A couple of tips from my experience of doing this job a few months ago.
1) Before you install the column, check that the position/torque sensor is working OK and correctly centred with a multimeter. In my case, the sensor was faulty, so I was able to get a replacement sensor before completing the installation.
2) No matter how carefully you line up the steering wheel on the column spline, as soon as you drive the car it will end up offset. No problem, I thought, as I had purposefully only tightened the column nut slightly. However, no amount of tugging on the wheel and use of knees would get the wheel off - so I then had to buy a suitable sized puller!
3) Make sure you use top quality yellow crimp connectors for the power and fuse connectors. The ones from Halfords and other motor factors aren't man enough, and will pull off. I ended up ordering some online and they were noticeably heavier than the others, and crimped up nice and tightly.
4) The Corsa EPAS columns have been known to misbehave (usually sensor related, and more often the C rather than the B columns), so for safety I fitted a dashboard mounted switch to cut the ignition detect wire from the ECU. That way if it does start behaving erratically whilst driving, you can quickly disable the power assistance.
Having said all that, fitting the column using the Dax bracket was a doddle. I made things difficult for myself by deciding to move from the Sierra to the Corsa B switchgear, and it was quite an interesting experience - complicated further by the fact that I also introduced a programmable intermittent wipe relay into the equation! I'm planning to pull together a Snake Torque article on what's involved in due course.
I kept my later but non-Quaife steering rack, but certainly in terms of the EPAS conversion you won't be disappointed. I recently spent a glorious ten days throwing my Dax round hairpin bends in the Alps, and it made the experience even more enjoyable than usual.
Good luck!
Alan
Ex CRC Thames Valley Regional Rep - please contact me if you're interested in taking on the role!
UK Rep for European Cobra Club (eurocobra.boards.net)
Dax 427 DeDion - now sold
2003 E85 Z4 3.0i - the new toy!
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