Electrically assisted steering racks?

"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich)
05/26/2015 at 10:19 • Filed to: None

Supposing a person was building a car from the ground up and wanted to use an electrically assisted steering rack, what sort of options are out there, and how complex would they be to integrate in a different vehicle?

For fuel economy reasons, it seems like a number of manufacturers are switching over to them vs. hydraulic units. They also seem to make more sense in an electric vehicle, as there’d be no need to run a hydraulic pump.

DISCUSSION (20)

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > BaconSandwich is tasty.
05/26/2015 at 10:26

If building a car from the ground up, I assume that it’s going to be lightweight and racecar, in which case I’d just skip powered steering altogether.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
05/26/2015 at 10:29

Well, that’d certainly work. I’m thinking more something like this, in theory:

Kinja'd!!!

Given it’s supposed to be decent off-road, I’d think that some sort of power-assisted unit would definitely be needed. My only experience driving a vehicle without power steering was a Ford Fiesta. I can’t imagine something like it doing too well off-road.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
05/26/2015 at 10:30

I guess another though I just had is those 4x4 units that are sort of like a quad, but bigger:

Kinja'd!!!

I wonder if they bother with any sort of power-steering. I might have to do a little more research on the topic.

spanfucker retire bitch > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
05/26/2015 at 10:31

But LMP1 cars are race cars and they use power steering.

uofime-2 > BaconSandwich is tasty.
05/26/2015 at 10:32

I was reading about this last week on vintage mustang forum, a few of them are using the rack out of a saturn Vue and some controller box off ebay made in Europe. link

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > spanfucker retire bitch
05/26/2015 at 10:33

He isn’t building an LMP1 car.

spanfucker retire bitch > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
05/26/2015 at 10:35

I didn’t say he was, but claiming that “because race car” when there are race cars that don’t use manual steering isn’t a good enough reason.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > BaconSandwich is tasty.
05/26/2015 at 10:35

It looks like they come standard unassisted, but that electric steering is an option. You might be able to just buy the parts needed for that and make it work.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > spanfucker retire bitch
05/26/2015 at 10:41

I wrote out about three replies before deciding that it’s not even worth it. Fucking pedant.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > BaconSandwich is tasty.
05/26/2015 at 10:41

We had an electric rack in the SAE shop at college, it was out of a Polaris RZR and our Baja team was experimenting with it in their buggy. It would probably be sufficient if you’re looking at something similar to a Rzr in terms of weight, wheel/tire size, offroad capability, etc.

Any more than that and you might want to look at adapting a car unit. But I think all your big 4x4 trucks, jeeps, etc., are still hydraulic steering, and there might be a reason for that - namely electric racks just aren’t up to that challenge yet.

spanfucker retire bitch > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
05/26/2015 at 10:43

Kinja'd!!!

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Snuze: Needs another Swede
05/26/2015 at 10:47

Very interesting! I certainly hadn’t thought about cannibalizing something from a vehicle like the RZR, but it could quite possibly do the trick.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > uofime-2
05/26/2015 at 10:51

Interesting find! That’s a place I definitely wouldn’t have thought to look!

uofime-2 > BaconSandwich is tasty.
05/26/2015 at 10:56

Very strange indeed, its a very popular thread too! I only found it because there was a link to it in the 2jz “abomination” mustang build

BaconSandwich is tasty. > uofime-2
05/26/2015 at 11:02

Ha ha!

I bet those Mustang/muscle car purists would have a heart attack if they knew what I want to do with a classic Mustang: 3-cylinder Ecoboost in an original V6 mustang. Similar amounts of power to the original stock engine, yet half the cylinders and a much much smaller block.

uofime-2 > BaconSandwich is tasty.
05/26/2015 at 11:07

Here’s the build if you’re curious.Its a 68, put an SVO in, blew it up a few times got tired of that and is finishing up adding the 2jz now. Cool build.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > uofime-2
05/26/2015 at 11:35

That’s awesome. I’ll have to give it a read during my lunch break.

random001 > BaconSandwich is tasty.
05/26/2015 at 12:08

You’re building a Lunar Rover?

But seriously, what is that? It's cool.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > random001
05/26/2015 at 12:35

It’s called the Scamander RRV. Built by a bunch of former TVR engineers (and former CEO, Peter Wheeler). It’s amphibious:

For some reason I really like the way it looks. I’m thinking a plug-in hybrid version would be pretty cool. It would also make for one heck of a disaster recovery vehicle if people could plug in power tools to it and use it as an over-sized generator. Have some solar panels that pull out of the sides of the box on the back to charge it during the day. Removable LED headlights that can be relocated using a sort of extension cord that can function as work lights. Also, the rear box isn’t terribly accessible, so some sort of watertight bulkhead/tailgate would be needed. I keep meaning to ask Oppo what sorts of things the ultimate disaster response should have, but I’d say that’ a pretty good start.

random001 > BaconSandwich is tasty.
05/26/2015 at 13:37

Thanks for that. That is really cool!