ontogenesis

I live around alot of dirt tracks, and as such, parts are floating everywhere. I was thinking about converting my car to manual steering since it's a little cleaner looking and i drag race it. However, i hate the idea of manual steering in parking lots. I overheard some friends talking about steering quickeners in their stock cars and started wondering about using a manual steering box with a 2:1 or 1.5:1 steering quickener ( http://store.summitracing.com/produc...earchtype=ecat ). that'd speed up and help out the parking lot problem alot, but would it be scary as hell on the highway, is that over doing it? Would a steering quickener fit with headers?

82camaro

Probably won't fit very easy with headers. In parking lots, you don't like the idea of turning the wheel so many turns??? A quickener will reduce the number of turns, but make it turn much, much harder--especially when going slow. Thats the whole reason why a manual box has a different ratio.

ontogenesis

well ****

MrDude_1

rather then swap to a manual system, why not to a power rack system?

you then get the smaller form factor you want, and the quick ratio....

you still have to run a PS pump though.

ontogenesis

the power loss from the pump is the main reason i was looking into it...i guess i'll just throw manual on, i've got the steering box sittin around, and it only takes about 20 minutes....can always switch back

MrDude_1

lol, unless you're doing it all the time, it would be a lil longer then 20mins..

heres 3 ideas if you're worried about the power loss.

1. run a elec pump.... ive never seen one, but that doesnt mean it cant be done... heck for simplicity, you could get one of thoes kits that run a normal water pump with a elec motor and pully and put that on the PS pump.

2. put a AC style elec clutch on it, and only have the pump engaged when you wanted.. like trying to turn when moving slow in a parking lot.... when you're moving fast, it will be stiff, but not impossible to steer... help ya build arm muscles

3. if its a V belt system, just take the belt off.... if its a surp system, im sure you could find a way to bypass it when needed....

Motor City Mike

If you're drag racing with the PS, it doesn't use hardly any hp to spin the pump, since you're going straight and doesn't use any power assist (less than 5 hp).

The steering quickener can also be used as a steering reducer, you just have to put it on the other way. While this will make parking manuevers easier, you'll be turning the wheel like mad any time you need to turn anywhere, because the ratio will be waaay high (numerically).

Manual boxes normally have a higher ratio than PS boxes, so just throw on the manual box, and see what you think. I have one on mine (no quickener or reducer), and don't find it to be so bad (I do have skinny front tires though). I mainly put mine on to lose the excess weight and clean up the engine compartment. Excess caster can also cause additional steering effort when using a manual box.

MrDude_1

just some more random steering trivia.

on later model 3rdgens, like my 91, theres a sensor that knows when the PS is being used... if you have a scanner setup, you can see the steering "yes/no" light up when you turn the wheel.


but going straight, theres no real drag from the pump... its not doing much work.. you only get a slight pumping loss... not a whole lot....



on ford SHOs, the motor and everything on it was designed to spin to 8k.... but the PS pump wasnt... so they lowered the redline... they make kits that put a clutch, similar to your AC clutch on there, so that at WOT or above a RPM range, the PS pump disengages..

ontogenesis

no computer, and the steering box is easy as hell, you'd have to be retarded for it to take much longer than 20 minutes

mike, thanks, i think i'm gonna go ahead and throw it on and see how it acts...