Series 3 Electric Power Steering

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C

Citizen Kane

Well-Known Member
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323
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Hampshire
I've bought this

IMG_1762.jpg


Corsa B electric power steering system, the intention is the graft it into the existing Series 3 column, any one done it before or have any useful links to successful Series conversions.
 
As the links demonstrate, lots of info on the Corsa EPAS not a lot that is specific to Land Rovers. I think the steering wheel side should be fairly simple its coupling it into the steering box that presents the challenge. The output from the EPAS is a 19mm diameter double D shaft, I could shorten the lower UJ link then cut the Land Rover shaft close to the steering box and D off the shaft or try and rigidly couple the Land Rover shaft directly to the Corsa shaft.
 
If you use the P38 box, you have to get shot of the battery tray, and (not sure about this cant remember) you have to move the front forward cut the x member off and change the position of it more forwards, I wanted to do the Corsa one, seemed better, and cheaper, but there are issues with speed, the faster you go the less you need to steer, and that adjustment is hard to do.... apparently
 
I too have thought about this and continue to watch closely. Thee are some excellent P38 box conversion on the various forums but the best have involved quite a lot of chassis modification and fabrication of a new steering collumn which is a lot of work. The realtive ease of fitting the electric is attractive but looking at the electronincs (not my strong point) I would be tempted to buy a kit where someone else has solved the issues. I rather like the Heystee if only it wans't so expensive (well over £1000), at the moment my prefernce is to make a version of the Heystee based on the tractor steering kits but that still comes in at £500 but it should need very little modification. I also have mixed feelings about adding power steering to a series; my LWB is very heavey to park, but as its a camper I do 50 -100 mile journeys and the steering is too light most of the time, the last thing I would want is less resistance to turning on the motorway. I think power steering really only makes sense if you cut the number of turns lock to lock significanlty so that the steering at speed stays heavy - that would suggest that the Scout box would be best but where do you get those??
 
Its not just distance, my shoulders just find it harder now im a little older, and cant put my mussel into it like I used to
 
I'm guessing that the standard power steering on a Coil sprung Land Rover isn't speed sensitive nor are any of the aftermarket hydraulic kits so I'm not that worried. If it really is an issue then you can buy over the counter signal generators that can, given a suitable input, reduce the level of assistance with speed or remove the assistance altogether.
 
Ahem! Why'd do you have a Series landy? Cos it's a basic utility vehicle; with no power steering. It does have the ability to fit power steering as an optional extra but that's long gone . There's plenty threads on Corsa electric power steering it not without complications. I'd rather stick with the original speculation. It's what sets it apart!:p
 
When doing non standard power steering mods to any car, if they are powering the coloumn the same loads are still being put into the rack/box, even when your sat in the cab smiling turning the wheel with one finger, don't forget this when your driving
 
John S said:
Ahem! Why'd do you have a Series landy? Cos it's a basic utility vehicle; with no power steering. It does have the ability to fit power steering as an optional extra but that's long gone . There's plenty threads on Corsa electric power steering it not without complications. I'd rather stick with the original speculation. It's what sets it apart!:p
Click to expand...
Yes, I tend to agree. On the other hand the novelty soon wears off when trying to manoeuvre it into or out of tight spaces. The lwb has a pretty poor lock and I've found myself shunting back and forth several times to get it out of a tight spot which leaves me sweating. I love driving my series but watching that video had me a bit envious.

Col
 
John S said:
Ahem! Why'd do you have a Series landy? Cos it's a basic utility vehicle; with no power steering. It does have the ability to fit power steering as an optional extra but that's long gone . There's plenty threads on Corsa electric power steering it not without complications. I'd rather stick with the original speculation. It's what sets it apart!:p
Click to expand...

Do you know what these complications are and how they would relate to a Series conversion.

Grem said:
When doing non standard power steering mods to any car, if they are powering the coloumn the same loads are still being put into the rack/box, even when your sat in the cab smiling turning the wheel with one finger, don't forget this when your driving
Click to expand...

I think its highly lightly that the loads will be in excess of what it is currently subjected to but I've seen plenty of Series Land Rovers with larger and wider wheels and tyres running increased offset and I bet these see huge loads at parking speeds but you dont hear of many if any steering box failures. I will be running 5.5" wheels with 7.50 tyres.
 
I think the load issue is interesting. The strongest part will be the swivels and pins as these take the bumps and knocks of driving into rocks, working back to the steering column that takes human force. The standard system gives a bit becuse the steering wheel slips through the drivers grip if a wheel kirbs. Its not nice and it may lead to a loss of control, but it absorbs some of the impact. With power assitence on the column the driver can hold against that kick so the full force is held in the steering box and drop arm. If I'm right (no certainty) then the Haystee apprach makes more sense as it puts the assitence close to the stongest point and reduces the load on the box..
 
There's a thread on this somewhere on the forum. BB? I recall it was a weakness of the electric system. It can be fitted but not that effective. Sorry i don't have more details but the thread does.
 
rob1miles said:
I think the load issue is interesting. The strongest part will be the swivels and pins as these take the bumps and knocks of driving into rocks, working back to the steering column that takes human force. The standard system gives a bit becuse the steering wheel slips through the drivers grip if a wheel kirbs. Its not nice and it may lead to a loss of control, but it absorbs some of the impact. With power assitence on the column the driver can hold against that kick so the full force is held in the steering box and drop arm. If I'm right (no certainty) then the Haystee apprach makes more sense as it puts the assitence close to the stongest point and reduces the load on the box..
Click to expand...

If I can get this power steering fitted I will be putting the steering damper back on so that should deal with most of the kick back issues and I expect that one would naturally have a more relaxed grip on the wheel with PAS. If as you say the standard steering can kick back with sufficient force that control may be lost I would have though that the assistance offered by PAS was a good thing, cant say I've ever experienced such violent kick back in mine though.

John S said:
There's a thread on this somewhere on the forum. BB? I recall it was a weakness of the electric system. It can be fitted but not that effective. Sorry i don't have more details but the thread does.
Click to expand...

Looking around I cant find any specific information that would lead me to believe that this system has a generic weakness, lots of people seem to have fitted them to lots of different vehicles successfully.
 
I'm not against power steering on a series nor doing that electrically, but my day job often involves looking at engineering changes that have gone wrong becuase the modifications undermined some of the orginal design intentions. This makes me predisposed to look for that type of issue. I think I can see a bit of it here and so to my mind a system like the Heystee looks like it stays closer to the original intentions, i think that could hold true of the P38 box too as it comes from the same design team and is intended for a similar application. The Corsa column is intended for a different usage and so I would want to see more analysis, it clearly works well on kit cars as there are a lot using it but I would be uncomfortable with it on a fully laden LWB and trailer, not becuase it could fail, but because without type approval (a UK exemption I fully support) I could be left explaining why it was safe after an accident, even if it wasn't the cause.
 
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