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Tcash Samba Member
Joined: July 20, 2011 Posts: 12844 Location: San Jose, California, USA
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:00 pm Post subject: Easysteer VW T2 bay electric power steering conversion |
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derk Samba Member
Joined: May 11, 2004 Posts: 13 Location: NE California
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:30 pm Post subject: Re: EASYSTEER VW T2 BAY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING CONVERSION |
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Tcash wrote: |
EASYSTEER VW T2 BAY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING CONVERSION |
Silly, but a great example for a solution of a non existent problem. My buses all steer easy w/o such rubbish. Don't see a need for turning the steering wheel while the bus is not moving either. Puts too much stress on linkages and steering box, IMHO. _________________ 70 Westfalia
71 Westfalia
71 Deluxe, now a tin top Westfalia |
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jakokombi Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2010 Posts: 779 Location: Milwaukee
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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Finally! Now I can mount that 9" chrome chain steering wheel! _________________ 70 Sunroof Kombi
85 Motherfukinvanagon
73 Thing
72 Baja |
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chazz79 Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2008 Posts: 2268 Location: ohio
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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You couldn't be any more wrong. Please watch a video and put some thought into a post before you toss a properly engineered idea down the crapper. This is electric assist prior to the box. It affects none of vw's engineering just the driver input side of things.
It does nothing other than amplify driver input. Imagine the difference being me behind the wheel (perfectly fine with the bus), my wife (bjtching and struggling), my 9 year old boy (can't steer it at all). This equalizes input so that anyone capable of generating 8 lbs of force can move the wheels. The only thing that is revising extra stress is the column Mount bolts but it looks like there is reinforcements there.
I've installed these kind of items on utvs before but those kits are @1250.00. I never really thought about how this would hold up on a daily driven bus.
There is a market. The engineering is correct. The number of female bus drivers should show you why. My wife will drive my Vanagon because she can parallel park it. She wishes she could do the same in the bus. _________________ One day as a lion, or a lifetime as lamb
The green monster in bits and peices: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=332556&highlight=green+monster |
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kreemoweet Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2008 Posts: 3899 Location: Seattle, WA
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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Power steering? For a VW bus? You can't be serious! Most of the time
I steer the thing with one finger. _________________ '67 bug: seized by the authorities
'68 bug: seized by the authorities
'71 kombi: not yet seized by the authorities
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50351
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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Put a 2000# load in a Transporter and the steering can get quite heavy. Empty they don't take much force to steer though.
I think the ad has a certain level of BS to it though. The steering of an empty bus is just not as hard as they make out. |
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jtauxe Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2004 Posts: 5780 Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico
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Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 5:13 am Post subject: |
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A few comments:
I can see where power steering could benefit those with low arm strength. In terms of helping people, this is great.
I can't tell if the system is well engineered. It is certainly not demonstrated by engineers. They refer to "force" in one instance (which is in fact what their meter is measuring), but what is relevant here is "torque", which could easily be calculated as force times distance if they gave us the distance from the center of the wheel to the hole the put the gauge in. Later they refer to pounds of "pressure", which is completely wrong. Pressure is force per area. I am guessing that the Easy Steer system, about which they tell us essentially nothing, has an engineer who has worked this out, and that the guys in the video are just installers.
I hate Garfield, as a comic strip. It's a waste of space in the Sunday funnies.
The bus owner clearly is into adding all sorts of silly bling all over the bus. It's hideous.
What's up with the ridiculously loud music (compared to the talking nearer the end)? How is this music relevant to the product being demonstrated? "Kill me if you dare"?
But I can see through all that crap and this may be a good product for those who need it. _________________ John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD
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Skyline Samba Member
Joined: August 25, 2012 Posts: 129 Location: Middle Tennesse
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Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 8:03 am Post subject: |
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It is a well engineered system and has been sucessfully used on many vehicles beyond VW busses.
Needed or not on a bus, it is a proven system and from seeing it on other vehicles, well designed and and practical.
Dismissing it out of hand is as bad as claiming they didn't provide enough engineering evidence.
