When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have a 1958 corvette 270 H P. I wanted easier steering so I had a power steering steeroid system put in. It had problems and has cost me much money to maintain. It finally gave out and after spending much money and I never could get it to function correcly. It finally broke apart last week. It truely is a piece of junk. Am wondering if I should put it back to stock steering or see if there is another unit I can use to make it steer easier. I'm asking you for advice and suggestions. Thanks for you"re input.
i don't know anything about the steeroid system and where it is installed and how it works. But I would suggest you investigate installing and electric power steering unit, it can be mounted under the dash out of sight. I know of a couple of installations on a 57 and on a 59 and the owners are quite satisfied with the installation and the functionality.
Don't ask the question if you can't stand the answer.
FIRST,
Yes, put it back stock. But there are caveats along with it.
Stay with 15x5 stock front wheels with radial tires inflated at 32-34 psi (or even as much as 35psi).
Make sure your front suspension and steering components are in very good condition.
I always recommend replacing the front wheel ball bearings with roller bearings ----------------------- there has been a lot of debate about doing this--------------------I believe in it!
Make sure the steering gear box has been properly adjusted.
Have it properly aligned ------------------------- finding an old timer who understands how to work on, and align, these old frontends, can be challenging.
After doing all of the above, it will NOT steer like a modern car with power steering, but it will be an improvement that makes it much more pleasurable to drive.
The 53-62 Corvette front suspension and steering is Post WWII design ------------------------------- NOT even mid-50s design (the 55-57 Chevy pass cars had a much better upgraded suspension and steering).
Oh ya, these old front ends have 22 grease fittings, yes, 22! Keep 'um greased regularly. Yes, it's a messy job, just have plenty of old rags handy.
I have one of these type on my '60 however I scrounged all the parts used to save money. I like it a lot and haven't had any issues so far. I also have the 'fast steering' adapter on the bellcrank that speeds things up a bit to feel a little bit more like a modern ratio.
Yours is the first really bad story I've read on the Steeriods conversion and makes me wonder about the installer. Can you tell us more about what went wrong and/or broke? Although I don't have this system I would be looking at the installer.............there are some real bozo's out there masquerading as good mechanics in shops with good reputations. That I know about.
I have a 1958 corvette 270 H P. I wanted easier steering so I had a power steering steeroid system put in. It had problems and has cost me much money to maintain. It finally gave out and after spending much money and I never could get it to function correcly. It finally broke apart last week. It truely is a piece of junk. Am wondering if I should put it back to stock steering or see if there is another unit I can use to make it steer easier. I'm asking you for advice and suggestions. Thanks for you"re input.
I drove a '62 with the Steeroids conversion and hated it. It was a twitchy, darty beast. It required constant steering input to make it go straight. Possibly, it just needed to have the toe-in adjusted but, regardless, it left a bad taste.
There is nothing wrong with the stock steering if the front suspension and the steering mechanism are in good condition. If the steering effort is greater than you like, removal of the 2 degree caster shims will significantly reduce the effort. My '54 was manufactured without the shims and steering it, once moving, is almost two-fingers-easy. Yet it tracks straight on the hiway.
X3 or 4 for retaining the stock steering. While primitive, it works very well if it is operating and maintained as designed. I love the feel of it in my '61, and I love the huge steering wheel, too. Mine only takes some cranking when parallel parking from a stopped position, but it's not an issue. Part of the vintage car experience, which I enjoy.
Don't ask the question if you can't stand the answer.
FIRST,
Yes, put it back stock. But there are caveats along with it.
Stay with 15x5 stock front wheels with radial tires inflated at 32-34 psi (or even as much as 35psi).
Make sure your front suspension and steering components are in very good condition.
I always recommend replacing the front wheel ball bearings with roller bearings ----------------------- there has been a lot of debate about doing this--------------------I believe in it!
Make sure the steering gear box has been properly adjusted.
Have it properly aligned ------------------------- finding an old timer who understands how to work on, and align, these old frontends, can be challenging.
After doing all of the above, it will NOT steer like a modern car with power steering, but it will be an improvement that makes it much more pleasurable to drive.
The 53-62 Corvette front suspension and steering is Post WWII design ------------------------------- NOT even mid-50s design (the 55-57 Chevy pass cars had a much better upgraded suspension and steering).
Oh ya, these old front ends have 22 grease fittings, yes, 22! Keep 'um greased regularly. Yes, it's a messy job, just have plenty of old rags handy.
Originally Posted by jim lockwood
I drove a '62 with the Steeroids conversion and hated it. It was a twitchy, darty beast. It required constant steering input to make it go straight. Possibly, it just needed to have the toe-in adjusted but, regardless, it left a bad taste.
