Retrofitting Power Steering - what is the best option?

[Belle427]

Looks a nice kit that, expensive though.
http://vtautomotive.com/shop/tvr/chimaera-pre-serp...

[nick_mcuk]

phazed said:

Graham, you're a really nice bloke an all but you couldn't be more wrong! Manual racks are appalling..............

Totally agree...i test drove a Non PAS and a PAS Chimaera 400 side by side (PAS one is the one I now own!) and holly christ the NON PAS one was an absolute pig to drive and horrid. Now before I get jumped on I had a 1988 205 1.9GTI with no PAS so I know fully what GOOD non PAS is.

The Chimaera without PAS is not it.

[N7GTX]

nick_mcuk said:

phazed said:

Graham, you're a really nice bloke an all but you couldn't be more wrong! Manual racks are appalling..............

Totally agree...i test drove a Non PAS and a PAS Chimaera 400 side by side (PAS one is the one I now own!) and holly christ the NON PAS one was an absolute pig to drive and horrid. Now before I get jumped on I had a 1988 205 1.9GTI with no PAS so I know fully what GOOD non PAS is.

The Chimaera without PAS is not it.

Pah, for god's sake, you pansies down south need to man up here Peter, I'm surprised at a big strong builder chap like you saying this, tut tut

205 GTi is no comparison - front wheel drive in a short ar#e little box (I had one of them too). And I've taken the power steering off 2 of my SD1s to fit manual racks.

More polishing needed Nick, to firm up those biceps.....

[hillclimbmanic]

I have a '92 400 Griff, with a manual rack...As a(former.!!) Welsh Powerlifting Champion, I don't understand this thread at all...

[phazed]

Pah!

[SeiW500]

Thanks, I'll get in contact.

N7GTX said:

If TVR engineer on here (John) is still doing them, might be worth a call?

https://tvrengineer.co.uk/tvr-upgrades/electric-po...

[stevesprint]

chris52 said:

Many thanks Stevesprint thats very helpful. I have had a good friend get the top part welded he also then had the weld tested with a ton of force so thats not going anywhere. The diagram printed out perfectly thanks.
What Gauge/ thickness steel did you use for the bracket I see you strengthened it by adding support at the back. also when you had the lower section welded did you just weld one piece to another or did you sleeve over the top of it? and weld again. I know your set up works as youve had it installed now for 4 years so I am confidant that your way is the best way forward.
Chris

Chris
Sorry for the delayed response, being a Griff owner I don’t often trespass onto the Chimmy side.

2mm thick and the inserted support bracket is not right on the top edge but a few mm down.

No sleeve, I used an ex-MOD welder who's work is X-rayed to check the penetration. He held the column straight in a lathe and spot welded it at 12 o’clock & 6 o’clock and then at 3 & 9 o’clock and finally welded it round in sections. He said welding the whole way around in one hit would warp it as the metal cools and shrinks.

I chose the Corsa B because it is shorter than the Corsa C and allows room to retain the steering wheel tilt mechanism, plus the B’s outer tube diameter is the same as the Griffith’s column that is from the Cavalier Mk3.

http://www.easysteer.co.uk automatic controller sounds interesting, if not I see there is plenty of other controllers to consider.
http://www.ezpowersteering.nl/type/26/144/TVR_Chim... as in Vaurien picture
http://www.dcelectronics.co.uk/Products/EPAS/#stre... supplied mine.
https://tvrengineer.co.uk/tvr-upgrades/electric-po...
http://vtautomotive.com/shop/tvr/chimaera-pre-serp...

Edited by stevesprint on Tuesday 31st January 18:46

[chris52]

Thanks Steve I've managed to fit the column in place. Mine is also a Griff a 97 500. I couldn't fit the the bracket in the way you did because the brake and clutch hydraulic pipes and big alloy union block were in the way and I didn't fancy moving them. I ended up adjusting and turning the pump bracket around which I then bolted to a piece of angled steel this then bolts to two pieces of box section steel that I welded to the the pedal box. Probably a bit of over kill but I know it's never going to move or break and I can still remove the column in about 15 minutes if needed

I am next on with tackling lower section and then the wiring.

This certainly isn't an easy job and not one that can be done in a weekend I must have had the pedal box in and out about 10 times checking and double checking welding etc etc.
Hopefully will have it somewhere close to finishing this weekend.
Chris

[Bluebottle]

nick_mcuk said:

phazed said:

Graham, you're a really nice bloke an all but you couldn't be more wrong! Manual racks are appalling..............

Totally agree...i test drove a Non PAS and a PAS Chimaera 400 side by side (PAS one is the one I now own!) and holly christ the NON PAS one was an absolute pig to drive and horrid. Now before I get jumped on I had a 1988 205 1.9GTI with no PAS so I know fully what GOOD non PAS is.

The Chimaera without PAS is not it.

Got to agree with the above comments, its not so much that non PAS is heavy cos it ain't, if anything mine was actually lighter than the PAS on the move (heavy when parking tho). These chassis give a huge amount of feedback thru the steering column (non PAS) which inevitably means having to be far more relaxed on the wheel and allow it to move otherwise it gets real twitchy, this makes the car less precise on track. The big difference for me tho, is that the manual rack is almost 3 turns lock to lock(2.7) and the PAS rack is only just over 2 turns (2.2) this make the car far more precise and controllable on track.