Previously rebuilt the steering column and the steering box in the 68 Barracuda.
The column has all new bearings, and the box has new internal components with a 16:1 ratio.
The steering wheel is a Mopar Tuff Wheel, it is a little smaller diameter than the stock 68 Baracuda steering wheel

Daily driving, it is fine turning the steering wheel, if the car is moving just a bit the steering effort is not overwhelming.
However, I ran the 68 Barracuda in two SCCA Autocross events, and in both, they had a slow speed chicane set up, where there were a series of three cones set up in a straight line, maybe 30 feet apart.
One really needed to turn lock to lock quickly to stay close to the cones. I could not get the car around quick enough on these slower sections. So I am adding electric power steering.

Worked today removing the steering column to get ready for the install.
I have purchased the EPAS power steering unit. Delivery is scheduled for this weekend.
https://epasperformance.com/
I understand that folks hack salvage yard electric power steering units but I was looking for one that was a fully developed package with a warranty and tech support.
The EPAS package is complete from the steering box coupler to the fire wall bearing to the electric power unit.
I will post again as the install moves along.

_________________
Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

Very cool. Following…

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Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

Looks exciting, John! Very interested to hear how it goes and how well it works.

I have a saturn elec PS unit my brother in law gave me to try out, but haven't touched it in a while.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

I was interested to see how it fit under the dash. Their web site had a 65 Barracuda install but no real pictures of the under dash.

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

An update, I have been working the EPAS install as a winter project, I need to get it done, but no real rush currently.

In working the install on this kit and speaking with the Engineering person (Geoff) at EPAS Performance, it quickly became apparent that they had never actually installed this kit in a second generation Barracuda. When I ran into an issue and spoke with them on the phone, the directions they were telling me to take, simply would not work. I asked directly if EPAS had actually installed this kit (which they say fits a second-generation Barracuda) in a second-generation Barracuda. The answer was "No, we believe it will fit, but we don't do a test install in every car that we think the kits will fit". And that's OK, being a Slant Six Mopar guy, I am accustomed to have to do some garage engineering. EPAS has been helpful, one of the hollow double D sections that would likely work in a 1st generation Barracuda is too short for a second-generation Barracuda, I spoke with them over the phone, and they mailed a longer section cut to the length that I needed at no charge.

So I do have the EPAS unit installed on the steering shaft. Initially I was trying to set the power unit to the left of the steering column, like is shown in the directions for a 1st generation Barracuda, however that location either blocked the driver side fresh air vent box, or if moved up higher, interfered with the cable cam assembly that is part of the emergency brake. So I shifted it over to the right side of the steering column. To make that fit I had to cut the under-dash saddle bracket that holds the steering column up and in place. I can add an extension to the saddle bracket to recover the mount.

The power unit is just above the top of the gas pedal. I have the drive side seat out to make access easier. I reinstalled the seat and verified that the location of the power unit will not interfere with foot access to the go pedal.

I did some grinding on the back side of the power unit. The way things came together it hits there on the brake rod mounting bolt, I think with a bit more clearance added I can clock the power unit up another 1/2 an inch or so.

I have powered the EPAS unit up and it does make it easy to turn the steering wheel with the car stationary in the garage. I think that this will be a nice help on getting the steering wheel around on the tight low speed chicanes that I encountered while autocrossing last year.

I need to
1) fab up brackets to hold the power unit stationary with the steering column.
2) do the final assembly of the column with Loctite on the set screws
3) mount the electronic control box and finalize the wiring.

There is still so effort to put into this, but the tricky parts are done.

_________________
Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

Concerning the EPAS unit:

Disappointments:
1) The install instructions available online are vague and very incomplete, even for a 1st generation Barracuda.
2) The sales info says the kit fits a second-generation Barracuda, EPAS admits that they did not verify that it did,

The Good News
1) The EPAS power unit is rated at 60 Amps, that is double a similar kit from Flaming River
2) The EPAS kit is complete, with shafts, couplings and a fire wall bearing plate. The stock barracuda steering shaft has the lower bearing in the steering column, so a firewall bearing support is necessary. The Flaming River kit leaves it up to the buyer to source the couplings, shafts and bearing plate.
3) The EPAS Tech line has always picked up the phone when I called during working hours and they seem to try to be helpful, although their lack of familiarity with the second generation Barracuda means their suggestions don't work. I believe that if the question centered around the actual EPAS unit itself they would be knowledgeable.

