What steering coupler for EA81 / 82 PS Conversion?

[Ritchie]

Hello all, I have a EA82 PS rack waiting to go into my EA81 1987 Brat.

I don't have the EA82 coupling to go with it unfortunately, I have held up an EJ coupling and it looks slightly too long but could possibly be modified.

Or there might be enough length on the column splines to take up the extra length.

Can anybody tell me what coupling might fit, or is it only the EA82 one, which as far as I can see is very hard to get.

Thanks.

[el_freddo]

Dunno about the steering extension/knuckle, but how are you fitting the EA82 rack in the EA81? 

I’m asking because I’ve heard it’s not very easily done and thus is not a common conversion. 

Cheers 

Bennie

[Steptoe]

Yes, some details on what mix of components you have got, and how far you are into this might help both ways.

The rack ends as in the inner tie rods of EA81 manual steer are female from memory. Same memory if EA82 is of power steering only and their rack end tie rods/ inner tie rods are male

Probably done so no one on assembly line can put EA82 stuff on an EA81 as they go by

Is this difference across both manual and OS in both generations to prevent crossbreeding? I think so

So can't mix EA81 inner tie rods to EA82 power steer rack as you'd get two females trying to couple () ()

Trying to fit EA82 inner tie rods to an EA81 rack would be the opposite :--- ----: , a join nut could work here

So maybe a short threaded stud to couple them together

Or does the whole EA82 rack ends manage to get cut down to fit EA81 body?

Another option , someone running EA82 CV shafts n stuff?

Can you take pics of what your steering shaft looks like with measures say from centre to centre of clamp bolts?

Edited August 24, 2019 by Steptoe

[Ritchie]

I'm not home at the moment so unfortunately I can't take any measurements.

The plan is to turn down the excess diameter past the threads on the EA82 tie rods and thread them further up to match the EA81 tie rod length.

A quick side by side comparison looks like this is possible.

When I lay the manual and power rack side by side with a GC8 WRX coupling on, it only looks to be a little longer.

I was hoping I could slide the WRX coupling up the steering column to lose the excess length.

I think I might have come up with another solution as well..

GC8 Impreza coupling and shorter '97 Legacy coupling, this looks like it might work.

 

Edited August 25, 2019 by Ritchie

[Ritchie]

I'll not actually manage to get to this for another week or two, but I'll post back on the results.