toyota parts...

Here is a link from a US forum discussing solutions for muscle cars and hotrods:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspension-brakes/1848775-35-electric-power-steering-fail-safe-no-ebay-module-no-caster-issues.html

I think it is very interesting since it does not require all the complex hydraulic components, pumps, belts etc of the factory power steering PLUS it can be completely disabled using a swith!

I think Fen was experimenting with corsa electric power steering a few years back, He had converted his power rack to manual (so had fewer turns lock to lock than a manual rack) and was planning to use the power assistance for low speed manoeuvring Not sure how far he got with it in the end a search of the archives might throw up some more info. Even the power assisted cars feel heavy compared to many modern cars - not necessarily a bad thing though!
Tony