Whats better Manual steering or Power?

Power steering or Manual?

  • Power

    Votes: 187 43.0%

  • Manual

    Votes: 248 57.0%
  • Total voters
    435
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Different cars have different requirements..... I like the power steering on my 4 speed car since the other hand is usually on the stick. For the drag car with the auto trans manual is perfect. I've still got a hand on the slap stick but going straight and saving ponies... I've been considering putting a manual pinto rack on one of my cars though...
 
Manual all the way. Alot less to go wrong With pumps, Hoses and belt and it dont take any power away. Feels good. Everyone likes best what they like. I do prefer the manual mine steers great.
 
Hey BllitzReeig !! Do you run that fine lookin car anywhere in Canada??You seem to know your front end stuff?And i,m new!Do you think I could get some pointers as I think I need some B.ushing,s.I,ll try to post some pics.??
 
Well, this poll save me a post. I was going to ask people's opinions on the 20:1 manual box. It seems like a good compromise. I figure I'll pick up a used box and send it off to Firm Feel for a rebuild with 20:1 worm gear.

Thanks guys! I'll vote in the spring, when my car finally hits the road.
 
I currently have P/S in my Duster and after repairing my recent problem with loose mounting bolts, I'm pretty happy with it. However, eventually I will switch to the Flaming River 16:1 manual box, for more header clearance, to save weight, improve feel and for simplicity. Several years ago, I had a 68 RR with the 14:1 manual box and 255 tires on the front, so I know what to expect as to low speed effort.
 
Comming from an autox-er and road race guy: Driving a stick is NO excuse to not keep both hands on the wheel! One of the first things you learn, is to always keep BOTH hands on the wheel at ALL times(except to shift/manipulate the e brake); automatic, manual trans, power or manual steering!

That being said. I had a 76 Dart Sport 360 with manual steering.Im 6'2 215 and am trainning/preparing to join the Navy SEALs program,and low speed maneuvering was quite a bear...at the factory 28 psi! When I bumped it up to 35 psi,I felt like I was in a modern power assisted/sports type car!!!Later before I sold the car I installed a set of 15 inch alloy wheels with speed rated tires,max psi was 45. I pumped them up to 38 psi(with nitrogen,which is awesome!) and I could not believe it was the same car.Nor could I believe that it was a muscle car! The steering became almost 'easy'. I am planning on this same set up on my next a body. Just my .02

-Grinder
 
I dont own show cars and I drive mine everyday (April-October). I prefer power steering. I also have Tuff Wheels in my A-bodies.

We transplanted a 392 HEMI in our old 1970 Charger. We ran manual steering in it and I hated driving that car. I can't blame it all on the manual steering box itself, however with power steering I wouldn't remember everytime I tried to get into a tight spot like it was yesterday. Between the massive cam giving it an non-street friendly idle, the 4-speed manual transmission, small 13-14" Grant steering wheel trying to park or manuvere that car at barely moving speeds was just way more work than it was worth.
That Charger did get more attention than any other car we've ever owned though.
 
One big advantage of power steering.......
Being able to keep the front end straight when the massively MOpowered rear end can't make up it's mind which way it wants to go.
And you can hold your honey tight.
 
I have stock power steering in my 67 barracuda that was street driven, and have converted my 73 dart sport race car to manual. I have not tried a Firm feel box. I have think the power steering is better for a daily driverm more so if the car has a 4 speed.
 
To me a lot depends on the front tire size you run. Every car we have has the standard steels on the front or an after marked of the same width. We have run cars with the factory manual box and they were fine. We have also run the Flaming River quicker ratio manual box, that much better than factory. Our 71 Duster had the RMS Alterkation with the manual rack, that was a dream to drive. My current daily driver is a 72 Scamp with power steering and I want to put a FR manual box on it. All that said consider your tire size, if you run some wide aluminum rims or something of that nature you will likely not want manual.

