The eps I’ve seen mount it in front of the pedal, directly behind the dashboard. They’re likely all using very similar parts.
Has anyone heard anything good about this kit? (power steering)
- Thread starter Jackson Hanes
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
the steering box, yes, but you need all the other components, too
and modify the shock tower to have space for mounting the box
You might have to take a little off the brake pedal. Just a small notch. I have built three of these units using self sourced boxes off ebay and some of epower steering components.
That kit is not a bad way to go. It wasn't availible when I started building them a few years ago. You will still need to cut your steering shaft and do some welding.
The "plug in play" unit that CityRacer sells while it seems pricey is a good bargain. Plus you retain your original steering shaft if you want to switch it back.
As said above, the other options work great also but they do involve a lot more invasive work to the frame.
I have actually swapped one of the Electric units between trucks in less that a couple hours.
That kit is not a bad way to go. It wasn't availible when I started building them a few years ago. You will still need to cut your steering shaft and do some welding.
The "plug in play" unit that CityRacer sells while it seems pricey is a good bargain. Plus you retain your original steering shaft if you want to switch it back.
As said above, the other options work great also but they do involve a lot more invasive work to the frame.
I have actually swapped one of the Electric units between trucks in less that a couple hours.
- Thread starter
- #44
3 of the city racer ones, or the 650$ one? Because if this one works, I don’t have a problem cutting the oem steering colum.
Keep in mind that welding on the steering shaft is a big no no and it will fail safety inspections as it is not street legal. I don’t know how the EPS conversion is done. However, I do recommend machining shafts, set screws in counter sunk holes, Locktite, and locknuts over welded joints in shafts.
I have built 3. From parts I sourced. I had the time to do it myself so that is the way I went.
From the amount of work it took the CityRacer unit is one heck of a bargain.
CityRacer's units come ready to bolt in. With no mods to any part of your truck. They simply replace the current steering column. You do a little wiring and swap over your ignition, steering wheel and the column plastic cover and you are ready to go.
The $650 kit will require you to cut your shaft and have some welding done on some of the components.
It is just a pre-sourced kit with all the required compents.
- Thread starter
- #47
In the end, I probably will settle for the CityRacer kit. I'm really just trying to get an idea of what is good, what is decent, what is bad.
At the risk of being construed as having vendor bias, I'll give you my take. When you drive a Cruiser fitted with EPS, you can't tell the difference from hydraulic. If anything, the level of assist is more precise because it's monitored by a computer. You can even tune it to the level that suits your liking by turning a knob.
Installation is non-intrusive. Nothing is disturbed, and nothing is added under the hood. These days who wants to hack up a Cruiser? A vehicle is only original once. The fact that the original tie rod system is retained isn't necessarily a bad thing. Tie rod end kits and center arm rebuild kits are readily available. It's a vintage system that will keep on working if maintained.
Parts availability is a key consideration. The once common mini-truck, FJ60 parts are rapidly dwindling in supply. Scout parts are even harder to come by. You're often dealing with tattered used parts. If you need replacement parts down the road, your option will be limited. For this reason, many of my shop customers who used to perform such conversions have been switching to EPS.
Regarding cost, when you consider the total cost including the effort to source parts and the labor to install, EPS is quite competitive. Among EPS solutions, there are budget solutions as well as turn-key solutions. I've been asked what's the difference between the $655 ePowersteering kit and the City Racer kit. It's been covered in other threads, but here's the short version. The
ePowersteering kit isn't a drop-in solution. They don't provide a steering column. You'd have to cut your old column to fit it. The motor is a rebuilt unit, as opposed to new. Installation is more difficult, and the end result won't look quite as sleek. See comparison photos below.
Installation is non-intrusive. Nothing is disturbed, and nothing is added under the hood. These days who wants to hack up a Cruiser? A vehicle is only original once. The fact that the original tie rod system is retained isn't necessarily a bad thing. Tie rod end kits and center arm rebuild kits are readily available. It's a vintage system that will keep on working if maintained.
Parts availability is a key consideration. The once common mini-truck, FJ60 parts are rapidly dwindling in supply. Scout parts are even harder to come by. You're often dealing with tattered used parts. If you need replacement parts down the road, your option will be limited. For this reason, many of my shop customers who used to perform such conversions have been switching to EPS.
Regarding cost, when you consider the total cost including the effort to source parts and the labor to install, EPS is quite competitive. Among EPS solutions, there are budget solutions as well as turn-key solutions. I've been asked what's the difference between the $655 ePowersteering kit and the City Racer kit. It's been covered in other threads, but here's the short version. The
ePowersteering kit isn't a drop-in solution. They don't provide a steering column. You'd have to cut your old column to fit it. The motor is a rebuilt unit, as opposed to new. Installation is more difficult, and the end result won't look quite as sleek. See comparison photos below.
Last edited:
Jackson,
have you met other people with 40s in your area (like IA or NE, or MO, whatever is close) and looked at their set-ups ? Then ask them about the local cruiser wrench specialists that you could consult with
check out the Clubhouse section here on MUD for contacts in your area
and yes, I used to live in Nebraska, and there were few 40 owners around, but there was good knowledge to be found among them
have you met other people with 40s in your area (like IA or NE, or MO, whatever is close) and looked at their set-ups ? Then ask them about the local cruiser wrench specialists that you could consult with
check out the Clubhouse section here on MUD for contacts in your area
and yes, I used to live in Nebraska, and there were few 40 owners around, but there was good knowledge to be found among them
