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Topic: has anyone installed an EPS system in a TC? (Read 1958 times) previous topic - next topic

has anyone installed an EPS system in a TC?

One of the previous owners of my car spent a lot of time and money working under the hood of my '87 TC.  One of the things that was removed in the process was the entire power steering system.  My car currently has manual steering....and it sucks.  The one positive is that getting rid of all of that power steering equipment really makes my engine compartment looks very clean.

Speaking with Shawn (Tbird232ci), he's thinking an EPS system (electric power steering) could be installed so I don't clutter up my engine compartment.  has anyone installed an EPS system in a thunderbird or TC yet?

has anyone installed an EPS system in a TC?

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Moonmount;463573
are you talkin something like this? https://www.ultimatepowersteering.com.au/electric-power-steering-pump-kit/

sort of.  what I've been looking at is purely electronic with 0 pumps, hoses or fluids...something like what epas offers: http://epasperformance.com/

a lot of people pull the electric power steering systems from wrecked cars in junkyards.

has anyone installed an EPS system in a TC?

Reply #3 –
if you dont care about steering feel go for it they seem to have a kit for a foxbody
88 Cougar
88 T-Bird
other cars that don't apply to this forum

has anyone installed an EPS system in a TC?

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Moonmount;463575
if you dont care about steering feel go for it they seem to have a kit for a foxbody

I'd take easier steering over feel any day of the week.

here's a long thread over on a mustang forum: http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/mod-custom-forum/787114-best-200-mod-ever-eps.html

has anyone installed an EPS system in a TC?

Reply #5 –
i would personally go with a stock system, but to each their own man
88 Cougar
88 T-Bird
other cars that don't apply to this forum

has anyone installed an EPS system in a TC?

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Moonmount;463575
if you dont care about steering feel go for it they seem to have a kit for a foxbody


Both my Scion FRS and my girls Fiesta ST have electric assisted power steering. The steering feel is incredible. Better than a stock TC, better than an SN95 Mustang, better than my Trans Am, better than a lot of cars. The new generation Mustang uses electric assisted steering and you can select the amount of steering effort you want.

These systems have a lot to offer.
It's Gumby's fault.

has anyone installed an EPS system in a TC?

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Tbird232ci;463592
Both my Scion FRS and my girls Fiesta ST have electric assisted power steering. The steering feel is incredible. Better than a stock TC, better than an SN95 Mustang, better than my Trans Am, better than a lot of cars. The new generation Mustang uses electric assisted steering and you can select the amount of steering effort you want.

These systems have a lot to offer.

now we just need to find someone who has installed one in their fox body...

has anyone installed an EPS system in a TC?

Reply #8 –
Kinda cool. Been thinking about something like this, but my current parts budget won't support it. ;)
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo

has anyone installed an EPS system in a TC?

Reply #9 –
Quote from: Chuck W;463605
Kinda cool. Been thinking about something like this, but my current parts budget won't support it. ;)

the cost seems like it would be tied up in the labor, if you can't do it yourself (I'm in this boat).  you can get an EPS unit from a saturn vue for around $100, plus it'll need a controller that seems to run around $60-70.  Another popular EPS is from a toyota prius - they don't seem to require an additional controller, but I'm not sure on the price of these...I don't imagine they're much more than the saturn vue EPS from a junkyard.

has anyone installed an EPS system in a TC?

Reply #10 –
Quote from: Tbird232ci;463592
Both my Scion FRS and my girls Fiesta ST have electric assisted power steering. The steering feel is incredible. Better than a stock TC, better than an SN95 Mustang, better than my Trans Am, better than a lot of cars. The new generation Mustang uses electric assisted steering and you can select the amount of steering effort you want.

These systems have a lot to offer.

Ive driven the newer mustangs and always thought the steering felt awful. I haven't driven a Scion FRS or a Fiesta St though. A Porsche 944 with a depowered rack is probably has the best steering feel out of anything Ive driven, second would have to be the same 944 before it was depowered.
88 Cougar
88 T-Bird
other cars that don't apply to this forum
 

has anyone installed an EPS system in a TC?

Reply #11 –
The problem I see is that a lot of that nice feel is related to feeding a speed signal back to the BCM so it can determine the amount of assist it will provide. Ie the Fiesta, which I have a lot of wheel time in, the bcm actually shuts the epas off above ~45mph and it behaves as a manual rack.

Rack assisted EPS is far superior to a column assist in my opinion, the column assist has a garbage feel and only the lowest B segment and A segment cars are using them in my experience.

This would absolutely require a 3G alternator, and the starter might interfere with the E motor as there is over hang on the back opposite the input. Another factor is because of the rack weight a lot
Of these electric power racks use 3 or 4 mounting locations over the “normal” two bolts.

has anyone installed an EPS system in a TC?

Reply #12 –
Quote from: Sancho;463644
The problem I see is that a lot of that nice feel is related to feeding a speed signal back to the BCM so it can determine the amount of assist it will provide. Ie the Fiesta, which I have a lot of wheel time in, the bcm actually shuts the epas off above ~45mph and it behaves as a manual rack.

Rack assisted EPS is far superior to a column assist in my opinion, the column assist has a garbage feel and only the lowest B segment and A segment cars are using them in my experience.

This would absolutely require a 3G alternator, and the starter might interfere with the E motor as there is over hang on the back opposite the input. Another factor is because of the rack weight a lot
Of these electric power racks use 3 or 4 mounting locations over the “normal” two bolts.

this will definitely take some fitting, that's for sure.  the biggest thing for me is that I live in a suburb with small streets and I have to keep the car in my garage as the borough doesn't allow us to park our cars on the street overnight being that our streets are so narrow.  having to muscle the steering wheel to get around in my area is pretty annoying.

rather than cluttering up my engine bay with an original power steering set up, an EPS sounds like the better way to go, assuming I can find someone to install one for me (I'm not very gifted in the fab/mechanical side of things).