EPAS Electric Power Steering install
Drove the 68 Barracuda out of the garage today, with Electric Power Steering!
I used the kit from EPAS, I know that some folks are improvising units from salvage yards, but I was wanting an engineered solution for this install. I have used pull a part components many times, just not this time.
EPAS Performance
There is potentiometer that allows one to adjust the amount of power assist delivered to the steering column.
With the dial full left, there is no power assist, moving the nob to the right increases the assist incrementally.
At full right, the assist is like a big Buick of back in the day, a butterfly could turn the steering wheel.
The Mopar A body kit is complete, but it is not a 100% bolt in without modifications. The existing column is cut down, I re used the existing steering column fire wall plate and mounted the included lower steering shaft bearing to the OE fire wall plate. The fire wall plate included with the kit may work on a first generation A body, but it does not fit a second generation Barracuda.
One also needs to devise a way to firmly mount the shaft mounted motor and torque sensor. Just one more part of the project. The EPAS kit includes a nice universal that replaces the OE slider at the steering box. The EPAS steering column is a two piece design that has a solid D shaped bar tightly fitting inside a larger D shaped tube. That retains the ability of the steering column to adjust it length slightly in daily driving or by inches in the event of a collision.
The steering column power unit ended up being positioned above the gas pedal. It does not in any way interfere with foot access to the gas pedal. But If I was doing an install with the dash completely disassembled, I would have been able to mount it up higher where the power unit wound not have been visible at all.
The wiring is straight forward, there is a control box that needs to be mounted and two wire connections, one light amperage wire that activates an internal relay and one 60 amp heavier wire that needs to be connected for the main power feed.
I am satisfied with the unit. The install was an interesting exercise. A bit of garage fiddling included, but that is where the fun is.
When I had questions the EPAS tech support was available and had good general information.
Drove the 68 Barracuda out of the garage today, with Electric Power Steering!
I used the kit from EPAS, I know that some folks are improvising units from salvage yards, but I was wanting an engineered solution for this install. I have used pull a part components many times, just not this time.
EPAS Performance
There is potentiometer that allows one to adjust the amount of power assist delivered to the steering column.
With the dial full left, there is no power assist, moving the nob to the right increases the assist incrementally.
At full right, the assist is like a big Buick of back in the day, a butterfly could turn the steering wheel.
The Mopar A body kit is complete, but it is not a 100% bolt in without modifications. The existing column is cut down, I re used the existing steering column fire wall plate and mounted the included lower steering shaft bearing to the OE fire wall plate. The fire wall plate included with the kit may work on a first generation A body, but it does not fit a second generation Barracuda.
One also needs to devise a way to firmly mount the shaft mounted motor and torque sensor. Just one more part of the project. The EPAS kit includes a nice universal that replaces the OE slider at the steering box. The EPAS steering column is a two piece design that has a solid D shaped bar tightly fitting inside a larger D shaped tube. That retains the ability of the steering column to adjust it length slightly in daily driving or by inches in the event of a collision.
The steering column power unit ended up being positioned above the gas pedal. It does not in any way interfere with foot access to the gas pedal. But If I was doing an install with the dash completely disassembled, I would have been able to mount it up higher where the power unit wound not have been visible at all.
The wiring is straight forward, there is a control box that needs to be mounted and two wire connections, one light amperage wire that activates an internal relay and one 60 amp heavier wire that needs to be connected for the main power feed.
I am satisfied with the unit. The install was an interesting exercise. A bit of garage fiddling included, but that is where the fun is.
When I had questions the EPAS tech support was available and had good general information.
