Bargain Quickrack

[loggyboy]

Excuse me if this is old and well known news but il tell you all anyway.

I was after a quick rack for the nova but didnt wanna pay the ?100 ish most seem to go for. However its been on my mind for a while, ever since i converted over to a standard Corsa column, that i could easily fit a EPS column from a late Corsa B, but then i would end up with powersteering but still with a rack with 3.7 turns lock to lock - gey.

I had heard rumours it was possible to make a quick rack out of corsa parts but couldnt get much info, all i could find out was that Corsa B columns fit novas if you swap the track/tie/whateveryoucallthem arms. Which led me to assume that a rack from a corsa with EPS would give me a 2.7 turn rack, i just needed to find one!

Several weeks on ebay with no luck and a saturday of hunting, 4 scrapyards later, I found one for the bargain sum of ?25!
fitted it today.. works like a Gem.. really crips and precise, a little heavy at low speeds or turning on spot, but nothing i cant live with. I may even fit the EPS column that i managed to 'persuade' the yard to let me take with the rack!

[Ash]

Some good info there :thumb:

I just paid ?40 for some err 'offical' internals, which i didn't think was to bad.

[bosscav]

how does the eps work electronics wise, is it just a case of just wiring a power and earth or is there an ecu involved?

[loggyboy]

There is 2 very large supply (+ & -) that go in to an ecu from the main loom, then 3-4 normal size wires go in to that ECU from the loom. THere are then 2 large wires (again + & -) that come out of the ecu and go to the motor and 2 small wires that go from the ecu to the column/motor.

My intial instinct is that If i bypass/ignore the ecu, feed power to the motor it will either be fully on, or fully off! then if i supply power to the 2 wires that go to the column it will switch it one way of the other, and im hoping a varying signal to these 2 wires will infinately adjust the effectiveness. but i sincerely doubt it will be that easy.

[MARTIN KELSON]

Hi

I have the EPAS on mine. Its well worth the effort.
The Corsa had speed sensitive power steering so the extra wires were for the speed sensors. You will need to bypass this. You can get the ECU modified by Harry Hockly or some sellers on e-bay do a box to connect to bypass the speed sensitive part. It will not work without doing this unless you are a electronics guru!!!

Martin

[Stuart]

I love the way HH charges like ?225 for ths job, thats ?224 profit for him lol.

you only need to supply the ecu with a square wave of 50/50 spacing and then vary the frequency with a pot (555 timer). job done.

[Steve]

Excuse me if this is old and well known news but il tell you all anyway.

I was after a quick rack for the nova but didnt wanna pay the ?100 ish most seem to go for. However its been on my mind for a while, ever since i converted over to a standard Corsa column, that i could easily fit a EPS column from a late Corsa B, but then i would end up with powersteering but still with a rack with 3.7 turns lock to lock - gey.

I had heard rumours it was possible to make a quick rack out of corsa parts but couldnt get much info, all i could find out was that Corsa B columns fit novas if you swap the track/tie/whateveryoucallthem arms. Which led me to assume that a rack from a corsa with EPS would give me a 2.7 turn rack, i just needed to find one!

Several weeks on ebay with no luck and a saturday of hunting, 4 scrapyards later, I found one for the bargain sum of ?25!
fitted it today.. works like a Gem.. really crips and precise, a little heavy at low speeds or turning on spot, but nothing i cant live with. I may even fit the EPS column that i managed to 'persuade' the yard to let me take with the rack!
Didnt I just read this over on MIG? slol

Sounds good though something i'd be interestd in, let us know how you get on with the EPS

[Will F]

You cant just swap the track rods over from the corsa rack to the Nova one.

You need to cut and re-thread the corsa rack.

[Jim]

I love the way HH charges like ?225 for ths job, thats ?224 profit for him lol.

you only need to supply the ecu with a square wave of 50/50 spacing and then vary the frequency with a pot (555 timer). job done.
Thats how a company makes money. If people are willing to pay for it, then fair play to HH. Not everyone is as clever as you stu :roll: :p

[Stuart]

there is making money and there is plain ripping people off but hey.

anyhooooo im not "that" clever, anyone who might have paid attention in physics at school would be able to do it lol

[peester]

so basically, a corsa b column and rack give you the 2.7 turns instead of o.e nova 3.7?
Ignoring the power steering lark for a moment, this is just a standard non assisted thing.?

[loggyboy]

You cant just swap the track rods over from the corsa rack to the Nova one.

You need to cut and re-thread the corsa rack.

You can and I have.

[loggyboy]

so basically, a corsa b column and rack give you the 2.7 turns instead of o.e nova 3.7?
Ignoring the power steering lark for a moment, this is just a standard non assisted thing.?

It has to be a rack from a Corsa B with electronic Power steering. If you just want the quick rack then there is no need to mess around with the column.

If you want the column then it gets more complicated.