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Electric assist steering...anyone?

IIRC all 390 '67's came with the rag joint and all Tilt Away equipped '67's came with a rag joint.
There were some non tilt with the rag joint as well. My 67 is an early model with the long solid shaft.

They changed in response to federal safety regulations that were due to change in 68 requiring all new cars to have a collapsible steering column. They used the solid shaft until they ran out then switched.

Mel

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I have had EPAS for almost three years now. I love it. I do have the adjustable knob rather than a speed sensor. I leave it on low most of the time and turn it up to park. I don't have any issues with it returning to home after U-turns or any turn for that matter. In fact I don't even notice it has any input unless I turn it up to park. I have forgot to turn it back down sometimes at speed and it doesn't adversely effect the steering but I feel more "feedback" if it's set low at highway speeds. I did use a 68 column in my 67 just to run the turn signal wires on the outside of the column. My car was/is an early 67 and had the solid shaft. I have a power steering gearbox (my was originally PS). I also have the 5 speed in it now so it clears the clutch pedal too.
 
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I was looking at Boregeson also but that GM pump sitting in the engine bay just doesn't seem right.

Where does the Elect system get its power...wired to where?
the kit I bought has a unit that is powered off the battery and has a key on wire so it only works when the key is on.
 
My dad put the Borgeson PS on his 66 (was a manual steering car). After driving them both I have to say I prefer the EPAS. My dad's works fine but I like not having a pump and any hoses. It's clean and quiet and unless you look under the dash you wouldn't know it had PS.
 
It's clean and quiet and unless you look under the dash you wouldn't know it had PS.
That's the one thing I have noticed in many of the EPAS installs is that the motor unit doesn't fit up under out of sight as well as I would like. Lots of times that big ole honking set-up is just hanging down off the column waiting to smack your knee! I plan on an electric set-up in the F1 but will be making a custom lower dash panel to hide the workings.

And as far as the Borgeson goes, it works great. Downside is certainly having a pump driven off the engine. A Saginaw to add insult but at least it doesn't hemorrhage like the old ram systems.
 
mine is tucked up pretty nice. never banged a knee. Like I said, unless you look up under there you never know it's there. DSCN0551a.jpg37085140_10212386646326834_6337015789010288640_n.jpg
 
You've got that thing clocked right up in there. Very nice. I've seen lots of installs where it sits in plain view halfway down the column.
 
thanks! I like it. this picture is looking thru the instrument cluster location... I made a bracket that bolts to the brake pedal support so it can't move. The motor is pretty close to the vent but it clears.
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So I obviously sold mine, but in a mad hunt for another FB.

Anyways, I called epas, because I was wondering about some of the comments on here which were all good.

The problem I seem to have and epas agreed I remember I could not achieve caster greater then 3.5!! They said the more caster the better possibly up to 6 if you can. With the unisteer rack it wasn’t possible. They said it it better to probably stick with the gear box. But they did say the feel is different which I agree.

My next stang I think I will go to the borgenson setup. Not sure though we will see.


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I’ve never driven a Classic with rack and pinion conversion. Obviously newer cars with R&P and it does feel tighter I guess. I don’t understand all the concern actually. Anyone wanting to take mine for a spin is welcome!
It has the original power steering gearbox. Opentracker springs and spring perches, roller idler, and replaced the eccentric bolts with opentracker kit. It has the arning drop and a performance alignment per opentracker recommendation. Of course a 502 BBF doesn’t do much for the front to rear weight balance, the steering is great. It’s clean and quiet and I can adjust it to no assist on the highway and up to full to parallel park. And it’s one less thing I have to worry about leaking!


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The problem I seem to have and epas agreed I remember I could not achieve caster greater then 3.5!! They said the more caster the better possibly up to 6 if you can. With the unisteer rack it wasn’t possible. They said it it better to probably stick with the gear box. But they did say the feel is different which I agree.
An electric assist set-up like an EPAS cannot affect caster. Its just a wart on the steering shaft. Has nothing to do with caster or camber or even toe. It has no mechanical connection that has bearing on any of that. A rack on the other hand certainly can.
I agree that it can certainly affect "road feel", in theory, I have no personal experience with it in a classic though so we have to trust they guys that do. I can share that in my '14 GT with electric steering the "feel" was somewhat artificial. Not in all a bad thing but you could tell.
 
Ya that’s what my problem was. It was the unisteer rack and for some reason I could not get the caster I needed.



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