Fixing over assisted power steering

[wart1de]

As mentioned in another topic about handling, the power steering is way over assisted and actually scares me a little at high speed.

Is there anything that can be done to make the steering wheel a little harder to turn? I'd like to keep my original wheel so a smaller steering wheel is out. And I don't want to go back to manual steering either.

I'm suppose I could replace the pulley on the pump with a smaller one but I don't think that alone will be enough.

[340kiwi]

Know what you mean about the power steering, sneeze and you've changed lanes!
I'm in the middle of adapting the electromagnetic clutch off an a/c compressor onto the front of my power steering pump so that once you get rolling up to say, 30 mph you can switch it off. It's a sh*t load of work though and I wouldn't even be trying it if I didn't work in an engineering shop.
Good luck!
 :cheers:Paul

[ChallengerHK]

I saw an ad the other day for a Firm Feel steering box. Probably expensive, but in theory it's engineered to drop right in. Has anyone tried these and can report on them?

[Bullitt-]

    Anybody ever tried a smaller steering wheel?  Less leverage would add feel & reduce overcorrecting, I think.       NOW MY HEAD HURTS 

[Bullitt-]

Now that my head is hurting all kinds or crap is coming out.  OK KIWI you da man on this one.  How about a "valve", maybe that's the wrong term, but in the appliance world water flow is regulated by a variable orifice in the water valve/solenoid that fills washers & dishwashers. The more pressure there is the less flow there is. This is accomplishes with a rubber device with a few holes in a circle, at low pressure there is little deformation of the rubber so the holes are max. size and you get the most flow, as the pressure increases the more the rubber is stretched & the holes become smaller thus restricting the flow. These water valves are designed to deliver aprox. the same total volume in a range of  50-150PSI. Can you see this idea adapted to P/S? 

[Bullitt-]

full blown migraine...... .......Two more just spilled out
1. Anybody ever try a steering stabilizer?
2. Our '74 Monoco was relatively difficult to steer when new. At some point a new set of tires & an alignment & the steering was much easier. I've always heard that something to do with alignment helped steering (toe out?) Any ideas how this could help too much? Maybe go the other way?
 

[Bullitt-]

PSST. http://www.hydraforce.com/Flowcont/Fcfrpcad.htm 

[340kiwi]

Jeez bullitt
don't set me up as any sort of expert on hydraulics! Yeah I think you could alter the relief valve pressure in the pump somehow which should theoretically give a firmer feel from the steering box. I put a smaller steering wheel on my Challenger like you suggested which did help but Wart1de wants to keep his original. I'm not actually sure that what I'm trying with the clutch setup will work either, it's the engineering challenge of doing it that makes it interesting for me.
Cheers Paul

[wart1de]

I saw an ad the other day for a Firm Feel steering box. Probably expensive, but in theory it's engineered to drop right in. Has anyone tried these and can report on them?

$299 according to their website. I shot them an email to see if they can ship to Australia. Might be the solution. Unfortunately it'll be atleast 12 months before the car sees the road again so if I get one, I won't be able to let you know how good it is until then. 

[ChallengerHK]

That's at least cheaper than I thought it would be. Did the site have any details about how they acheive firmer feel? I'm wondering if it's by altering the hydraulics or the hard structure, or both.

Kiwi -
Re: the smaller steering wheel, I can see how that would improve feel at the wheel in a way, but don't you give up some degree of fine control that way as well?

[willj]

hey guys im goin to try a steering stabilizer if i can get one mounted under their, i hope this will firm things up.

[Bullitt-]

willj, let us know how it works out, I have contemplated a stableizer many times.   

[340kiwi]

Kiwi -
Re: the smaller steering wheel, I can see how that would improve feel at the wheel in a way, but don't you give up some degree of fine control that way as well?

I guess you might lose a little fine control but I can't say if I really noticed. See, the Challenger was my first car so I didn't really have anything to compare it to as far as handling went. The smaller wheel made me feel more comfortable when I drove at freeway speeds so it was money well spent as far as I was concerned.

[Bullitt-]

Kiwi -
Re: the smaller steering wheel, I can see how that would improve feel at the wheel in a way, but don't you give up some degree of fine control that way as well?

My understanding is that the steering wheel amounts to a lever, the longer the lever the less force it takes to move but you must move it further. So if you use a smaller wheel it will take more effort to turn, but you would move your hands less giving you quicker response and I suppose more feel.  Make sense? if not find a physics guy to splain it. 

[Chryco Psycho]

adding caster to the front suspension set up helps a lot with stability of the car & adds load to the power steering as well