difference between 1st serie and second seris Power Steering Rack

[archigraphe]

Hello all,

I'm looking information for the first serie power steering Rack.

Are they different from the 2nd serie Beta?

Is there some Picture?
 

Can we fix one in place of a manual TRW rack in a 1st serie Beta?

or we have to do some modification?

nota: My wife can't drive the car, the steering is very heavy in town...

Thank you for your answer.

[peteracs]

Hi

Just a quick question, have you stripped the front upper suspension and checked the bearing condition? These can be in very poor state and still work ok but with the weight of the car be very difficult to move.

Peter

[WestonE]

Converting to Power steering needs the structure from a later Power steering car welded to the bulkhead of the earlier car along with the Rack, front hubs, pump, mounting bracket, belts, pipes, reservoir. It is best done on a stripped car with the engine plus wiring and trim removed from the engine bay and the passenger cabin. I have done it twice and added some negative front camber for a transformation in driving experience and of course easier parking.

You might be better off finding a Corsa B electric Power steering column and adding that to what you have. Car Builder Solutions sell a control box to let you vary the level of assistance so you can just turn it on for parking.

I hope this is of some help.

NB do check the ball joints, strut top bearings, and track rod ends as they can be a cause of much heavier steering.

Eric       

[archigraphe]

Hello,
thank you for your fast answer.

For peteracs : the front damper are fit with bielstein B6 insert....and the bearing were ok...As I remember...

For Eric : I have all the Powersteering rack, pump, bracket....from my break lancia who was a 1984 body...
So I have all component...So you confirm the structure are different form late and early.....

But what about the Power steering option for the Beta 1800 and 2000 coupé? the structure was different betwen POwer steering and No Power steering?   or just the rack was different?

Thank you to send me answer.

nota : what is a Corsa B electric Power steering?

[Neil-yaj396]

Hi

Just a quick question, have you stripped the front upper suspension and checked the bearing condition? These can be in very poor state and still work ok but with the weight of the car be very difficult to move.

Peter

There is also the bearing where the column joins the rack. That started to fail on one of my Betas and made the steering very heavy.

Power steering was only available on the very late Betas in the UK (VX ie Trevi?) so this possibly isn't the best place to ask for the fine details of earlier models.

I think Eric is referring to an Vauxhall (Opel) Corsa steering column - tell more Eric, has this mod been done on a Beta?

[mangocrazy]

Yes, that piqued my interest, as well...

[WestonE]

I cannot be sure about the firewall structure on early LHD cars because I have only seen a few, but the TRW rack uses much heavier mounts welded to the firewall. So those have to be added with the old sections removed. The power steer rack is less turns lock to lock which I like. It also has stronger steering arms which tolerate tyres with more grip better.

I do not yet know of anyone who has fitted the Vauxhall/Opel Corsa B Electric Steering column to a Beta, but they are now widely fitted to kit and race cars. It would involve some straight forward engineering and of course wiring. There are people selling wildly expensive kits for classic cars that just use this part and some straight forward engineering.

I am fitting the OE power steering to my Beta Spyder so I will not be developing this for you. Sorry

Eric