Call the company and talk with them. All claims of lack of engineering will vaporize. This is coming from an engineer. |
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derk Samba Member
Joined: May 11, 2004 Posts: 13 Location: NE California
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Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 9:04 am Post subject: |
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Well, I never said its not well engineered. It may very well be. What I meant to say is that I do not see a need in a bus. Back when these buses were built only luxury cars had power steering. I grew up during the sixties and seventies in Germany when these buses where everywhere. I don't remember anyone ever complaining about hard steering.
My father taught me driving (on a squareback) in my early teens (low arm strength) and one of the first things he told me was to only turn the steering wheel while the vehicle is rolling, even if it is only rolling for a couple of inches. That's how people drove back then, before power steering. And it still works. To me it seems to almost never be necessary to do what the people do in the video, yanking on the steering wheel while the vehicle is not moving at all. Even small parking spots usually allow for moving the vehicle back and forth a couple of inches to ease steering.
Maybe lack of driving technique requires power steering on a bus. IMHO. _________________ 70 Westfalia
71 Westfalia
71 Deluxe, now a tin top Westfalia |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 9:32 am Post subject: |
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I think what is being said by others is that the commercial does nothing to tell the user how the product works. You are asking me to trust my life to something I know nothing about other than a testimonial of how well it works. Personally before I draw an opinion on the product, I would want to know a lot more about it. Since it is electric we might assume there is an assist motor. If there are gears, what happens if they break and the teeth jam? What about current draw? If the motor pulls 35 amps, I only have a 55 amp alternator to begin with - an early bay has 38 amps max unless they have converted to a larger alternator. These are the kinds of questions that need to be answered before many folks here will consider it. And, the burden to explain their product lies on the manufacturer, and not me to chase the answers down. Nor will I accept a salesman's word that this is the hottest thing since pre-sliced butter. As for Garfield - if it floats his boat he should paper his bedroom with Garfield cartoons. I never liked the comic but that has nothing to do with my non-opinion of the product. |
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Dansux Samba Member
Joined: August 22, 2013 Posts: 128 Location: Pittsburgh
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Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 10:53 am Post subject: |
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I like the idea of retrofitting EPS to a Bus. I would need a lot more information.
The complaint I've read about EPS is if/when the DC motor fails they can freeze up (while driving) and subsequently the steering wheel gets stuck in whatever position it's in at the time.
Not to mention I've never heard of a classic VW with electrical problems…I can't imagine there would be any issues... |
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chimneyfish Samba Member
Joined: July 28, 2009 Posts: 881 Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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I met a company called Lite-Steer at a show here in the UK this year, and they let me sit in the bus and try it. I was rather impressed, although I like my original steering.
http://www.litesteer.com/
http://www.litesteer.com/gallery/60-busfest-prize-winner-2012.html
I'm worried that after fitting it, I'd be on the slippery slope to oblivion, I'd wake up one morning in horror, after having gone on a modification frenzy, to find I had also fitted a Subaru engine, slammed the bus to the floor, and no VW logos in sight!
But in all honesty, this is great use of technology for people who have trouble with the heavy stock steering, plus for elderley or disabled drivers, a great accessory, I might buy one when I'm 90 and frail so I can keep rolling along in my bus.
Danbury did it with the Brazilian T2c imports 3 years ago, I understand that after doing a LHD to RHD conversion, they then fit an electric power steering unit from a Ford Fiesta, see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1BggkLelBM _________________ 1965 Type 1 Deluxe (1200cc)
1976 Type 2 T2b Microbus L (1800cc Type 4)
Previously...
