add power steering?
mbrickell
11-04-2005, 07:07 AM
Hello. I have a 1995 Geo Tracker 16v 2 door 4x4 manual transmission. ( Sidekick ). I have heard rumor that it is relatively easy to add power steering to these from a donor? Anyone with insight as to whether it is feasible and what specific parts list I need would be appreciated. I see lots of info on how to convert a Samurai to PS, but none on converting a non PS Sidekick to PS. Thanks!
Matt in MO
Matt in MO
capt. kirk
01-06-2006, 06:16 AM
>I have a 1995 Geo Tracker 16v 2 door 4x4 manual transmission. ( Sidekick ). I have heard rumor that it is relatively easy to add power steering to these from a donor?
Yes, and no. I've done three of them, and I can tell you that you make a deal with your local wrecker to sell you EVERYTHING as a kit. It works best if YOU take everything off the donor car.
Get some help, and the job goes WAY faster than struggling to align things all by yourself.
>Anyone with insight as to whether it is feasible and what specific parts list I need would be appreciated.
Ok, you need the steering shaft, because the manual one is a different length! Get the drive shaft double pulley, because you need to drive the p/s belt.
Buy TWO cans of SYNTHETIC p/s fluid.
Next is the steering box (with the mounting bolts), and pitman arm (saves having to re and re the arm), the p/s pump, (with the bracket AND the mounting bolts), the overflow reservoir (with the bracket AND mounting bolts), and/or the p/s, and alternator belts (different lengths). Don't forget to get ANY extra little clips for the hoses, and make sure your new p/s box has an undamaged pressure electrical terminal so you can hook up the box to the computer to speed up the idle when you park (prevents stalling).
While the p/s bracket is out, file the adjusting hole a little longer, and you can then use the same length belt as the alternator one.
Park the car going straight ahead, lock the steering wheel, and try not to move the wheels when you remove the old steering box. That way, your wheel will be aligned in the straight ahead position when you are done.
DO NOT START POUNDING ON THE STEERING SHAFT TO RELEASE THE CONNECTING SHAFT! It has been engineered to collapse when hit, so it doesn't spear you in the chest, and you WILL damage it if you hammer on it lenghtways. Remove the clamp bolts from the universal joints, and pry the clamp open a bit. Wiggle the universal joint off the bottom of the steering shaft, and remove the old connecting shaft. Now you instal the p/s bracket on the engine.
If you got a new pitman arm, use a pickle fork to remove the old one from the linkage; otherwise, you need to pull the old pitman arm off the old box (that can be a real pain in the butt), and then re-install it on the new p/s one. DON'T MOVE THE WHEELS TO ALIGN THE LINKAGE, TURN THE UNPUT SHAFT OF THE P/S PUMP TO ALIGN THE PITMAN ARM WITH THE LINKAGE.
Now's the time to install both the pump, and the p/s box.
Once the p/s box is in place, look at the connecting stub shafts on the p/s box, and the btm of the steering shaft to see if there are master grooves. If so, align them, if not, eyeball it. Compress the new connecting shaft, and slide it in between the steering shaft and the new box. Pull it apart until it fits over the stub shafts of the box and steering shaft, and then do up the clamps.
Install your reservoir on its' bracket, slip the belt onto the pulleys, and tension it, and don't forget to hook up the pressure sensor to the wire hanging out of the harness (single connector).
I leave the return line open, and flush the both the pump and box with at least one can of clean SYNTHETIC p/s fluid. That's cheap preventative maintenance for all your hard work on the project. Button it up, and top up the reservoir with unused SYNTHETIC fluid.
>I see lots of info on how to convert a Samurai to PS, but none on converting a non PS Sidekick to PS. Thanks!
Have fun, it's worth doing it!
>Matt in MO[/QUOTE]
Yes, and no. I've done three of them, and I can tell you that you make a deal with your local wrecker to sell you EVERYTHING as a kit. It works best if YOU take everything off the donor car.
Get some help, and the job goes WAY faster than struggling to align things all by yourself.
>Anyone with insight as to whether it is feasible and what specific parts list I need would be appreciated.
Ok, you need the steering shaft, because the manual one is a different length! Get the drive shaft double pulley, because you need to drive the p/s belt.
Buy TWO cans of SYNTHETIC p/s fluid.
Next is the steering box (with the mounting bolts), and pitman arm (saves having to re and re the arm), the p/s pump, (with the bracket AND the mounting bolts), the overflow reservoir (with the bracket AND mounting bolts), and/or the p/s, and alternator belts (different lengths). Don't forget to get ANY extra little clips for the hoses, and make sure your new p/s box has an undamaged pressure electrical terminal so you can hook up the box to the computer to speed up the idle when you park (prevents stalling).
While the p/s bracket is out, file the adjusting hole a little longer, and you can then use the same length belt as the alternator one.
Park the car going straight ahead, lock the steering wheel, and try not to move the wheels when you remove the old steering box. That way, your wheel will be aligned in the straight ahead position when you are done.
DO NOT START POUNDING ON THE STEERING SHAFT TO RELEASE THE CONNECTING SHAFT! It has been engineered to collapse when hit, so it doesn't spear you in the chest, and you WILL damage it if you hammer on it lenghtways. Remove the clamp bolts from the universal joints, and pry the clamp open a bit. Wiggle the universal joint off the bottom of the steering shaft, and remove the old connecting shaft. Now you instal the p/s bracket on the engine.
If you got a new pitman arm, use a pickle fork to remove the old one from the linkage; otherwise, you need to pull the old pitman arm off the old box (that can be a real pain in the butt), and then re-install it on the new p/s one. DON'T MOVE THE WHEELS TO ALIGN THE LINKAGE, TURN THE UNPUT SHAFT OF THE P/S PUMP TO ALIGN THE PITMAN ARM WITH THE LINKAGE.
Now's the time to install both the pump, and the p/s box.
Once the p/s box is in place, look at the connecting stub shafts on the p/s box, and the btm of the steering shaft to see if there are master grooves. If so, align them, if not, eyeball it. Compress the new connecting shaft, and slide it in between the steering shaft and the new box. Pull it apart until it fits over the stub shafts of the box and steering shaft, and then do up the clamps.
Install your reservoir on its' bracket, slip the belt onto the pulleys, and tension it, and don't forget to hook up the pressure sensor to the wire hanging out of the harness (single connector).
I leave the return line open, and flush the both the pump and box with at least one can of clean SYNTHETIC p/s fluid. That's cheap preventative maintenance for all your hard work on the project. Button it up, and top up the reservoir with unused SYNTHETIC fluid.
>I see lots of info on how to convert a Samurai to PS, but none on converting a non PS Sidekick to PS. Thanks!
Have fun, it's worth doing it!
>Matt in MO[/QUOTE]
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