Un-Powered Steering is a killer!

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lkmarsh
Posts: 211
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:35 pm
Location: Modesto CA

Un-Powered Steering is a killer!

Post by lkmarsh »

Lost power steering in the Impala wagon about a mile from home,
far worse than driving a manual steering car, WOULD NOT TURN!
I got it home, but if I had been on the freeway...
Time to consider an updated system.
Lyle
69 1414x Buick350/Th400/D20
PDB, HEI, relays, rallyes, rhino, rust...
73 Wagoneer parts donor
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Stuka
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Re: Un-Powered Steering is a killer!

Post by Stuka »

Manual steering boxes have a ratio that makes steering a lot easier, but a lot more turns lock to lock. Vehicles with power steering have quicker boxes, but that takes leverage away from the steering wheel. Try turning the wheel on a diesel pickup without power steering!

Glad you got home ok!
2017 JKU Rubicon
Pevious Jeeps: 1981 J10, 1975 Cherokee, 2008 JK, 2005 KJ, 1989 XJ
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Topic author
lkmarsh
Posts: 211
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:35 pm
Location: Modesto CA

Re: Un-Powered Steering is a killer!

Post by lkmarsh »

Stayed on the side streets, took up the whole driveway (wife not impressed) and spent the afternoon
swapping out the ancient pressure hose. Now it's all good, but I can hardly move!
So much easier working on the Jeep!
Lyle
69 1414x Buick350/Th400/D20
PDB, HEI, relays, rallyes, rhino, rust...
73 Wagoneer parts donor

2many
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Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2019 3:42 pm

Re: Un-Powered Steering is a killer!

Post by 2many »

Had a Geo Prizm with almost 230.000 miles that had rust holes and was really ugly but my commute to work was only 5.5 mies round trip.Great in the snow. Power steering pump locked up. It could not pass the "safety inspection" because of this. Being a small vehicle it was no problem steering. But it was due for tires and brakes also so sold it to the scrap yard.
'67 Gladiator.327.T18.D20 with a Ford bed
'68 Gladiator.232.T18.D20 stake bed

PossumJr
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Joined: Fri May 10, 2019 8:04 am
Location: Eastern NC

Re: Un-Powered Steering is a killer!

Post by PossumJr »

Luckily power steering has been designed with potential failure in mind for a long time and they are able to be used manually if need be. Losing it on the freeway actually would have been fine since the effort to move the wheels reduces greatly at speed compared to slow/stopped and you don't need as much input. I had it go out on my J10 and it was awful to try and turn the wheels under 10 mph.
1979 J10, 360/QT

bigun
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Location: Mountainair, NM

Re: Un-Powered Steering is a killer!

Post by bigun »

Stuka wrote: Tue Jul 16, 2019 3:18 pm Manual steering boxes have a ratio that makes steering a lot easier, but a lot more turns lock to lock. Vehicles with power steering have quicker boxes, but that takes leverage away from the steering wheel. Try turning the wheel on a diesel pickup without power steering!

Glad you got home ok!
I only drove my brother's F-250 Super Duty once seemed to me the steering was really heavy compared to my 91 D150 I assumed it was the weight of the engine
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