How many of you out there running manual steering?

[dano]

I hated every minuet of my slow ratio manual steering. Being manual wasn't the issue, the ratio was. Going to a faster ratio manual becomes an issue of effort so it depends on what you want or do with your car. Straight line car you hardly or never drive on the street and have skinny front tires, keep the slow manual. Drive on the street more but still have skinny front tires, go fast ratio manual. Drive all on the street, have larger front tires for better stopping, like faster ratio with less effort for corners and modern traffic speeds, wife/girlfriend drive the car, keep the power steering and upgrade it to a Firm Feel Stage 3. Like 1 finger steering and no feed back, keep the stock box.

The power steering box can become an issue with headers. I have Dougs and had issues I addressed to make it work. I can't speak for TTI's, what I have seen is the clear PS OK.

 

[SSVDP]

‘66 Valiant 273.
It has a much better road feel.
When not moving it is heavy but this can be avoided most of the time. For example when backing out of the driveway just straighten out the steering wheel while still moving backwards.
Also proper driving technique helps - hands at 4 & 8, to turn always pull down with one hand and keep the other in the proper position.

 

[72bluNblu]

I have the quick ratio manual flaming river box in my Duster. 16:1 ratio, with 275/35/18’s up front on 18x9’s and I run +6.75* of caster as well.

I use my car as my daily driver. So, super wide tires up front, fast ratio box, and the large positive caster means even more effort. The steering effort is a bit tough below 10mph, so parallel parking isn’t fun, but it works. Above 10 mph its awesome! Super responsive, good feedback, turns very quick.

 

[Yote]

Have original manual steering in '72 Demon 340. Not a issue for me. My opinion is that it is one thing less to go wrong.
Yote

 

[barbee6043]

I have always preferred the road feel of a manual box, even with BB B bodies. Never any city driving. (OK so a town with 1 light and 1 stop sign I don't count). Yes fast ratio box is great. Had 1 once. But...

 

[chaditotx]

Thanks for all the input. It looks like manual steering it is. More header clearance, and I don't have to worry about cooking the power steering fluid either. The factory power steering is just crap. It is responsive, but you really can't feel what is going on. I kinda like the idea of electric assist too. Prius modules are cheap.

 

[harrisonm]

I have a bb hanging over pizza cutters in my duster and have zero issues. Also have a 13" steering wheel.

OK. I give up. What on earth are pizza cutters. I never heard that term before.

 

[72bluNblu]

OK. I give up. What on earth are pizza cutters. I never heard that term before.

Front runners. Skinnies. The "littles" of "bigs and littles".

Basically he said he has a big block, super narrow drag race style front tires, and a tiny little steering wheel but has no issues with his manual steering effort. Which makes sense, the tiny little contact patch on the skinny front tires means steering effort isn't bad.

Of course, he'll just keep going straight if he really cranks on the steering wheel. Those pizza cutters will just slide while the weight of the car keeps heading in the same direction. They don't belong on a street car.

 

[dirty white boy]

‘66 Valiant 273.
It has a much better road feel.
When not moving it is heavy but this can be avoided most of the time. For example when backing out of the driveway just straighten out the steering wheel while still moving backwards.
Also proper driving technique helps - hands at 4 & 8, to turn always pull down with one hand and keep the other in the proper position.

thats all good but what when your turning a corner and hafta down shift same time?? thats when i wish i had p/s or 3 hands!