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Power Steering for a TR3A


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Hello All,

 

Here follows a description of fitting an Electric Power Steering unit to a TR3A. My motivation for this modern extra is to allow easy parking. The beauty of this unit is that it can be turned off and you are able to experience normal direct steering whether you have a worm or R&P. You could in fact only use the EPS for parking if that is your desire. We are restoring a 1958 TR3A which was originally from California and used to be a LHD so originality in this car is not a priority. We therefore have decided to include as many modern comfort and safety items as possible while still retaining a traditional Triumph TR appearance.

 

We finished the basic fitting of the EPS unit last week and have some pictures below. I have included a few taken at an early stage where the unit is being supported by cable ties. We had not fitted the under scuttle roll over bar at that stage and it will give those of you who do not have a roll bar an idea of how easy it would be to make up a rear bracket using the original ‘anchor’ fitting. I would say that it would be just as strong and robust as our fabrication.

 

Requirements for Electric Power Steering for TR2, TR3 or TR3A

 

1. Opel/Vauxhall Corsa B EPS unit with EPS ECU (cost us €115 used, delivered)

2. After-market assistance control ESG unit (€44.99 new, delivered)

3. Length of steel plating (600 x 30 x 4 mm) – rear end support – vertical and horizontal

4. Length of angle iron (245 x 20 x 2 mm) – horizontal front end support

5. Length of steel plating (180 x 20 x 2 mm) – vertical front end support

6. Nuts & Bolts

7. Welding and cutting equipment

 

General

This Corsa B EPS unit is used with great success in Ford Escort rally cars and is well tried and tested. We connected the rear of the EPS unit (i.e. the steering wheel end) to an under scuttle roll over bar, however the original steering bracket would also be ideal and probably less steel plating (No 3 above) would be used in the adaptation. Conversion of a LHD car would be slightly different and would necessitate turning the EPS unit upside down otherwise the motor would not fit because the heater would get in the way. In a LHD car the rear bracket would have to 'enclose' the steering column however this would not present any problems. The front end would basically be fabricated the same way with slight changes. The variations would not present any major problems as this Corsa EPS unit fits very snugly between the dashboard and the bulkhead of the sidescreen TR. There is a universal extension which will connect to the original steering column, the upper part of which will need to be shortened and ‘squared off’ to fit the Corsa extension. We don’t envisage any problems with this as it should be a straight forward task. Accurate alignment between the Corsa EPS unit and the lower steering column is not necessary because of the universal extension. This makes the fitting of the EPS unit very easy. In fact in the Rally Escort conversion the universal extension bends, in a C shape, around the pedals before it connects to the lower steering column.

 

Description of fabrication

There are four fixing points on the Corsa B EPS unit, two at the front and two at the back.

 

Rear end support (i.e. steering wheel end)

We fabricated a U-boxed shaped support bracket using No 3 above. The lower cross member of this bracket takes up a slanting position, estimating the angle of which becomes obvious during fabrication. This is because the EPS unit takes up a position where the front end is lower than the back end. The upper ends of this U-box are welded to the roll bar. We fabricated the verticals in two short pieces and bolted them together so as to be able to make adjustments if necessary. We will eventually weld these plates together. One probably would not weld these in the case of a LHD so the unit could be dropped easily when dismantling.

 

Front end support (i.e. bulkhead end)

The pedal box is ideally placed to help support the front end of the EPS unit. An angle iron (No 4 above) is bolted horizontally to the lower back edge of the pedal box (see one of the side views at a slight angle) and the inner end is welded to a vertical steel plate (No 5 above) whose upper end is bolted with two bolts to the front left (inner) vertical part of the original steering bracket.

 

With all the nuts tightened it is impossible to move the unit – it is totally rock solid and very strong. We will eventually use Nylock nuts throughout the assembly.

 

I am sure there is probably another way of securing this EPS unit to the sidescreen TR and we would be interested to hear the views of any other interested parties. We will not get a chance to try out our new power steering until later in the year when we have the car back together again. We will report to you again then with our verdict. If anyone else has already fitted one, or fits one in the meantime, we would be very interested in hearing your views.

 

I am off to Amsterdam for the weekend and will look forward to any comments (or abuse!) on my return.

 

Regards,

 

Martin

 

backbracketrightsidevie.jpg

Right side view back bracket

underneath.jpg

Attachment to pedal box from underneath

ecusjpg.jpg

Assistance adjustment control, ESG, original EPS ECU

frombehindwheelon.jpg

With beautiful Corsa steering wheel – for positioning purposes only!

Edited by TR Man
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If you haven't already done so, please submit this to TRAction, which means it could be read by all members (not everyone is connected to the Forum).

Ian Cornish

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You have to admire someone who has the skill and interest to start a project like this. Please write it up for the magazine, it looks fantastic. Good luck

 

Thank you, Richard for your comments.

Thanks for your suggestion, Ian - will do.

 

Regards,

 

Martin

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Brilliant Job Martin, and I'd like your OK to pass the story on to the editor of our Australian TR Register magazine, "Sidescreen", with you acknowledged as the innovator. I'm sure some of our senior TR owners with a bit of arthritis creeping in will be very interested.

 

Regards,

 

Viv.

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Brilliant Job Martin, and I'd like your OK to pass the story on to the editor of our Australian TR Register magazine, "Sidescreen", with you acknowledged as the innovator. I'm sure some of our senior TR owners with a bit of arthritis creeping in will be very interested.

 

Regards,

 

Viv.

 

Hi Viv,

 

This is the first I have heard of an Australian TR Register mag "Sidescreen"....how does one go about receiving it?.

 

Cheers

 

Tony

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Brilliant Job Martin, and I'd like your OK to pass the story on to the editor of our Australian TR Register magazine, "Sidescreen", with you acknowledged as the innovator. I'm sure some of our senior TR owners with a bit of arthritis creeping in will be very interested.

 

Regards,

 

Viv.

 

Hi Viv,

 

This is the first I have heard of an Australian TR Register mag "Sidescreen"....how does one go about receiving it?.

 

Cheers

 

Tony

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Brilliant Job Martin, and I'd like your OK to pass the story on to the editor of our Australian TR Register magazine, "Sidescreen", with you acknowledged as the innovator. I'm sure some of our senior TR owners with a bit of arthritis creeping in will be very interested.

 

Regards,

 

Viv.

 

No problem, Viv. Disseminate as far and wide as you like.

 

I'm currently working on an automatic gearbox (only joking!).

 

Regards,

 

Martin

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