Steve Arndt baja build project

[JUSSUMGUY]

Sorry to hear about your Dad.
What vehicle is your EPS from?

[Steve Arndt]

2002 to 2007 Saturn Vue with silver motor box (not black, they don't work). That is the one that the 65 dollar ebay variable controller works with. He is going to get more of them, I can get you in contact with him.

I picked it up from Hill-a-holic on the facebook dunebuggy junkies thread for a fine price. He buys them in bulk from junk yards and hooks up buggy friends.

[terryly]

Sorry to hear about your dad Steve. Your going to like your EPS. I think mines great ran it hard all last season. I also got the idea from hillaholic at woodsbuggy ordered the dash pot from that guy in Europe scored the motor from local pick n pull and bam power steering. Another nice thing is that in the ruts the wheel does not get wrenched out of your hand. We just need some smart guy to figure how to hook it up to a VSS so it can offer full assist when going slow or stopped and light assist when cooking http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... highlight=
Like your front seats Steve I put a set in much like those but not power. I will be watching your front end conversion that also got my attention
Later Terry

[Ol'fogasaurus]

How is your father doing? My ex-father in-law used to occasionally over indulge and take a fall but always made sure that there was some cheap furniture to fall on to break his fall... usually mine. I also worked at a job where I saw a lot of it. It doesn't take long to go from funny to...

Still interested in your seat mounting. Again, my seats will be mounted just off the floor to keep the CG down low and getting into the buggy easier (no doors, the sides of the body and cage being most of the problem). If I do keep the black buggy (not intended but if the next owner wants it) mounting rear seats sets up another problem... battery mounting. Right now it is in the stock location at the right rear but if seats in the rear are used... (8 hour drives do give you a lot of think time).

Lee

[Steve Arndt]

Sorry to hear about your dad Steve. Your going to like your EPS. I think mines great ran it hard all last season. I also got the idea from hillaholic at woodsbuggy ordered the dash pot from that guy in Europe scored the motor from local pick n pull and bam power steering. Another nice thing is that in the ruts the wheel does not get wrenched out of your hand. We just need some smart guy to figure how to hook it up to a VSS so it can offer full assist when going slow or stopped and light assist when cooking http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... highlight=
Like your front seats Steve I put a set in much like those but not power. I will be watching your front end conversion that also got my attention
Later Terry

I am going to make mine speed sensitive. This modified controller does that. I want continuous, not 3 switch points like this has. So I will make my own. Here is the link. Their variable is the same as ebay.
http://simonebirchall.co.uk/controllers ... itive.html

[terryly]

WOW!! That's some good info Steve. I have a Dakota Digital dash in my bug with a GPS speedo. They claim it is good enough to run cruise control and has a pulse generator output. I could probably get by with a 3 speed switch point especially if it was adjustable when it switches. Variable would be the cats meow though. If you were to build two I would certainly buy one off you I really like the EPS and steering upgrade I did along with getting rid of the Race Trim suspension seats for ones similar to yours. It just makes the car so much more usable. Hell even the dog has an easier time getting in and out Steve are you contemplating getting the beam style front end or A arm ? I was quite interested in the beam style that Iguana is going to be making.
Terry

[Steve Arndt]

My plan is to put the variable "ebay" controller signal on my oscilloscope and measure the signal parameters. Dunebuggy junkies facebook guys tried to de-cap the circuit which is potted in epoxy (to hide it). It seems to be a 555 circuit with a basic pulse train that is freq adjustable. This allows the adjustment.

I think I can program a micro-controller to take a wheel speed input, and output my desired frequency to provide the assist signal command relative to speed. It would be easy to also make it knob adjustable or have an over ride function as well to operate like the basic model controller.

[Steve Arndt]

Steve are you contemplating getting the beam style front end or A arm ? I was quite interested in the beam style that Iguana is going to be making.
Terry

Beam.
I drive 90% on the street. A-arm would be too wide and have bad body roll I think.

[bajaherbie]

so.... if the EPS is from Saturn does that mean it will drive "out of this world"?

[Steve Arndt]

It is from a whole bunch of different GM products... same generation as the ones with the ignition switch problems.

[terryly]

Hey Steve just stumbled on this. Have you seen this ? may be of some help with your EPS quest They have some free info to build your own or a pre built controller Kinda spendy though and across the water.
Terry
http://www.turbofast.com.au/TFelectroni ... ntrol.html

[Steve Arndt]

Hey Steve just stumbled on this. Have you seen this ? may be of some help with your EPS quest They have some free info to build your own or a pre built controller Kinda spendy though and across the water.
Terry
http://www.turbofast.com.au/TFelectroni ... ntrol.html

Thanks. I knew I was on the right track

[TimS]

Looks like a fun project Steve. Please fill us in on the details of what you come up withas you go.

[Piledriver]

Naaa, 275 Oz dollars is like $150 USD, so not horrible, if a finished product that does exactly what you want..
It's the shipping that will kill.

[Steve Arndt]

I took the baja out yesterday for the first time in 11 months since I crashed it. My trail I usually take up on the Boise front was pretty crowded with mountain bikers and loose golden retrievers so I kept it short. It was also very icy and my tires are just as bald as last season when I had my snow problems. Discretion won this time and I came back without any damage. The gas heater still worked after a year without trying it. Just a little (ha) stinky at first. The new seat is so much nicer for support and positioning.

My dad had hip replacement surgery last Saturday so it's been a week. He has perhaps another week or two of PT before they let him come home. It will be a strange Thanksgiving this year...