i was looking at doing an s10 manual steering box as i heard that it is a direct bolt in and will save a ton of weight but my question is just how much. im sure someone knows..

 

nvm did a search and found it so before you start screaming i got it. just curious tho, how many of you woud do this? the car is mostly race its got skinnys on the front and is only driven once a month at the most. is it a pain to turn?

 

It doesn't take a lot of extra effort, you just have to turn the wheel a lot further. With skinnies, I'd just do the swap. Even if you don't like it, you can re-install power steering and only have wasted a couple hours.

BTW, it isn't a direct bolt-it if you're still using a front swaybar, you have to grind away a little bit of the top/rear part of the DS swaybar mount.

While you're at it, you should check and see if the S10 pitman arm will bolt on. If you could use the S10 idler arm, you could also use the S10 pitman arm, to reduce steering effort. My S15 has manual steering and a small aftermarket steering wheel, and the steering effort is noticeably lighter than it is in my camaro, even while not moving.

 

its used for drag for the most part no swaybar and a small grant wheel. my thing is if im going down the track and the car gets out of shape can it be corrected without turning the wheels a full turn.

 

I got well out the groove once this year. Just like a power box, it only takes a little effort to correct the steering while you're moving.

A power box has 2-1/2 turns from stop to stop. An S10 manual box is 7 turns. Because I use a 27.5" tall skinny, I can't turn from stop to stop before the tires hit the inner fenders. This just means I don't have a short turning radius and occasionally need to make a 3 point turn.

 

so going down the track it doesnt take more than the usual small turn of the wheel to straighten it up?

 

Correct.

You can watch how much steering I do in these videos including turning off the track at the end. No more than a 1/2 turn in either direction for normal steering.

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/M...rag_699695.htm

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/C...car_163625.htm

 

you will be fine. I drive mine on the street and track.

 

sounds good and this is a pretty simple install? probly less than an hour. also looking to pull the ac and water pump what kind of belt set up would you guys recommend switching to just need to run an alternator at that point.

 

My Camaro with manual steering was my daily for a while, it isn't bad at all.

Do you have v-belts or a serpentine belt, or both?

 

ive got a full serpentine at this point. ac/ powersteering/waterpump/and alternator. everything but the smog pump. looking to shed some pounds.

 

currently i am running the serp setup that came on these cars that power the water pump,crank and alternator. Putting electric WP on this week though. NOw i need a new setup.

 

which manual boxes could i use for my 89 rs? what year s-10 and malibu's?

 

84+ S10's with the 4 bolt top cover manual steering box. The manual steering box was only available in S10's with a 4 cylinder engine but not all 4 cylinder S10's have manual steering.

You can use an older version manual box with the 3 bolt top cover but it's not as easy to install because of the different sized input and output shafts.

 

it will take more than an hour start to finish.
you will need to REUSE your factory pitman arm from your camaro box.
there isnt much weight savings, but if its a track car, get all you can get.
the box itself is smaller. its a pound or two lighter.
weight savings will come in brackets, pump, pulley, hoses, bolts, weight of the fluid.
the most weight savings will come by converting to rack and pinion.
i weighed my entire factory steering setup at 52.5 pounds. i only put back 12 pounds.
you can buy kits, or fab up your own. a rack setup is for the serious only.

 

Hey stage20, I am sure your car is mostly for the track but is it hard to turn the rack and pinion? I am thinking of converting to R&P (along with K-member) instead of the S10 box but I do some street driving too (plus the wifey drives the car occasionally). I know the weight savings are better but wanted to see how hard it is to actually turn the wheel. Thanks

 

you will have to shorten the steering arm on the stock spindle or get a set of racecraft spindles for a rack.
when i had a posi in the car, the pinto rack turns much easier(less steering effort)than an s10 box.
you are turning the wheel more, but much less force.
now that i have a spool in the car it feels like i have a power steering box with the hoses looped, but thats to be expected.
i could drive it with one finger in a parking lot before the spool.
you MUST use a shortened steering arm or dont bother, it wont turn.