There is nothing wrong with the stock steering if the front suspension and the steering mechanism are in good condition. If the steering effort is greater than you like, removal of the 2 degree caster shims will significantly reduce the effort. My '54 was manufactured without the shims and steering it, once moving, is almost two-fingers-easy. Yet it tracks straight on the hiway.
Originally Posted by GTOguy
X3 or 4 for retaining the stock steering. While primitive, it works very well if it is operating and maintained as designed. I love the feel of it in my '61, and I love the huge steering wheel, too. Mine only takes some cranking when parallel parking from a stopped position, but it's not an issue. Part of the vintage car experience, which I enjoy.
I wish I would have listened to you (3, 4, 5, or 10) guys before buying Steeroids. I thought it was going to be a quicker, less expensive solution over rebuilding the steering box and other items. I was way off on both accounts. I haven’t driven it yet, so I am hopeful to have better results since going back is not a viable option (unless results are similar to OP).
Get a "Brodie" **** for the steering wheel. They are way cool. Put your teenage kid's face on it and give him (or her) a good squeeze every time you turn.
Phil
Keep in mind that with the elec pwr str system----------------------- it required cutting the original column into 2 pieces and splicing in the unit. No thanks for me.
I'm 77yrs old, have a fast steering adapter on the 56, with all stock suspension and steering, 15x6 GM steel front wheels with 225/75 tires inflated to 33-34psi and I do just fine. Granted, when stopped, or maneuvering into a parking spot requires some extra effort, I can still get it done-------------------but I'm not doing that all the time I'm driving. Above 5mph, all is just fine.
I'm on my second C1 and after adding electric PS I NEVER want to go back. I think it makes a world of difference in the pleasure of each drive. Cutting the column wasn't much of an issue except that I did both the shaft and sleeve at the same time. What happens is that once you almost get through the shaft it drops, in the sleeve, and pinches and breaks your power hack saw blade.
The mechanic who installed the steeroid rack and pinion systemt has been working on my vette for many years with 30 years experience. He installed it two years ago and it really has never worked right. When I picked it up a week ago and paid another bill for repairing it I never got out of the parking lot and there was power steering fluid all over the lot. He put it on the lift and the rubber on the unit had cracked and there we're broken parts falling all over the floor. All he said was what a piece of china shxx. The power steering unit that came with the system when first had it installed made such a horrible load noise that never went away. He installed two new power steering units and they made a load noise also. I certainly spent over $2400 plus a hefty install bill that I just threw the money to the wind. Don't even think about this Chinese piece of garbage.
Last edited by dick fox; Sep 23, 2020 at 09:21 PM.
Reason: misspelling
I'm on my second C1 and after adding electric PS I NEVER want to go back. I think it makes a world of difference in the pleasure of each drive. Cutting the column wasn't much of an issue except that I did both the shaft and sleeve at the same time. What happens is that once you almost get through the shaft it drops, in the sleeve, and pinches and breaks your power hack saw blade.
Were you able to retain the VIN tag on the upper outer column sleeve in the engine bay?
Were you able to retain the VIN tag on the upper outer column sleeve in the engine bay?
This is not a problem as any modification to the outer sleeve is about 10" farther up the column. In my case the entire steering box had been replaced with a new one way back in the car's history. They had removed (drilled out the welds) my VIN tag and relocated it on the door column (where it shouldn't have been for that serial number). I could actually make out the virgin "tit" marks on the replacement column where any original tag was supposed to be placed and during the conversion moved the tag back to its original location with rivets.
I liked it so much I installed the exact same unit on my 1950 Ford 8N tractor. Be advised the nay sayers in the tractor world told me it would prematurely wear out the manual box just before it exploded in a rain of deadly shrapnel and flaming grease with a half mile blast radius and that, due to the extra power usage, the battery, alternator and VR would go China syndrome and melt through the tractor chassis and earth's core causing California to drop into the Pacific. So I use it sparingly.
Last edited by JF in MI; Sep 24, 2020 at 10:24 AM.
I'm on my second C1 and after adding electric PS I NEVER want to go back. I think it makes a world of difference in the pleasure of each drive. Cutting the column wasn't much of an issue except that I did both the shaft and sleeve at the same time. What happens is that once you almost get through the shaft it drops, in the sleeve, and pinches and breaks your power hack saw blade.
Did buy a kit for this or did you piece together oem components? I've read threads on both ways, I believe I would build my own "kit".
I liked this power unit because the 'tilt' bracket, which allows attachment to the car it came off of, unbolts leaving you a nice surface to attach/make your tube adapter. I think I had about $250 to $300 into it in parts scrounged on Ebay. One of the PIA expenses was finding the large spade connectors for the controller box. Only needed 2 but I could only find them in a box of 100 for $50. The other was about 10' of #8 automotive primary wire which was over priced. Granted I had my own mill to cut the double D adaption but then again you'd have to do that with the kits also.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
power steering
