servo for steering on a +2 ?

[bob_rich]

Hi

Any one out there fitted a servo to assist the steering on a +2 ? I understand a lot of modern car steering servos are based on electrical / electronics systems and wondered if anyone had successfully fitted one on a +2 ?

interested to know anyones opinions experiences

cheers

Bob

[gus]

Why?

Effort is so low I can virtually turn the wheel with one finger.

The reason cars get power steering is a combination of increased weight and increased castor. Castor makes the car feel stable on the highway but increases effort in the steering because you are actually lifting the car a tiny bit as you turn the wheel.

If the effort on your steering is high, there is something wrong, or the tire pressure is too low....

[john.p.clegg]

Bob
You don't want to be doing that...part of the Elans beauty is the feeling from the steering wheel...

John

Not a purist

[LaikaTheDog]

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

Fitted their units in ferrari daytona and dino.
Works well and has good feelnot cheap. About 1400 plus fit
They do a universal unit. It fits between the dash and the bulkhead. Often very tight.

But

A v12 is literally a tonne up front. I have never considered power steering in my lotus.

I did consider it in a 3L v6 tvr. Went with higher tyre pressure with less tyre profile and jumped to a 15" steering wheel and that fixed it.

[vxah]

I guess if you were going to change to a "quick" rack it may make the steering too heavy but, fitting a servo of the column type will almost certainly spoil the feel of the car? All the Vauxhall Corsa models with it are so wooden to steer.
You know how you just lean on one side of the steering wheel to negotiate that curve? With column eps you seem to have to input a certain angle against the servo system to make the turn... No feel at all...

[bob_rich]

Hi All

Thanks for the comments.Understand the loss of feel thing. But was looking to use the car for touring and general holiday driving in the UK ( maybe on continent as well) . While steering is easy once moving and has good feel, but at low speeds, parking, and in town and traffic it is definitely nothing like "moving with a finger" Other half is small and while she drives the Seven and Elise with no problems I doubt that she could cope with the slow speed manoeuvring in the +2. I find the steering quite a bit heavier than the Seven and Elise but can cope - - - this was while I was looking at the idea of a servo.

Tyres are nothing special (i.e. not unusually wide in fact narrow by modern car standards) just 165 30T R13 on original Lotus alloy 5 1/2 wheels. Inflated as per hand book to 20psi front and 24psi rear.

We are both 68 and fairly fit and well but by modern standards while I can cope OK with the +2 manoeuvring it is a tad heavy at low speeds and don't think "er indoors" could cope

anyway thanks for the comments

Bob

[c42]

Hi Bob

This article may be of interest.

http://www.super7thheaven.co.uk/blog/co ... ring-epas/

Regards
John

[bill308]

Hi Bob.

I feel your pain too. I'm just about to turn 69 and can appreciate a little less steering effort and feedback, especially if using wider tires.

My S2 and also the S1's, had more caster, resulting in more turning effort. I noticed when I drove my friends S3, the steering effort was a bit less. I think all new chassis now use the less caster geometry. The other thing is if you use a smaller steering wheel, which I do and like, the steering effort and feedback is more pronounced.

If you find an acceptable system, please let us know.

Bill

[Elan45]

I wonder if you don't need a steering trunnion overhaul.

If the trunnions are not regularly lubricated, they get very sticky and eventually the threaded bottom end of the upright will fail and break,

Jack the front end of the car off the ground and steer the car by hand. It should be almost effortless. Also the steering rack can get sitiff if not lubricated. Check that too.

Roger

[RichardHawkins]

Bob,

As commented by Roger, in my opinion the elise steering is heavier than the elan. I do not know anyone who has had trunnion failure on an elan, but have seen it several times with Morriss minor 1000's, and the steering does get very heavy just before the upright breaks.

Richard Hawkins

[bob_rich]

Hi All

Thanks for all the comments and info. to Richard and Roger. Car was fully rebuilt and finished in September 2014
at trunions are new, and I grease them every service ( as I do on the seven ) (have read all the posts and info re grease vs EP90 and it seems the consensus is lubricate regularly with your chosen lubricant! ). Rack was also rebuilt and that is greased every service as well. For one reason or another I have not done many miles yet so perhaps I have to get used to the feel.

Have checked the steering with wheels off the ground and yes you can turn it easily with a finger.

It is just when turning at very low speed /stationary such as parking or similar manoeuvres. Once going it seems to me to be fine.

as a related aside the family hack is a VW UP! and if I roll this down the drive with the ignition off the steering is very heavy and really difficult to move unless the ignition / servo is running -- much much harder than the ?lan +2 !

anyway thanks for all the comments

regards

Bob

[Plus2cabby]

Hi last summer I refurbished my rolling chassis , including new trunions and vertical links, track rod ends ,steering rack etc . I was running 195/60/14 kumho tyres , with a good 5 mm of tread left , steering was a little heavy at parking speeds, 14 inch diameter seeing wheel, but yesterday had new 175/65/14 continental contact's fitted, this has transformed the car steering is now lighter and more responsive , more supple ride , quieter on the road.
The steering now requires approx the same effort as my daily driver mondeo
So to sum up I would not investigate power assisted steering until you are sure there are no underlying issues
Kind regards
Mark

[512BB]

Welcome to the board Mark, and well done on your first post.

Some people mistakenly think that running wide tyres on a roadgoing standard car will make their Lotus handle / corner / ride better, than Lotus could get it to. But you have proved to yourself, that that is not the case, and that the original size tyre will, in 99% of cases, be best.

Is there any reason you did not go for 165s over the 175s you fitted?

Leslie

[gus]

I have run 205s on my +2 for, well, forever. It is the type of tire that is the reason for changing, and now you can't get anything at all in 165, but that is a whole nuther conversation. Steering is fine with 205's no less 165s**.

If the effort is high, there is something wrong.

Almost 30 years ago I fractured both elbows and one wrist. Picking up a 2 liter soda bottle was painful. Living in podunk I quickly got bored. Was driving pretty quickly and the only thing that caused me pain was getting into reverse, sometimes

Methinks yer wife can drive it.

Yeah, if you do a ton of parallel parking it might get old.

I do run my tire pressures on the high side which no doubt helps

** given the same corner weights and the same tire pressure, the contact patch is the same, regardless of tire size, its physics........

[bill308]

Hi Gus.

I agree the physics is the same.

I disagree the contact patch is necessarily the same. For a constant pressure, the contact area's should be the same. A high profile tire will likely have a different shaped contact patch than a low profile tire. I also think low profile tires are generally run at a slightly lower pressure, increasing the contact area, a double whammy.

In my experience, every time I went up in tire size, steering effort, sensitivity to road irregularities, and ride harshness went up. Wide tires look cool, but they don't always work better on the street.

Bill