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Anyone looking at putting a EPAS steering on their 48 - 52 pickups. I've been looking at doing this and having trouble at where to mount the steering box, hoping for some ideas. Keeping the original flathead V-8 but have a jag front suspension.
The research I have done on EPAS indicates the box stays in the factory location and the EPAS unit goes under the dash inline with the steering shaft. I have been looking at it for my '69 Mustang convertible project.
I have a nearly complete EPAS system from a Saturn Vue that I was going to put in the '49 F3. It is complete with wiring except for the speed controller module which is available on E-Bay.
I was hesitant to to cut my steering shaft to install that rig, since I am at times bad at accurately measuring cuts before I make them, and also I do not know how to weld.
I sold the F3 recently and was going to put this unit in a '72 land Rover project I'm working on, but the angle of the Rover dash/bulkhead is not compatible. The 48-52 cabs have plenty of room to install one of these.
If anyone wishes to buy this system from me, shoot me a PM. I am no expert on how these conversions work, and know about as much as anyone does about how they would work in our trucks, but they do have potential as far as I can tell.
Tom
EPAS on a 1967 Mustang steering box assembly. Yes, I measured about 10 times and the column housing and steering shaft have to be measured and calculated individually.
EPAS/Mustang steering laying next to my '54 F100 column
Working on one for my '76CVF150 project too. It will be under the hood.
@33ratrod With the Jag front end if it has a rack&pinion, you may be able to do what I'm doing on the Crown Vic truck project. Install the EPAS under the hood between the column and the R&P. Normally where there is a straight rod between two little universal joints at an angle. Do a google search for Suzuki Samari with Toyota Prius EPAS. Worked well even on the trail.
Here is a link
Tom, there was a rumor at TS you had sold the F3, now I'm seeing official confirmation in this thread. Does this mean there worn't be lobster omelettes at Truckstocks anymore? That would be too bad! Sorry Ratrod for the highjack.
54Ranger, can you share any information or experience about the control module that you use(d) for the install. The one that detects vehicle speed and send an on/off signal to the steering assist box. I see that they can purchased on E-Bay for about 80 dollars but didn't research on how best to position/locate and install them. This thread would benefit from anyone's knowledge on that part of the conversion, because I don't think it has been covered on this forum yet.
Tom
@pineconeford I don't think that the Saturn Vue system will go into default mode when the PCM is disconnected from the EPAS module. Only the Toyota type that the column motor is made by KOYO.
I'm by no means am the person to ask questions about installing on other vehicles. The 1967 Mustang is the first car that I have converted and I'm not done yet. Tomorrow all of the wiring needs to be fitted and a lot of soldering and heat shrinking will take place.
If one were to search EPAS steering into an early Mustang or Cougar, several results will pop up. That is the most advice that I can give.
Thanks 54Ranger for the reply. Yes I sure can understand that each application can be unique and that each owner will have to do research and make some choices on their own.
I had purchased this Saturn setup a few years ago and was waiting for more members (or You-Tubers ;D) to describe their installations, including how that control module works with an install. I never got around to doing it.
I'm sure in time someone will put one of these Saturn Vue-type assemblies into a 48-52 or a 53-56 truck and we will build up some archive information on how they did and how well it worked. Both the F2 and the F3 I had were tough to steer at low speeds due to the radial tires and this looks like a way to ease that effort considerably.
The controller I mentioned above looks like this if someone wants to try one out with their install - a couple of E-Bay sellers are offering them. It may or may not be needed to make The EPAS units could function well with or without it but here it is from a seller known as 'Darkperformance':
With the jag front end the rack is on the back side of the crossmember so there is no room for the EPAS under the hood. I'll have to integrate it into the steering column.
@33ratrod What is wrong with your Jag R&P? It seems like a Saginaw pump would power it well. I saw a video of EPAS being installed in a '56 and it was all right there out in the open. Yes, it works, but I didn't go for the aesthetics, the look, of it. My '54 has a hydraulic power rack off of a last century Ford product with nearly the same tracking width of the old F100.
1954F100ranger, I don't want to put a power steering pump on my Flathead. They don't have any power to lose anyway, even going to run an electric fan for cooling. Going to do mild modification to the motor so maybe I'll have 125 130hp. Going with a Chevelle rearend with around 350 gears a t-5 transmission so it should be a good cruiser. At least that's what I'm hoping. I know your thinking why a Chevelle rearend but it had the same track width and the same bolt pattern as the jag front end.
