Hey folks, I guess because I'm a newbie, I just don't understand this. I'm hoping the forum can help me out!

Why, oh why, did Chevy decide to put such a complicated power steering system on these cars? I mean, other cars of the same era didn't have such complications, just a pump, ps box, and linkage; no pump, cylinder and 2 extra hoses, etc. Plus a really bad ratio to begin with!!

Is there any reason why a late 70's - mid 80's TransAm/Z28 steering box wouldn't work, connecting the pitman arm with tie rods to the stock relay rod? The hydraulics would be a little less complicated, the ratio would improve, and the places to develop leaks would drop by at least half!

Has anybody ever tried this? To see if the box will bolt into the stock locaton?

The reason I bring this up is because of the item in the Eckler's catalog (Item 44234, page 6A) allows one to rebuild the steering box to 12:1 specs, but still requires you to keep all the hydraulics.
If nothing else, I might try this, maybe someone else has, and can relay any experiences?

Thanks for your time and any input you may have!

Paul

 

This system has more positive feedback and operates at a variable rate, giving much more road feel than the other systems. Its a performance thing.

Its old but, it is good, and it aint complicated.

 

Power steering was introduced on the Corvette in 1963. You have to remember that in the 50s and early 60s, most cars had manual steering. This first generation power steering (i.e. linkage booster cylinder, control valve on the end of the relay rod) adapted very easily to convert manual steering to power steering.

Saginaw Steering Gear introduced their integral recirculating ball power steering (where a rotary hydraulic valve is built into the input side and the steering rack takes on the additional duty as the hydraulic assist piston) in the early 60s. The big Impala, Biscayne B-car started with the integral power steering gear in 1965. Before that time they also used the linkage booster system.

Saginaw engineering tried to get Chevrolet engineering to adapt the integral power gear into the Corvette in the late 60s. Saginaw even went so far as to have special castings made so that the gear housing would adapt directly into the Corvette chassis. There was at least one prototype built for Chevrolet to evaluate. (There was one other "privately" owned 1968 435 horse BB that managed to acquire one of the gears.) Even with the special gear casting, the Corvette frame (I believe it was actually the front crossmember) had to be reworked because the power gear is longer than the manual gear.

The idea was rejected by Chevrolet engineering because they felt that the old linkage booster system gave more road feel. However, the needed frame redesign and the fact that the next generation C4 Corvette was going to use rack and pinion steering, caused the C3 integral gear program to be cancelled.


[Modified by Jim Shea, 8:31 AM 10/16/2003]