Date:         Tue, 24 May 2011 20:53:08 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Electric Power Steering in Vanagon
Comments: To: Jeff Schwaia <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <4ddaeb4f.27788e0a.697f.6392@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed

At 07:18 PM 5/23/2011, Jeff Schwaia wrote:
>A Syncro just arrived from Europe that has an 
>aftermarket electric power steering setup.  I've 
>seen these advertised before, but never one on a T3.
>
>Not sure if they're adjustable, but this one is 
>way too easy to turn.  No effort at all.  Don't like it!
>
>Here's a quick pic:
>
>http://www.autostadtwest.com/images/electricPS.jpg

Interesting.  Appears to be a General Motors 
steering-column system built by NSK (or rather an 
NSK system built for General Motors) with some flanges knocked off the casting.

Some notes on GM electric steering here: 
http://motorage.search-autoparts.com/motorage/Technical/Straightening-out-GM-electric-power-steering/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/718296 


With particular regard to Syncros...


>One final note about mechanical problems. From 
>experience, it seems that most mechanical 
>problems with EPS systems result from the 
>customer hitting a curb and breaking something 
>in the column. Unfortunately, this problem is 
>usually discovered after an alignment when the 
>technician turns a corner and the steering wheel 
>jerks abruptly to one side. One technician who 
>drove a car with this problem said it felt like 
>the steering wheel was ripped out of his hands 
>after the first turn – and he's glad he didn't 
>have his hand through the actual steering wheel 
>because it would have hurt! It's a good idea to 
>be careful when road testing a vehicle with EPS 
>if you suspect this might be the case.

Here's a readable tech paper from 1999 by some 
NSK engineers, talks about column-type and rack-and-pinion type setups.

Yrs,
d