HOW BAD IS IT WITH OUT...

[WONTGETDUSTED]

HOW BAD IS IT WITH OUT POWER STEERING? I'M PUTTING TOGETHER A 72 DUSTER W/ A 500CUBE WEDGE FOR THE STREET AND WAS WANDERING HOW BAD TURNING WOULD BE WITH STOCK SUSPENSION AND OR A ALTERKATION FRONT END WITHOUT PWR STEERING? ME MYSELF I HAVE DRIVEN STUFF ALOT WORSE THAN JUST NOT HAVING PWR STEERING(LIKE NO BRAKES!) BUT I PLAN ON LETTING MY WIFE (WHO HAS NEVER DROVE WITHOUT IT)DRIVE IT AROUND SOME AND SHE IS A FAR CRY SMALLER THAN THE 290LBS I THROW AROUND...

[Capt Jack]

from all accounts, zero issue driving a manual steering A-body.  while mine does indeed have PS, its almost what I'd call too much assist.  I think the steering feedback from a manual might actually make it more comfortable to drive.

[abodyjoe]

i always convert my cars to manual..  i don't think its bad..

[W2-408]

Never really a problem except for parking while moving really slow, 2 hands required

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[fasttcars]

i know i always give people flack because i believe muscle cars should only have manual steering...if the car isn't moving for your wife it might be a little tuff but it will also be a good arm workout.....as far as driving i prefer it because you can feel the car a lot better....plus the weight difference of the front end for manual to power is 65 lbs..and the power it pulls of the engine...for me it's a no brainer

[Capt Jack]

65lbs???  wow!  that much?

[fasttcars]

65lbs???  wow!  that much?

well this would be using stock to stock....since the manual steering box is aluminum..and the ps..box is cast...then their's the pump itself...and that's not including say the two groove pulley.belt...and ps line's...i toss it as soon as i see it. ...[well not in the garbage].....i just open the tailgate of my truck and let it fly out down the road ..when i stomp on it going around a corner

[west]

dont forget the pound of steering fluid

[signet]

it's not bad with the factory caster angles and a slant 6 but when you bring them up to 3 degrees and more it gets old real fast,what is it 5 1/2 turns lock to lock.

but then i am kinda wimpy.

[Jim_Lusk]

Jeff's Dart has manual steering and the Barracuda I just sold had power steering. In a parking lot the power is considerably better. Since my wife will drive the Barracuda convertible some after I get the 440 installed I will probably keep power steering in it, plus I'm getting old.......

[moparrr07]

for an occasional weekend driver manual is fine, but if its a daily driver and you do alot of parking lots then i would really recommend power otherwise manual give the car and driver a better bond

[Capt Jack]

well this would be using stock to stock....since the manual steering box is aluminum..and the ps..box is cast...then their's the pump itself...and that's not including say the two groove pulley.belt...and ps line's...i toss it as soon as i see it.

oh duh, for some reason I was thinking just the steering unit itself.  didnt even think about all the other crap that could come off as well.

CJ

[NYrr496]

I took perfectly good power steering from a Charger. It felt fine. Don't put a little steering wheel on it. You'll lose mechanical advantage.

[farmington]

With some serious thought, you can get the weight on the front end down below what it would be with a little old 318 in there.  Not easy to steer, but not that bad either.  Lightweight master cylinder, alum water pump, housing, intake, heads.  mini starter, battery in trunk, alum radiator, headers instead of manifolds, glass hood, etc.....

[fasttcars]

With some serious thought, you can get the weight on the front end down below what it would be with a little old 318 in there.  Not easy to steer, but not that bad either.  Lightweight master cylinder, alum water pump, housing, intake, heads.  mini starter, battery in trunk, alum radiator, headers instead of manifolds, glass hood, etc.....

i had a 318 in my car first and it weighed 3430 with me in it  i then went to manual steering put the big block in.cast iron heads.aluminum intake..cast iron water pump  scraped off the undercoat....put on 18" wheels...and load and behold the car weighed 3450......

[moparteacher]

There are a few changes to make that will help ease the effort of manual steering along with weight reduction.

Less positive caster.  This will move the upper ball joint closer to the front of the car and result in less vehicle lift when turning the wheel. Negative caster will help even more but may result in unfavorable returnability.

Zero SAI angle. (Steering Axis Inclination) This puts the center of the contact patch of the tire at the pivot point of the tire. (the tire pivots in the middle of the tread)

Zero SAI will require a wheel with a simular offset as the factory wheel for the steering knuckle used, and a tire of simular diameter.

A tire with less tread contacting the road will help with low speed turning.

A high ratio steering gear box (non performance)

A large diameter steering wheel.

[abodyjoe]

65lbs??? wow! that much?

  it was funny when i changed my dart over i was carring the man box around with one hand by the pitman arm.. flinging it into the back of the truck like nothing...  when i unbolted my power steering box from my k-fram and went to lift it like the manual one i got a big suprise...  holy crap is that thing heavy..  especially when i was throwing the manual one around all day....   it is alot of weight right on your front tire....

[383man]

I have manual in my boys Dart and I even changed my 63 to manual steering.  No trouble at all for this 50 year old 170 lb weakling.      Ron

[Westernstar]

I have manual in my boys Dart and I even changed my 63 to manual steering.  No trouble at all for this 50 year old 170 lb weakling.      Ron

I'm 51 myself and when i started trucking 29 years ago it was "armstrong steering". Weenies need not apply.

[Adam]

My car has manual steering, slant six torsion bars, and a 383 4-speed. I drove it with no issues, even in parking lots it wasn't *that* bad. It's not as bad as if you have a power steering car nad just take the belt off 

My daily driver 84 BMW has worn motor mounts....so the PS pulley hits the lower rad hose and eats through it, causing a wicked leak...I took the belt off it. I like the way it feels better anyway, except below 5mph.

Adam

[hemihead]

he mentioned the alter k
i would think the rack and pinion would be a little easir? no?