Electric power steering (eps)

[OldScoolCamaro]

Originally Posted by scritchy

A friend has Electric Power Steering in his Fusion. He says there is absolutely no road feel at all and steering feels dead. He doesn't like it.

I think you will find the reason for that lack of quality is because the one your friend has is made by Ford...ok seriously now, ...if the GM unit to be used in the new ZL1 is anything like the VW units I am confident there will be no complaints at all. They are smooth, precise, quick, and turn with little physical effort. There are no dead spots, lag, or sloppy sensations to any performance or road conditions. They are an upgrade over their predecessors by a noticeable margin. I can only speak for the VW ones now keep in mind.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by Number 3

Not quite.

There are really two types of EPS.

Column Mounted

http://nexteer.com/column_assist.html

And Rack Mounted

http://nexteer.com/rack_assist.html

Both use electric motors to drive either steering column or rack. This is why they are more difficult to set up. It's not just a hydraulic rack with fluid being pumped electrically. What you are thinking of is Electro-Hydraulic.

But to rip off a good description:

An electric motor is connected to a steering column or a manual rack. A sensor reads the X-Y coordinates and degree of rotation as the steering wheel is turned by the driver. The data from the sensor and an additional torque detector on the steering shaft are computed by the electric power steering control module. The amount of power from the steering assistance provided by the electric power steering system is computed from these and other variables (including speed of travel and traction [stability control system]). A control module directs the rotation degree of the motor at the same time the motor sensor communicates with the control module. These components work together to sustain a monitoring system for the electric power steering operation.

hmmm ... thanks

oh, and I (think) I fixed your 2nd link. It used to go to the same page as the first. Seems like it should go to the page you want now.