[Nightfire]

So, here I go again. A car without powersteering, exactly how hard is it to turn the wheels? I'd guess it's pretty easy once your up to speed cause the tires are moving right? And with no power steering you'd have to always turn the steering wheel back after a turn otherwise it'll stay on that position right??

Thanks,


Mike

[BOBCRMAN@aol.com]

It depends on how the front end specs are for the particular vehicle. Older beam axle vehicles, with conventional steering boxes, have front end specs that actually lift the car as you turn so that when the wheel is free the vehicle will tend to straighten itself while moving.. Look at the front axle on a fuel dragster. These go straight as an arrow when the steering wheel is set free.

[hedonite]

It's not really hard to turn the wheel. But if you have to turn a tight corner you will notice the difference.

You do not have to re-center the wheel unless you are going extreamly slow or stopped. Your wheels have enough natrual castor to back drive the rack and center themselves.

[bracketeer]

standard steering is not hard to steer as long as the car is moving. even at 1 or 2 mph. if the car is stopped its harder.

power steering weighs an additional 29 lbs and robs appx 15 hp.

[Nightfire]

Allright, thanks a lot







Mike

[Centerline]

Back in the muscle car era it was common practice for the manufacturers to sell big block cars that were equipped with 4 speeds without power steering. You could order them with power steering but most of the 4 speed cars on the lot weren't so equipped. There was too much of a tendency for people to jerk the wheel when power shifting a 4 speed and with power steering that little jerk could turn into a big jerk and get you in trouble.

For example my '64 big block 4 speed Dodge Polara does not have power steering and it steers quite easily. You have to use two hands if your parallel parking or maneuvering in tight quarters but in normal driving you hardly notice the difference. A petite female might have a problem but 99% of males wouldn't.

Centerline

[oldschoolrods]

My 69 F250 doesn't have power steering, its fine as long as you angle when turning and steer when your moving...but if you try and steer stopped, you find out why its called "armstrong steering"

[Wmarden]

even more fun is trying to fit a big car through a small gate off a narrow alley when the power steering goes out. It was a two person job to turn the wheel.

[atlantis]

Without ps the driver tends to remember that the wheel should actually not be turned without the car moving... But turning the wheel of a car with failed ps is again much harder than without ps. Can be impossible to drive at all, depending on the vehicle afaik.

Martin

[Silentlion_69]

My dad had an old 60 something jeep that he used for a plow truck. No power steering it wasn't really all that bad to drive. He used to let me plow the driveway with it until he sold it. now hes got a plow on his new truck

[minitruck83]

Ya get used to it after a while. Wouldn't like to park a p/s car w/o the power tho. Worst thing ever happened to me was a 2 ton dump truck. I hit a big rock coming out of a quarry! Talk about snapback on the steering wheel. Didn't let go fast enough. Still remember that one. lol

[paperairplane]

had a 79 subaru with no ps - depends on the car - my 79 F100 would stall all the time and it was challenging to drive with no ps

[4 Jaw Chick]

Power steering I could live without and not really miss it much, power BRAKES on the other hand are very nice and I would miss those very much!
I've driven cars with both, without both and with no p/s but with p/b. I much prefer to have the power brakes.

Chickie.

[Siggy_Freud]

I love the power steering on my 66 gmc. Turns with your pinky . . . even parked .

[oldschoolrods]

I agree with you chickie, I'm still looking for a p brake set up, maybe one day I'll get to p/s but those manual brakes get old after a while.