Practically Classics Forum

Hi,

I have a couple who are interested in buying my van (1984 freight rover sherpa) but the woman needs power steering due to a disability/.
Does anyone know where i can source a power steering unit to fit the van? im told any unit from a pilot/sherpa will fit up to 1995.

Or is there an electric unit than can be retro fitted?

Many thanks

James/

If not, is there an electronic unit that may be available? I seem to remember one being made for Volkswagons.

Thanks
James

hi i wonder if an ldv pilot pas steering box will fit although powering the pump from the engine might not be easy depending on your power unit , an electric power column could be adapted , i belive the vauxhall corsa system is widly used on kit cars , mk 2 escorts etc , another thought citroen saxo's had a remote mounted electric pump feeding a steering rack so possibly an ldv pilot box could be used

LDV Pilot PAS box should bolt straight on, and if the engine is "O" Series then a PAS pump from a 2000 SD1 or a Princess/Ambassador using the same engine would bolt straight on as well. I can't see there being any problems at all, once the required parts have been sourced. Once done it will look as though it came out of the factory like it.

These guys do an aftermarket electric system, available from their UK agent as either a kit or fully installed. A couple of chaps on an MGC forum have used it and are very pleased with it.

http://www.ezpowersteering.nl/language/23/2/Home.html

This phrase doesn't exactly inspire confidence in their ability to understand the nature of the task:

EZpowersteering's blurb wrote:The amount of assistance can be selected by turning a potentiometer, so that the driver can select the desired feel (i.e. more assistance with wider tires

What utter piffle!

Why wouldn't you want to adjust your PAS to give greater assistance if you have wider boots fitted? As it is a "one size fits all" system it would need to be fairly customisable.

Adjustable would be good, yes, but the wider the tyre, the lighter the steering, not heavier as anyone who ever drove a Dolomite on 185/65% tyres vs its original 155/82% ones would confirm.

(That example represents an approximate 5.29% decrease in the effort required at the steering wheel to achieve the same effect at the front tyres - assuming that the hub turns about precisely the same axis - and it's difficult to have confidence in a specialist that doesn't seem able to get its collective head around the basic physics of it).

Can't be bothered to visit the site, but might this not refer to the steering being heavier when the car is stationary/at parking speeds. I'm sure that steering would be heavier with wider tyres fitted under such conditions.

I remember this system getting a write-up in PC last year and it was quite expensive - I think around £1100.

I'd be more inclined to try and find parts down the scrappers from similar models as suggested in earlier post.

Adjustable would be good, yes, but the wider the tyre, the lighter the steering, not heavier as anyone who ever drove a Dolomite on 185/65% tyres vs its original 155/82% ones would confirm.

...........you're forgetting the lazy factor where pas is concerned- people who twiddle the wheel when the car isn't moving or is at very low speed,this is when the pas is needed most. Above walking speed pas is completely unneccesary on any car anyway.Without pas it would be easier to park on thin section tyres (lower contact area, less friction) than on fat tyres (more drag). When I had my last diesel BX it was one of the rare povo spec ones with no FDV valve in the system and hence no PAS-wide rubber that car was more or less impossible at parking speeds.......awesomely difficult to manouvere on wide rims, a real workout!