Steering
 

Anyone using a manual steering car or a depowered rack with a 5.0?

I'm planning to use a manual rack on my LS build. Won't be cranking the wheel a lot with the car just sitting still!

I've read several build threads where guys depowered for a whlie then went back to power so I'm just going to go power right away.

I've had power on all of mine using the Mazda pump and rack (custom crank pulley to run two belts). I've driven one without power steering and while fine on the highway around town can be a bit tiring. I regularly have to parallel park mine so there is no way I'd go manual.

-Jason

At one time ALL cars had fairly high steering effort. Expectations have changed. Because there is a lot of variation among drivers as to what is considered excessive steering effort, the opinion of others won't really help you much. Some are fine with the higher effort of a de-powered rack while others will accept nothing less than one finger steering. To reduce steering effort the manual rack has a different ratio than a power rack. Although not unacceptable, I find the manual rack ratio a little slow for my taste. For me, a de-powered power rack is a reasonable alternative to a manual rack, but that's me. If you don't want the slower ratio of the manual rack you need a power rack, either powered or de-powered.

My car has the depowered rack. Not a problem at all, however as Jason alluded too I'm a rural owner/driver with very little in town. So their's that and as part of my current upgrade push (that I may never finish) I'm installed a slightly smaller steering wheel.

Time will tell it the slightly greater effort from the new wheel moves to a power steering pump.

Well I want to save on weight and space. Granted the pump and lines and such might only net me 15 or so pounds thats 15 or so pounds that arent hanging off my block and its not having to keep pumping the fluid. How much effort would you say the increase is? Ill put it this way, I've driven a 70 chevelle original power steering car that had the pump fail and the gear box was just looped. The car was a small block car sitting on 275's in all four corners. That had some resistance in a parking lot. Once she was rolling we were all good tho. So i'd assume the miata with a 302 should be far easier than that.

Keep in mind you are not talking about a bus load of money or difficulty here. You can depower your rack and hang on to the pump and lines for nothing. That's a good price right there... :-) If you don't like it 50 bucks will get you a used rack and off you go to powerville.

exactly!

The Mazda pump is about the size of your fist and weighs only a few pounds. I'd doubt that removing the pump and lines and depowering the rack would save 15 pounds.

Now the Ford pump on the other hand is a huge thing. It weighs much more than the Mazda one.

-Jason

My CTS pump took a dump with less than 1000 miles on it. The pump became a pulley as I have depowered my rack and I have been extremely happy with the results since completing the project.

John - I hate the pump failed on you, but for selfish reasons I'm glad to hear of the outcome. I'm going with no PS on my LS, and your info gives me more confidence that it won't be bad. I just don't want to have to mess with the PS system for a more simple engine compartment.

I'd hang on to that pump if I were you Pat!!:3gears:

How hard is it to adapt the miata pump to the front of the 50? i may get one if i dont like manual steering.