The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop EPAS steering column with Howe 1.5 quickener

I have gathered all the bits and pieces for my steering column with EPAS Performance electric P/S and Howe 1:1.5 steering quickener. 53 3100.

Mick - Is there a question involved here, or just the preliminary post before you get started with this part of your project?

I think Mick is just sharing, a lot of us are following this project.

Sorry for not being clear. I started making the box for the quickener. I'm trying to keep everything square. There is a 1/4" offset between the input and output shafts. I'm setting it up to be 1/4" higher at the dash. There seems to be room for that with a new or altered mount. This will take my steering box ratio from the stock 22:1 to a modern 14.6:1. Of course I ran out of argon. At least it's not Friday night like usual.

Mick.
Has anyone ever asked you, "What's wrong with you?"
Since you didn't ask a question, I felt compelled to ask you one.
Please understand that I am not ridiculing you, as there is clearly something wrong with all of us partaking in this hobby.
As far as your build goes, I am living vicariously through you, as I don't have the time or know how to do what you do.

I have defiantly been ask that before. The list is long. The VA has been trying to figure that out for 45 years. Heck at one point I had 3 shrinks and 23 meds. I received 2 patents last year on devices that will save lives. They are currently being prototyped. When people tell me something won't work I ask why and how do we get around it. A lot of engineers want to put wheels on a horse and then solve the problem of why it won't go up the mountain trail. I don't have any wife or kids and few friends. I live vicariously through the interactions on this forum. For that I am grateful. Thank you for your time.

If I am understanding correctly, the steering quickener will change a six-revolution steering wheel system to a four-revolution system? I recently completed my EPAS renovation on my truck and it is a vast improvement. I am intrigued by the quickener. Not really something for my truck but in a race application it is good insurance.

Yes that is correct.

ISTM that the quickener will increase the force required to turn the steering wheel without the help of the EPAS. So, if something happens to the EPAS unit, it will be a real chore to drive the truck. I think I would prefer the EPAS without the quickener.

Any idea what the EPAS unit was originally designed for? I doubt the vendor designed and manufactured it. Maybe a GM or Toyota part?

The unit is an EPAS Performance model specific kit. I bought it direct through EPAS Performance. It has adjustable gain. If it fails or loses power it just goes back to manual. I see your point about the smaller wheel and the increased ratio being hard to turn but I would most likely be moving anyway to mitigate the problem. They were very helpful. Normally you would want the quickener before the EPAS unit so as to not put added strain on the unit. My problem was packaging. If I put the quickener before the unit it puts the unit down by the floorboard instead of up under the dash. After much discussion we determined that since the unit was designed for a 14:1 box and mine was a 22:1 that putting it below it would have no more strain than a modern box so it would be fine. I put one of these units on a friends 55 a few years back without the quickener and it works smooth as silk still. Thank you for your thoughts.

It appears to be the GM system. I used a Toyota system in mine as it seemed to be smaller.

Nice work.

I'm making progress. I don't like grinding. The big advantage to keeping things square is I can use the mill to finish things out. I repurposed the plugs from the annular cutter for the holes to make the tabs for the cover.

That is a beautiful bit of craftsmanship. Fast and best in show. Is it possible to install it backwards making it snail steer? The splines appear identical.

Yes like a lot of young people it will go either way. They also make it in a 2:1 ratio.

Is it possible to get the gearset out of your box without cutting off some of the tabs you bolt the cover to?

It appears that the tabs are drilled and threaded, making it possible to access the mechanism. The tab configuration looks like it allows removing the mechanism. Well thought out process.

So using picture #7 as an example, moving the gearset all the way to the right would allow the left hand end of the assembly to clear the large hole on the left and then have enough clearance to get past the 2 left and 2 center tabs?

Another question: Why put that nice looking gearset in a box at all?

The quickener needs to mounted to something so the body doesn't turn. I also need to keep the integrity of the column to support the EPAS motor. If I'm understanding you question correctly. you can snake the quickener in the box as you said the offset tabs.

Well I got the box done. I'm pretty happy with it. Oddly enough someone managed to get past the hounds and sneak into the shop last night and polish the quickener. What kind of crazy person would do such a thing? I'm going to have to have a talk to the hounds.

Thanks for the info Mick. I'm not being critical, just want to understand how this will work.

I went back and looked at your posting from Sunday and realized that there are two bolts going up through the bottom of the box holding the Howe device in place in the box. I'm guessing that those two bolts will also be used to mount the box to the chassis?

The box will be mounted inline in the column. Hopefully I will make some progress on that today and it will be clearer. Thank you for your thoughts.

Maybe this will help.

I got pretty frustrated. The original tube is no where near round or centered to the mount. I struggled most of the morning trying to get it round enough to fit in the box for the quickener. I finally just welded a piece of the new tube on it. I had it in the lathe trying to file it round to no avail. I needed a win so I cleaned up the cast collar. Turning cast is such a mess. I made a copper heat sink using some 1" soft copper pipe and a exhaust tube expander. My welding skills are mediocre at best and I don't want to burn through. I got the steering box taken apart and cleaned up.

I think I'm over the hump. The connection to the original shaft is a weld on fitting. I added a set screw and flat spotted the shaft. This let me adjust the length to get it just right before I welded it and maybe a little redundancy. Every thing fit really well, maybe a little too well. I'm concerned about being able to adjust the box so I'm going to slot the mounting holes on the quickener .100" or so and tighten it after adjusting the box.

I think I have all the heavy lifting done. There is a lot of little stuff left and the pretty part. There is a 1/4" offset in the steering quickener. I offset it upwards and was able to modify the existing column mount to raise it 1/4". I also made a nylon bushing for it to gain some rigidly over the rubber mount and added a set screw. Playing with it on the bench with no power there is very little drag on it.

Very nice.

Thank you.

Thank you for the detailed documentation of this conversion. Great stuff!

Thanks for your interest. I don't have anyone else to tell.

I had to work in short spurts today it was so hot. Todays problem was the sector shaft on my box is worn to the point where the adjuster bolt is too short. It still works but I don't like the way it looks. I rebuilt the box a while back but didn't replace the sector shaft and ball nut because of cost. There is plenty of adjustment left in it and they have worn themselves into a perfect fit but I'm out of adjustment on the bolt.. I had an extra 7/16" 20 TPI X 1 3/4" ARP bolt and nut and a 10 X 3/4" ARP bolt. I cut down the head of the bolt to fit in the sector shaft. I cut the head off the little bolt and welded it to the end of the 7/16" bolt and cleaned it up on the lathe. I cut the threads back on the bolt to where the head of the little bolt sticks out through the hole of the cover and self centers making it so easy to get started. I have an unhealthy relationship with ARP.

Creative remedy. What's unhealthy about ARP... besides the price.

That's a slick fix, looks really clean.

I really like ARP's stuff. The quality and look is unsurpassed in my opinion. Since they only come in a 5 pack it's a bummer when you need 6 but when you need 2 or 3 and you have them from leftovers it's super nice. I needed 3 of these to mount my steering box to the frame. I don't know where else I would need a 7/16"x 20 TPI bolt so it was a leftover.

Thank you.

The original bolt had a common screwdriver slot for adjusting. What tool do you use to turn the new adjusting bolt?

It's a 1/4" 12 point socket. I cut the head off a #10 24 TPI bolt and welded on the end of the 7/16" 20 TPI bolt. I cut the threads back far enough so the head sticks out through the hole before the threads engage.

Looks a lot cleaner than how I would have done it with the grinder and files :-D Nice work!

Thank you. The lathe helps.

And also, I now know how to do this mod on my own old rigs if I need to. Thank you!