Electric Power Steering for 2 Cylinder Deere

Been reading a few things about adapting electric power steering units from cars, such as the Saturn Vue, into the steering shaft on tractors. Has anyone tried this on a John Deere A. or B, or even an IH H or M? If so, how did it work, and did the charging systems have any trouble keeping up? I realize that it might look unusual. Wondering if it would be nice on tractor rides.

You will find that automotive electric power steering motors will not provide sufficient torque to be helpful on a 2 cylinder JD but you might consider a Char-Lynn hydraulic system.

Dean

So, Dean, you tried it, or know someone who has, and found it to be insufficient?

looking at the kits they range anywhere from $500 - $1700 and are adjustable. Even made for ford fullsize cars with manual steering. Can't see why they wouldn't work. My dads Charger has one works great.

They are somewhat popular in the utv and tiny off road buggy community. Not really useful once you get into Jeep and truck weight vehicles in that application. Tractors usually have higher steering forces than those so it?s a pretty safe bet it won?t be strong enough.

No, but I was once a design engineer for General motors designing things including electric motors.

It's your tractor. Do as you like.

Dean

INFO OFF YT ARCHIVES:

Installation shared on YT by a MEMBER of YT Group:

1955 Ferguson TO35, Power Steering?? ....SATURN ION ELECTRIC CONTROLL AND INSTALLATION

As you read through my posts you will notice that I am a Dutch-a-fied country person. The way I write a sentence may be hard for some people to understand. If you don't understand something please just ask me.

To start with the steering system has been installed at this time. I am finishing the wiring right now.

I started thinking about installing an EPS (Electric Power Steering) system after trying to drive my tractor around the house. So, I Google d ?electric power steering? on the internet.
What I found really excited me so I read everything I could find on line about this subject. I checked ebay and found the steering unit that I am using now. My unit is out of a 2005 Saturn Ion, normally you would need the computer out of the Saturn to help operate the EPS. But there is a small control and rheostat that is listed or ebay that will operate the EPS and it is listed in the same area that the steering units are listed.

My unit cost me $130.00 and the control cost about $70.00. The control comes from Portugal but don't worry this guy ships the controls right away. He will also send you a complete set of instructions.

My control took 4 or 5 days to get to my mailbox.

To start the alteration I removed the the steering wheel and the complete dash housing. Next the steering column was removed from the top of the transmission. The steering rod and screw was not removed. At this time I sucked the old fluid out of the steering box and installed about a quart of new 90 wt oil.
Hello to all and Merry Christmas, I want to thank everyone that has offered me some words of wisdom the past few months regarding my 55 Ferguson. I have installed a new engine in it and it runs great.
I am going to post a BEWARE sign right here about the following upgrade to my tractor.
If you don' t like to see old tractors altered please close this page now.
I will be altering the dash or cowl or whatever you may call it on my old tractor so I can install an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system.
I knew the tractor steered hard when I bought it but I never realized it would wear me out in such a short time. My tractor has a front end loader that adds a lot of weight on the front wheels therefore making it hard to steer.

This project took me about 3 to 4 weeks to complete. I started looking at some old used power steering systems that were on other tractor. I decided I wasn't going to spend the money for
a labor intensive and high maintenance hydraulic unit.

I goggled EPS and I found some 2002 to 2007 Saturn EPS units and a video on how they installed their EPS.

I will be writing in this post and adding pictures as I get time, please bear with me.

First thing is for me to learn how to post pic's on this forum.
Next, there were two dash housing supports that connected the dash to the steering shaft housing. I used the right support which also held the choke rod, made it longer and bent it to fit to help support the dash housing.

On the left side I just made a new support and bolted it on. This made the dash housing very sturdy.
Both supports are bolted through a steel tube that is manufactured in the steering unit. See the last picture, the tube is just under the output steering shaft and above the sleeve lying non the workbench.
The next step is the steering wheel.

