You could also fill them with a mixture of water and anti-freeze and give yourself great traction on grass and uneven turf. 
PS Performance
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 182
Likes: 0
From: Savannah Ga.
PS Performance
I'm new to Corvettes and I'm having trouble getting use to the 'icy' feeling in the power steering of my 1980. My newer and older cars have more resistance in the wheel which feels comfortable to me.
Is there any way to get a better feel in the steering wheel other than doing a rack and pinion conversion?
Is there any way to get a better feel in the steering wheel other than doing a rack and pinion conversion?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
I'm new to Corvettes and I'm having trouble getting use to the 'icy' feeling in the power steering of my 1980. My newer and older cars have more resistance in the wheel which feels comfortable to me.
Is there any way to get a better feel in the steering wheel other than doing a rack and pinion conversion?
Is there any way to get a better feel in the steering wheel other than doing a rack and pinion conversion?
You're saying the steering is too easy for your tastes? Hmm...not sure I hear that very often.
I'm not even sure how you fix that. Changing to manual steering may be the best option, you just have to find the parts from a used donor manual steering Vette.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 763
Likes: 0
From: Loveland Colo
I know what you mean. I think you'll pretty much just have to learn to get used to it. Unless it's beyond what I noticed with my car, which I wouldn't know unless I drove your car, it's just the way they feel (or more correctly, don't feel). Yeah check tires, pressures, alignment front and rear, etc., but I don't feel much from my steering either.
Welcome to the weird world of old Vettes.
John
Welcome to the weird world of old Vettes.
John
Racer
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 395
Likes: 0
From: Orange massachusettes
I've got the same problem w/ my 72. PS feels over boosted/has very little road feel/feed back. I've driven BOTH PS and manual steering C3's.The manual steering cars have a pretty decent road feel, MUCH better than PS. I have never driven a C3 w/rack and pinion swap. Swapping to manual steering is the LEAST expensive way to get better road feel, IMO. I'm looking into what has to be changed, and will post AFTER I have made swap.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,117
Likes: 104
From: charlotte north carolina
i think there is an adjustment on the control valve that decreases pump pressure. that will increase effort needed to turn wheels. there was a thread about this some time ago.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 182
Likes: 0
From: Savannah Ga.
I've got the same problem w/ my 72. PS feels over boosted/has very little road feel/feed back. I've driven BOTH PS and manual steering C3's.The manual steering cars have a pretty decent road feel, MUCH better than PS. I have never driven a C3 w/rack and pinion swap. Swapping to manual steering is the LEAST expensive way to get better road feel, IMO. I'm looking into what has to be changed, and will post AFTER I have made swap.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 11,520
Likes: 13
From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
Originally Posted by pdege
The XKE P/S pumps had a compression spring in them which I assume control by-pass pressure. I simply replaced the original with a weaker spring and voila! I'd be real interested in what you come up with.
Steering, feel, etc. is excellent on mine. Have driven some w/ too light PS.
I read a long time ago about someone making a hotrod Seville (70s RWD) & he changed the PS "spool" to one from a Trans Am.
Markus (zwede) added a shim internal to PS on his 71 to increase st. feel.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,986
Likes: 21
From: Columbus MN
You can change your alignment to have a little toe-in (1/32" vs. 0" or out?).
SpeedDirect also sells a kit to reduce the pressure for GM Saginaw pumps. It is a series of spacers added into the pressure valve of the pump. The kit costs $16 plus shipping. You can call them: 888-425-2776
BTW, changing to manual R&P system will give you a lot more road feel, but a power R&P steering system isn't going to get rid of the icy feeling. That's why SpeedDirect sells the pressure reduction kit - because comments about lack of road feel from Steeroids owners is common, including me.
SpeedDirect also sells a kit to reduce the pressure for GM Saginaw pumps. It is a series of spacers added into the pressure valve of the pump. The kit costs $16 plus shipping. You can call them: 888-425-2776
BTW, changing to manual R&P system will give you a lot more road feel, but a power R&P steering system isn't going to get rid of the icy feeling. That's why SpeedDirect sells the pressure reduction kit - because comments about lack of road feel from Steeroids owners is common, including me.
Last edited by MN80Vette; Dec 30, 2006 at 10:16 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
You can change your alignment to have a little toe-in (1/32" vs. 0" or out?).
SpeedDirect also sells a kit to reduce the pressure for GM Saginaw pumps. It is a series of spacers added into the pressure valve of the pump. The kit costs $16 plus shipping. You can call them: 888-425-2776
BTW, changing to manual R&P system will give you a lot more road feel, but a power R&P steering system isn't going to get rid of the icy feeling. That's why SpeedDirect sells the pressure reduction kit - because comments about lack of road feel from Steeroids owners is common, including me.
SpeedDirect also sells a kit to reduce the pressure for GM Saginaw pumps. It is a series of spacers added into the pressure valve of the pump. The kit costs $16 plus shipping. You can call them: 888-425-2776
BTW, changing to manual R&P system will give you a lot more road feel, but a power R&P steering system isn't going to get rid of the icy feeling. That's why SpeedDirect sells the pressure reduction kit - because comments about lack of road feel from Steeroids owners is common, including me.
That spacer kit may work wonders for his application. Good suggestion.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,345
Likes: 3
I have thought about putting stiffer springs in the valve or shimming the centering springs in the valve - done correctly this could provide you with manual steering at speeds above 20 mph and power below that speed (with a little more effort than stock PS).
I just added PS to my '69 after 145,000 miles and 30 years of FAST manual steering and have some concern about the steering feel - but with my sticky 17" tires have just gotten tired of fighting the steering at low speeds.
Last edited by StickShiftCorvette; Jan 3, 2007 at 08:41 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,345
Likes: 3
You are on the right track.
Steering, feel, etc. is excellent on mine. Have driven some w/ too light PS.
I read a long time ago about someone making a hotrod Seville (70s RWD) & he changed the PS "spool" to one from a Trans Am.
Markus (zwede) added a shim internal to PS on his 71 to increase st. feel.
Steering, feel, etc. is excellent on mine. Have driven some w/ too light PS.
I read a long time ago about someone making a hotrod Seville (70s RWD) & he changed the PS "spool" to one from a Trans Am.
Markus (zwede) added a shim internal to PS on his 71 to increase st. feel.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 596
Likes: 1
I converted to manual steering for "road feel". All my hydraulics were leaking too. I had to get a manual relay rod/ center link, replaced the tie-rods with VBP adj., got a heavy-duty idler arm, and had to get the outer holes machined in the spindle arms. Everything is tight and the feedback is incredible. TOO incredible. I'm fabricating a Rancho shock to replace the hydraulic arm and act as a stabilizer. If I hit a curb I could break my wrist! The steering is hard at low speed, so I avoid low speed, and good drivers don't turn the wheel until the car is moving anyway.
From the searches I've done, and pics I've seen, rack and pinions sit too low for my application. I would like manual R&P. The nicest feeling wheel I've ever used was in a '95 Civic with manual R&P.
From the searches I've done, and pics I've seen, rack and pinions sit too low for my application. I would like manual R&P. The nicest feeling wheel I've ever used was in a '95 Civic with manual R&P.