1972 T2 Camper (Devon), 1988 Golf, 1972 Type 1, 1984 Polo, 1972 T2 Camper (Danbury) |
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airkooledchris Samba Member
Joined: January 25, 2005 Posts: 2711
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Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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they already make a steering assist product
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tootype2crazy Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2007 Posts: 1276 Location: St. Louis Missouri
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Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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derk wrote: |
To me it seems to almost never be necessary to do what the people do in the video, yanking on the steering wheel while the vehicle is not moving at all. Even small parking spots usually allow for moving the vehicle back and forth a couple of inches to ease steering. |
You must not parallel park much. It requires you to get your body and wheels parallel with the front car, turn the steering wheel all the way to the right, back up, once the front of your car is clear of the front car's bumper you turn the wheel all the way to the left and the back in and spin the wheel some more. The first 2 turns the bus cannot be moving or it will screw up the procedure. It cannot be done any other way when the spot is tight. This power steering would be very handy for city dwellers who have to parallel park often. _________________ air-cooled or nothing for me
1978 Sunroof Deluxe Bus (daily driver)
1978 Transporter (mom's, making into a camper)
1970 Single Cab 2.1 turbo/EFI 6 Rib, 78 front beam, vanagon backing plates on rear (project)
2001 GTI VR6 (wife's) |
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tootype2crazy Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2007 Posts: 1276 Location: St. Louis Missouri
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Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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airkooledchris wrote: |
they already make a steering assist product
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I would love to use one of those, but they are illegal in my state and the county cops have been known to ticket for them. _________________ air-cooled or nothing for me
1978 Sunroof Deluxe Bus (daily driver)
1978 Transporter (mom's, making into a camper)
1970 Single Cab 2.1 turbo/EFI 6 Rib, 78 front beam, vanagon backing plates on rear (project)
2001 GTI VR6 (wife's) |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 10:18 pm Post subject: |
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tootype2crazy wrote: |
airkooledchris wrote: |
they already make a steering assist product
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I would love to use one of those, but they are illegal in my state and the county cops have been known to ticket for them. |
tootype2crazy wrote: |
derk wrote: |
To me it seems to almost never be necessary to do what the people do in the video, yanking on the steering wheel while the vehicle is not moving at all. Even small parking spots usually allow for moving the vehicle back and forth a couple of inches to ease steering. |
You must not parallel park much. It requires you to get your body and wheels parallel with the front car, turn the steering wheel all the way to the right, back up, once the front of your car is clear of the front car's bumper you turn the wheel all the way to the left and the back in and spin the wheel some more. The first 2 turns the bus cannot be moving or it will screw up the procedure. It cannot be done any other way when the spot is tight. This power steering would be very handy for city dwellers who have to parallel park often. |
I never had trouble parallel parking my buses. Just keep the tire pressure right. My ex-wife Linda drove it more than I for a couple years and she weighed all of 110 pounds. She had no trouble.
Here is a photo of a guy who used those knobs. Google how he came to wear an eye patch after losing an eye. It is also why they are illegal.
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derk Samba Member
Joined: May 11, 2004 Posts: 13 Location: NE California
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Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 11:02 pm Post subject: |
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tootype2crazy wrote: |
derk wrote: |
To me it seems to almost never be necessary to do what the people do in the video, yanking on the steering wheel while the vehicle is not moving at all. Even small parking spots usually allow for moving the vehicle back and forth a couple of inches to ease steering. |
You must not parallel park much. It requires you to get your body and wheels parallel with the front car, turn the steering wheel all the way to the right, back up, once the front of your car is clear of the front car's bumper you turn the wheel all the way to the left and the back in and spin the wheel some more. The first 2 turns the bus cannot be moving or it will screw up the procedure. It cannot be done any other way when the spot is tight. This power steering would be very handy for city dwellers who have to parallel park often. |
As I said, I always keep my wheels rolling, including while parallel parking. Seems like I am using a different procedure then.
Besides that, I try to avoid very tight parking spots in the first place. If it's tight for me there is a good chance that it is tight for the vehicle in front and/or in the back as well. I value my buses too much and hate to rely on the driving skills of others trying to get in and out of tight parking spots next to me.
Besides that, I prefer keeping my buses simple. That was the original idea I thought. _________________ 70 Westfalia
71 Westfalia
71 Deluxe, now a tin top Westfalia |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50351
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Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 3:32 am Post subject: |
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One thing no one has mentioned yet is how would this unit or any PS unit effect driving in the wind. Would it exasperate the over correction that gets people in trouble when hit by a wind guts or lessen it?
I don't spend much of my time trying to parallel park but do spend a lot of time battling the winds. |
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redruf Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2013 Posts: 34 Location: SW Fla
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Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2024 9:51 pm Post subject: Re: Easysteer VW T2 bay electric power steering conversion |
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Is it just me that finds it very annoying having music played on videos?? |
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aeromech Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006 Posts: 16971 Location: San Diego, California
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Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2024 2:01 am Post subject: Re: Easysteer VW T2 bay electric power steering conversion |
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redruf wrote: |
Is it just me that finds it very annoying having music played on videos?? |
I agree. Maybe the guy thinks so highly of his video editing abilities that he feels the need? _________________ Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound |
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