The steering wheel attached to the old tractor steering shaft by way of a tapered hole and key way. The new steering shaft has splines and the OD of it is .625. The steering wheel was bored out to remove the tapered hole, that made the ID of the steering wheel .812. I next turned a sleeve with an ID of .625 and an OD of .812. The sleeve was pressed into the wheel and tack welded on one end.

I wanted to make sure the steering wheel was nice and tight and not wobbly. So I welded two .375 x 1 inch x 2 inch pieces of steel to the outside of the steering wheel hub. I then cut out a .250 slice between the two pieces of steel. This makes the hub a clamp that will grip the steering shaft. Since there are no splines in the hub I drilled a small hole through the hub and shaft and tapped in a roll pin.
I added a piece of 1.5 inch ID fuel hose on the steering shaft below the steering wheel.

I have NO connection I any way with the above info....but am amazed at an individuals ingenuity.

Bob...Retired Power Engineer...

(quoted from post at 09:32:42 04/02/18) Been reading a few things about adapting electric power steering units from cars, such as the Saturn Vue, into the steering shaft on tractors. Has anyone tried this on a John Deere A. or B, or even an IH H or M? If so, how did it work, and did the charging systems have any trouble keeping up? I realize that it might look unusual. Wondering if it would be nice on tractor rides.

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Most people like to keep those tractors looking original, anyways it could be done. They have aftermarket kits for Ford trucks, and Jeeps, you guys are forgetting that it only assists the drivers steering input. Besides they wouldn't be using electric steering assist on cars if they think that it wouldn't hold up.

I say go for it, put a 12v alternator on the tractor with a 12v battery. I would make a cover for the electric assist to keep it out of the weather.

I too have been looking at these, but I was thinking of putting it on my 66 Mustang. I also have been wondering with electric car boom, what is out there for electric air conditioning units. maybe install in the trunk to keep the engine bay looking clean.

This has been discussed several times on the Ford N board.
On the small Fords and probably most brands of tractors, the factory PS set ups had the power assist in FRONT of the sector gears - except for later models with integral PS in the steering box or those that are hydrostatic.
So with PS you are not adding extra torque BEHIND the sector gears.
Adding PS behind the sector gears will be like ham handing the steering wheel all the time and will wear out the internals of your steering box in a hurry.
I don't know how the steering works on a 2 cyl Deere but the same principle applies: you'd want to design the PS to work In Front of your sector gear/s - not behind it, ie, not like they did in the photos below.

I added one to my 1948 8N Ford w/loader. Works great and works on 12 volt neg ground. Has nothing to do with the power of the motor; 1 cyl or 12 cyl, makes no difference. I have a 72 amp alternator and a 12 volt battery.
If you are serious you should contact Ken at EPowersteering.com. I was having some problems till I talked to him. Great company with unbelievable customer support. His web site shows a John Deere lawn mower with his electric power steering.
Tom/Idaho

The Char-Lynn add-on hydraulic PS for JD 2 cylinder tractors (and others) is a hydraulic valve/motor that mounts in the primary steering shaft. Yes, the added torque is applied to the steering gear (worm gears in the 2 cylinder JDs) but the JD (and other) worm steering gears of the era were rugged and held up well.

Adapting an automotive electric PS system to a 2 cylinder JD would be a challenge, but with enough time and/or money could no doubt be done. Whether a Saturn Vue system would be of much usefulness would depend upon the size of the JD. Some are heavy, some not so much. I would expect that durability would be an issue for multiple reasons.

Dean

This idea was featured in Farm Show magazine recently:

https://www.farmshow.com/view_articles.php?a_id=1677

It was done on a Farmall B.

(quoted from post at 10:31:23 04/02/18) No, but I was once a design engineer for General motors designing things including electric motors.

It's your tractor. Do as you like.

Dean

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What would your opinion be of a "steering quickener" [stock car use] installed backwards to aid in reducing steering effort and it's durability in this use?

Wayne