Our latest venture was to install electric power steering in the FJ40.
The setup is quite simple for 1973 to 1984 40-series. But what about 1972 and back? That's what we decided to find out. We can report that we were successful and while it is not pull, plug n play like the 1973+, it's also not that hard either.
The vintage and well-documented option for FJ40 power steering is the Saginaw conversion using various GM parts and other items. It certainly works well enough, although to do it right requires careful placement and welding, plus plumbing hoses, lines, a master cylinder, drive belt, and more.
But this is 2018. Technology has moved forward. Electricity is our friend. No longer are we stuck with leaky pumps, messy oil and grinding/welding. With advancements in technology, why not have an electric power steering (EPS) option? Now when considering adding power steering into Land Cruisers, it's time to consider the electric option!
This Tesla-era setup was designed by EZ Electric Power Steering in the Netherlands (
www.ezpowersteering.nl). In North America, their EZ EPS is distributed by City Racer LLC at
www.cityracerllc.com (who also has a slew of cool Land Cruiser items available from 40-series to 100-series).
Saginaw kits are usually around $1300 for a fully complete kit, plus a ton of associated labor. That makes the $1870 price from City Racer well in line with a Saginaw, especially considering you are not dealing with welding, master cylinder install, and a pump and lines that can leak and fail. The EZ EPS has components from Koyo and NSK, both Japanese companies with a proven reputation for quality.
The EZ EPS kit is designed for two sets of trucks: 1973-1980, and then 1981-1984 Land Cruisers. 12V and 24V, LHD/RHD options are all available. For these years, the supplied steering EPS column and integrated electric motor are literally a swap-and-drop item from your OEM column, plus the associated wiring. There is no welding. There is no plumbing. No bleeding. No searching filthy junkyard trucks for parts.
It's literally this simple: for the 1973-1984 trucks: remove your factory steering column. The EZ EPS system keeps everything from the OEM manual steering box forward! You take your OEM steering lock/ignition key unit and fit it to the new EPS column. Feed the new column into the cabin and engine bay. Secure the end of the EPS steering flange to the OEM coupling. Mount the ECU and associated electronics in a safe location, put the column turn signal levers back on, get the steering wheel and associated small items on, test everything twice, and go enjoy your EZ Electric Power Steering!
The City Racer website has an excellent instruction page for the EZ Electric Power Steering on the EPS page. Check it out. But what about the many of us who have 1972 and older Land Cruisers?
That's where we stepped in. We know the 1973-1984 EZ EPS system is a very easy install. So easy in fact, it's a clear winner, labor-wise, over any Saginaw install. (Labor-wise, to repeat). For early FJ40 owners putting the EPS system in your trucks in not that difficult either, although it is certainly a "custom" install with a few added parts needed.
What do we think? Having done it, we can understand why EZ EPS chose to build their units for 1973-1984. Their units for those model years are swap, plug, and play--it's that simple. Easy to market and hardly any hard labor needed. But if you were thinking of doing the welding and plumbing of a Saginaw PS setup in a pre-'73, we are here to tell you that the EZ EPS is still massively less work, although there is cutting involved and additional parts to be sourced.