Then photo below shows the interference. That is where the unit is contacting the brake rod bolt. I will add more clearance and perhaps shift the power unit up.

I am certain that if this kit was being installed in a car that had the dash completely disassembled, this process would be much easier. So far this has been a workable and interesting project.

_________________
Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

Thanks a bunch for posting all of this, John. Glad it is coming together. I hope to do this on my 68 Dart at some point, which should be very close to your situation.

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Incremental progress:

The motor assembly needs to be held firm with the steering column, so steering inputs via the shaft are fully read by the torque sensor.

Welded extensions on to the existing column mounts, then tapped the motor hub and bolted the extensions to the hub so the motor and the steering column are rigid together.
That all fits nicely with in the steering column mounting bracket.

I also shortened the upper steering shaft an inch. That moved the motor assembly forward and eliminated the close fit between the brake rod bolt and the back of the motor assembly.

_________________
Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

another bit of information on my install.

The EPAS drive motor is mounted using the top section of the OE steering shaft cut down to length and two new double D sections of shaft supplied in the kit for the lower steering shaft section.
The kit includes the couplings that connect the shafts to the motor.
The couplings are secured to the shafts with set screws and Red Loctite that is included with the kit.

In the event that a set screw loosens or looses grip, the upper steering shaft section is not going anywhere. The upper shaft is held to the column by the inner and outer OE C clips and the column is rigidly mounted to the motor via the straps that I welded and bolted in place.

The lower shaft has no secondary support. If the set screws lost their grip at either the motor shaft or the small double D shaft, the small double D shaft could disengage and slide into the large double D shaft that passes through the fire wall and connects to the steering box. The sliding action of the small double D shaft into the large double D shaft is what allows for the slight in and out movement of the steering shafts under normal driving and the collapse of the steering shaft in the event of a heavy front end collision.

I drilled through the coupling and small double D on the shaft end and the coupling and splined motor shaft at the motor end to allow the installation of a small through bolt to provide secondary retention to the lower shaft. The transmission of the turning torque is still done by the fit of the small to large double D shafts and the splines. The added pins are there to hold the coupling secure.

_________________
Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

Drove the 68 Barracuda out of the garage today, with Electric Power Steering!

There is potentiometer that allows one to adjust the amount of power assist delivered to the steering column.
With the dial full left, there is no power assist, moving the nob to the right increases the assist incrementally.
At full right, the assist is like a big Buick of back in the day, a butterfly could turn the steering wheel.

The Mopar A body kit is complete, but it is not a 100% bolt in without modifications. The existing column is cut down, I re used the existing steering column fire wall plate and mounted the included lower steering shaft bearing to the OE fire wall plate. The fire wall plate included with the kit may work on a first generation A body, but it does not fit a second generation Barracuda.
One also needs to devise a way to firmly mount the shaft mounted motor and torque sensor. Just one more part of the project. The EPAS kit includes a nice universal that replaces the OE slider at the steering box. The EPAS steering column is a two piece design that has a solid D shaped bar tightly fitting inside a larger D shaped tube. That retains the ability of the steering column to adjust it length slightly in daily driving or by inches in the event of a collision.

The steering column power unit ended up being positioned above the gas pedal. It does not in any way interfere with foot access to the gas pedal. But If I was doing an install with the dash completely disassembled, I would have been able to mount it up higher where the power unit wound not have been visible at all.

The wiring is straight forward, there is a control box that needs to be mounted and two wire connections, one light amperage wire that activates an internal relay and one 60 amp heavier wire that needs to be connected for the main power feed.

I am satisfied with the unit. The install was an interesting exercise. A bit of garage fiddling included, but that is where the fun is.
When I had questions the EPAS tech support was available and had good general information.

_________________
Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

Congrats, John! Thanks again for the play-by-play. Enjoy the driving and hopefully we will meet up sometime this summer...

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Vreat write up John!

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Awesome write-up. I have done a couple of these jobs myself. First one was in my ‘65 A100 pickup. I used the electric motor from a Saturn Vue (if I remember correctly). Because of the COE configuration of an A100, that added more creative fabrication. Haven’t been able to test it yet, (truck not road worthy). The second was on a friends FJ40 Landcruiser. Again there was a bit of fabrication needed, but job was very successful. Friend has 35” tires on his cruiser and says he can turn one finger at standstill. If one has decent fabrication skills, then this is a serious consideration. BTW, I got the kit from an outfit online, epowersteering .com. Good place to work with. Very knowledgeable.