Editing Z31/electricz31steering php (section)

=== Removing the Stock Steering Column ===

Remove the stock steering column. There are four 12mm bolts that hold up the column, and three Phillips/10mm bolts that hold the column tube/plate to the firewall. Disconnect the universal joint from the steering rack, and pull this assembly from the car. Disassemble the rear half of it, but keep all of the parts for now. I started by cutting down the main bracket, to 95mm.

https://dev.z31library.com/xenonzcar_archive/z31/electric_columnZ/electric%20column%20Z/3.png

Take the front piece of the stock intermediate shaft (that attaches to the universal joint behind the steering wheel) and cut it down to 76mm or so. You could cut it shorter, but I left mine this long when I was test fitting the components as it allowed plenty of room for adjustment.

https://dev.z31library.com/xenonzcar_archive/z31/electric_columnZ/electric%20column%20Z/5.png

I cut the input shaft of the assist motor down to 35mm from the flange to the tip, you could leave it a bit longer but it's not really necessary. I recommend taping off the gap between the input shaft and the torque housing, as the needle bearing at the front is not shielded.

https://dev.z31library.com/xenonzcar_archive/z31/electric_columnZ/electric%20column%20Z/4.png

I cleaned up the input shaft on the motor, and the section of stock intermediate shaft, and as it turns out, the two fit together nearly perfectly. A complete fluke, but it made the process of fitting the motor up a lot easier when I was making adjustments, as well as keeping it in line with the front universal joint. I recommend leaving the stub long for now due to this.

https://dev.z31library.com/xenonzcar_archive/z31/electric_columnZ/electric%20column%20Z/6.png

Cut down the motor tube (attaches to the input side with three 10mm bolts) so it ends shortly before the universal joint. It doesn't pose much importance in our application, but the farther out we support it, the better.

https://dev.z31library.com/xenonzcar_archive/z31/electric_columnZ/electric%20column%20Z/7.png