Power Steering

[Charles]

Is it possible to convert a fluid type power steering system to an electric power steering system? I have a 2002 2.4L Honda CR-V LX 2WD
I have never changed out the steering rack after 274994 miles. Car runs great, steering seems to be getting tight. I am OCD type when it comes to taking care of my cars, so the P/S fluid is always fresh. Just wondering if it could be done, and if it would be worth it?

Topic

[Ian]

Well, I don’t see this idea violating any of the laws of thermodynamics, so, possible, yes. Worth it, probably not.

I did one summer internship as a Ford service engineer a few years ago. My “commodity” as they called it, involved, among other things, steering systems. I went in having only read about electric steering in text books and by the end of the summer, I could tell you anything you wanted to know about Ford’s Electronic Power Assist Steering (EPAS.) For starters, the only serviceable component was the outer tie rods. That was it. When the rack failed (or even threw certain codes) you replaced the whole rack assembly. And they were expensive too. It depended on the make and model, but pretty much every rack was over $1,000. JUST FOR THE RACK!

They were finnicky too. Rack got too hot, you lost power assist. Voltage got too low or too high, you lost power assist. Rack encountered too much resistance because of a bad tie rod end or a binding strut bearing or low tire pressure, you lost power assist. In fact, the only F-150’s that didn’t use EPAS were the Raptors, probably because the EPAS racks just weren’t robust enough for that kind of application.

And then there’s the electrical and electronic stuff. Most of the EPAS racks used two massive fuses, and I mean MASSIVE. Like 80 amp maxi-fuses. Not to mention that the racks also contained the computer modules (and almost certainly some associated programming code related to steering operation, diagnostics, etc.) for the EPAS wired into the computer network for other functions such as stability control.

[Charles]

Thanks for the great input JeepersCreepers.

[Mahmoud]

I hope I’m not hijacking too hard, but what about going to an unassisted steering rack? It helps for simplicity’s sake down the line, if the engineering aspect is sound enough, and the maintenance is severely reduced. Obviously this would only be for lighter cars, and maybe the gearing will still have to be set to a different ratio, but I always figured the kind of cars I like to drive can afford to lose their power steering.

[Author]

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