2000 Suzuki Wagon R ignition lock removal/ EPAS conversion

[melle]

I got a 2000 Wagon R steering column off eBay that I'm hoping to use for a Saab V4 EPAS conversion. Most parts like the stalks unclip really easily, but I don't really see how to get the ignition lock and immobiliser module off without damaging anything. Before I resort to brute force, does anyone know the correct procedure? Steering wheel, airbag, stalks, ignition lock with key (provided I can remove it in one piece!) etc. available free of charge if anyone wants them as they're no use to me.

[mk2cossie]

The ignition lock/barrel is usually held in with shear bolts of some type.
I usually chase them off with the use of a pin punch and hammer

[melle]

There is a sort of collar around the column that looks like it's secured with a roll pin, but that doesn't budge no matter how hard I hit it! Perhaps the key needs to be in a specific position to remove the assembly?

[Mantasport]

From memory the wagon is similar to the later corsa c top end.To remove it have a look at the shaft that comes out of the top bearing, you should see a thin wire C clip in a groove of the shaft.This needs removing to allow the upper bearing to move up that inner shaft.

You can then either remove the roll pin (from memory the one end is flared over like a rivet and needs drilling off first. After that the plastic assembly and lock should slide off. However that leaves you with the upper steel tube that has the mounting tabs with an alloy end from memory. I remove that tube leaving just the tube coming from the housing itself like this pic shows

In the pic i've shortened the outer tube a bit because when i do a conversion the original column outer tube goes over this to retain the cars switchgear and ignition etc

The whole outer upper section will pull off the rest of the column once the C clip is removed, its only slipped over as its part of the sliding design incase of an accident. However when i say pull i actually mean put it in a vice and hit the back of the mounting tabs to knock it up the shaft as its an overly snug fit. Remember to have the ignition key in and turned to stop the steering lock holding onto the inner shaft.

Once its off the upper inner shaft can also be removed. I normally put a steering wheel on and smack it from behind to remove the shaft as its on a spline with plastic injected into gaps in the splines. This shears easily in case of an accident allowing it to slide down but holds it otherwise.

Once that upper inner is off i cut the top off and fit the original cars inner shaft inside it before welding it all together so you basically make an adaptor with the original column inner shaft at the top then the splined section that mates to the top of your epas column.

Like this for a T25 column

In the end you end up with something like this which is for T25 and uses that upper outer, modified inner and modified lower UJ with t25 shaft coming out of it.

[melle]

That's brilliant info Mantasport ! braaap sent me an excerpt from a workshop manual, but that didn't make a lot of sense (not his fault!). I found a better punch and managed to knock the roll pin out this time, no need to drill anything first. The plastic collar then slid just off as you said.

I'm not doing anything with the column now apart from removing the parts I don't need so it takes up less storage space. I'm sure marrying it with a Saab 96 V4 steering column will be a lot of fun because of the column shift, but it has been done before, so it should be possible. I bought this RHD Wagon column because it was very cheap, but I may end up needing an LHD one as my car is LHD. Not sure if the orientation of the motor matters and I don't have a car or a V4 steering column available to check at the moment.

[Mantasport]

No problem i've played with a lot of vauxhall columns over the years and used various methods for fitting them into other vehicles

The only difference between the lhd/rhd columns is which way the motor sticks out from the column when its installed the same way up as in the original car. But there is nothing to say you have to install it the same way around when you fit it, the column can be rotated to any orientation around the shaft to have it fit better under the dash.

The Wagon R/Agila column is one of the smallest out there so hopefully there's room for it

[melle]

Exactly my thinking re the orientation of the motor Mantasport. I think an RHD column will work perfectly fine, but I suspect the motor on an LHD one will tuck away just a bit nicer as I only have room on the left hand side of the column, and it would be be nice if it pointed upwards. For £40 I'm not going to complain, but I'll keep my eyes open for an LHD one.

I was looking into controllers. Do the ones you can get off eBay do anything other than simulating a speed signal? I suppose Can I hook up a Hall sender on a driveshaft instead to get a real speed reading?

[Mantasport]

Some of the controllers are better than others. Some just give out a level of assistance directly proportionate to the position of the adjuster dial in a linear way. So what feels right at slow speed is way too light at higher speeds.

The corsa columns have a built in torque sensor to measure how much resisitance there is in turning the column from the input from the driver and the ease at which that moves the lower column. With a controller using this signal correctly for the same given input you will get more assistance while stationary than you will at motorway speeds.

The dial adjuster is factored into that as a multiplier. This allows the base setting to be tailored to the vehicle its fitted to. A small lightweight car with narrow tyres and a large steering wheel needs a lot less help than an american crewcab pick up 4x4 running 40" tyres going off roading with a smaller than standard steering wheel (not random examples but 2 vehicle sizes i have sold controllers to in the past)

There are also versions that take a speed signal input but i have never played with these because of the added complications of mounting a sensor that produces the correct output signal on different cars. I've sold over 100 VW T25 kits along with a handful of Manta kits aswell as selling the controllers by themselves to people doing their own conversions. I've not heard a single issue with the way the controller funstions for them. Infact the normal response is OMG why have i not done this before.

[melle]

Brilliant info again Mantasport ! I also found some useful diagrams here.