Steering sucks!
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
just my opinion
well, if you ask me.
i would get rid of the power steering and get a quick response manual steering box from flaming river (what i did), or even a manual rack and pinion kit from steriods.
why you ask?
i pefer to feel the road when i drive my corvette, power steering takes that away and gives a false sense of what the car is doing.
of course this is just my opinion, for what thats worth.
besides, the only time you realy need power steering is with slow speed manuvers, but hey who drives there corvette slow?
i would get rid of the power steering and get a quick response manual steering box from flaming river (what i did), or even a manual rack and pinion kit from steriods.
why you ask?
i pefer to feel the road when i drive my corvette, power steering takes that away and gives a false sense of what the car is doing.
of course this is just my opinion, for what thats worth.
besides, the only time you realy need power steering is with slow speed manuvers, but hey who drives there corvette slow?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,173
Likes: 3,982
From: Connecticut, USA
First of all stop and see what you have before jumping all over the place. A stock corvette steering system is pretty good but like the brake system people don;t torubleshoot it and figure it's junk.
Get the car on a lift or jack stands. Look over the steering/suspension closely. You said you have new parts on the car so thats a starting point. With someone in the car have them turn the steering wheel slowly while you watch the rag joint. THe rag joint is the coupling that's in between the steering column and and the steering box. There should be no play there- when you turn the wheel the box shaft and pitman arm should move-no lost motion or delay.
Now if you already adjusted the lash screw on the box that might be an additional problem. The best way to adjust the box is to remove it. Since you already backed the lash CCW you have loosen the lash. You can't just tighten it up or you could quickly wear out the worn gear and pitman shaft sector gear.
Let me know what you find and maybe we can resolve it for you.
Gary
Get the car on a lift or jack stands. Look over the steering/suspension closely. You said you have new parts on the car so thats a starting point. With someone in the car have them turn the steering wheel slowly while you watch the rag joint. THe rag joint is the coupling that's in between the steering column and and the steering box. There should be no play there- when you turn the wheel the box shaft and pitman arm should move-no lost motion or delay.
Now if you already adjusted the lash screw on the box that might be an additional problem. The best way to adjust the box is to remove it. Since you already backed the lash CCW you have loosen the lash. You can't just tighten it up or you could quickly wear out the worn gear and pitman shaft sector gear.
Let me know what you find and maybe we can resolve it for you.
Gary
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 24,160
Likes: 78
I'd still suspect something awry in your gearbox, Josh. There's really not a whole lot of things that can cause that sort of resistance. My wheel didn't have trouble returning to center even when I was driving around with my PS disconnected (shoving fluid around without the help of a pump). I would think your best bet would be to pull it out and tear it down on your bench just to see what's up. But I'm no expert.
Jim Shea! Paging Jim Shea!
Jim Shea! Paging Jim Shea!
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,173
Likes: 3,982
From: Connecticut, USA
Originally Posted by joshwilson3
Ok, I'll check that. Since the rag joint rebuilt kits are cheap, I'm gonna go ahead and order one.
Any ideas on the steering wheel not self aligning when I make a turn?
Any ideas on the steering wheel not self aligning when I make a turn?
Gary
