Electric power steering pumps?

[Pushrod]

In 2012 my wife purchased a new chevy with an electric power steering pump. Man, I was not diggin it. Now its been 7 years with no noticeable issues.

Like many, I did the S10 manual box swap many years ago to reduce weight and give the engine back that bit of power.

I'd like to know if anybody has tried the electric power steering.

Does it work well with a quick ratio box?

What is the weight difference?

What kind of alternator amperage should I expect to need? Currently I use a low amperage unit, 70 amps if I remember right. No power accessories.

Thanks!
Dan

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure its not something you can cheaply retrofit. Unisteer makes kits, but IDK if they have one for G bodies.

Tommy

 

[Pushrod]

Yeah, I got to lookin around a bit and found electric assist rather than electric pumps. I may be wrong but an electric pump setup would most likely have quite a weight to it. Not to mention the constant power draw.

 

[78Maliburacer]

The Mustang guys use the Volvo electric power steering pump on their Coyote engine swaps. There are other vehicles such as the late model Nissan Pathfinders as well as Chrysler 300 and Dodge Chargers that also use electric power steering pumps. Of course with such a set up you will need a power steering box (or rack).
Other options are the Saturn Vue EPS (electric power steering) which is an assist motor that mounts between the steering column and the steering box and can be used with a manual steering box. I got to experience such a set up at a car show. It was a thing of beauty and the after market control box allowed you to tune the amount of assist provided.