58
 
My 65 cuda has power steering and a front sway bar. Saved me recently when I had to do a quick accident-avoidance maneuver. Also it makes everyday driving so relaxed. Practically steers itself. I love it.
 
dgc333 said:
There is a reason vertually every new car comes with power steering these days.
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Yes there is, and it has nothing to do with handling, road feel, or performance. It has to do with the majority of folks on the road not having the foggiest idea about actual driving and wanting to be able to talk on a cell phone and eat a hamburger while driving down the road!

Besides, new cars come with rack and pinion steering, which is a completely different animal than either power or manual steering on an A body.

Give me manual steering anyday. Yeah, its a little more effort, but its much more precise control. And its more horsepower!
 
340 swinger said:
Don't forget guys, power steering (also what I have), robs roughly 11 horse power to run. Only by removing the belt you can usually pick up 2 tenths in the quarter.
Just my .02
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I don't know where you heard that.I have always read that it takes 3hp to run it in full lock detent and 1hp just going down the track.To me ps is so much more enjoyable to drive and no car of mine will be without it.I drove numerous mopars in the 70's with manual steering and they were a bear to drive.In a high horsepower car you don't need to fight the steering to slow down your response time
 
Good point; I'm not sure you can PUT 11 horsepower through a small, single V-belt.

I could be wrong, but if you're going in a straight line (like, down a drag strip), and the box is not doing any work, how can it absorb 11 hp?

Whatever the pump is creating in the way of pressure is just being by-passed, isn't it, as long as the wheel stays straight?

Somebody who's well-versed in this, help us out here, please.

Thanks for any info....
 
For a daily driving street only car i'd go with power steering,just for the ease of getting in/out of parking spaces,for me its manual "only" in my street/strip car..
 
All of our bb dart are manual steering but they have skinny frontrunners and are rarely driven on the street so they are no big deal and I like the feel at the track of the manual box. I had a 74(i think)swinger with a 383/auto with manifolds instead of headers and pwr steering and it was nice as it was my daily driver for a yr. only thing I didn't like was building spark plug wires for it was it's one more thing to take off(pwr steering pump)as I like to take the alternator and pwr steering pump off for better access to the front plugs. The manifolds didnt help either for access but thats a whole nother post. My new project 360/4spd will have pwr steering because thats what I have right now. If I come across a good deal on a manual box later down the road I might switch it. I wouldnt need a diff colum because I have that cool adapter from firm feel make to mate a pwr colum to a manual box. Ive used it b4 and it works great, it's a cpl bucks but cheaper than a manual colum.
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Marvin
 
It would seem that the major advantage of manual over power in a strip car would be less weight on the front end. Horsepower consumption; 3 hp seems more reasonable than 11, lacking any data, should only be an issue mainly for those restricted by narrow class rules.

In addition, depending on your performance goals, V-belts don't really like 7000rpm shifts; not to mention that the combination of p/s fluid and hot headers is never good.

I do know that the choice here comes down to a matter of personal preferrence, just like the colors we paint our cars, but for me, at least in an A body, I'll take manual.
 
As far as weight difference when i switched over to the Flaming River box,i weighted all the components i removed ,p.s. box,p.s. pump,brackets and belt..the weight saving was 36 lbs..thats not bad and well worth the effort i think...
 
Definately manual is the way to go. My best friend and I used to joke about making things manual that didn't even prevent horsepower loss, just to be different. I think he even suggested removing the wiper motor and replacing it with a handle so he could manually clean the window.

Man, the things we used to think were funny back then. :-D
 
"36 lbs.."

That's about a fender-lenth in the quarter-mile... less than that in a thousand feet and even less in an eighth-mile...

I think I'll keep my power steering and "eat" the difference.

But, I'm O-L-D, and tired.... lol!
Fifty years ago, I'd have jumped on it!

You'll see.... you'll see... 8)
 
just converted the dart and i'll probably send my valiant box to FR for a 20:1 rebuild. i have pretty big tires on front of the valiant and, with the stock big steering wheel, doesnt really present a problem. tires are 235 45R 17 but they seem to turn just fine in slow/tight places, and i like it the big wheel and i'm keepin it

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