[iused2sk8in98]

I've been going back and fourth about taking my power steering out...It's a street/strip car mostly a weekend cruiser to shows and meets...Pump leaks a bit and so does the rack and I don't know if i should put out the money to replace both or just get a manual rack. Anybody have any regrets about taking their power steering out? Does a manual rack make it a lot easier or could I just plug the stock rack and call it a day?

[Smirnoff]

I don't regret getting rid of my power steering at all ...and technically you can plug your lines and leave fluid in the rack but I wouldn't recommend it

[darkhorse50]

Ya I have somewhat wondered this my self, it seems like it would be a pain the ass to drive the car around for daily use thought

[baine21225]

if its non dd and its leaking already i'd ditch it

[TN.Frank]

I've owned cars in the past that didn't have power steering. The only issue was turning the steering wheel when you're parked. When your moving it's not that big of a deal. Of course you have to remember that "Back in the Day" when a car didn't have power steering it had a HUGE steering wheel to give you the leverage you'd need to turn the wheels. Power racks are cheaper then a manual one but then with a manual one you don't need a pump and you don't waste the few HP it takes to run it either. It's pretty much up to you.

[1slo5.0]

Originally Posted by iused2sk8in98 I've been going back and fourth about taking my power steering out...It's a street/strip car mostly a weekend cruiser to shows and meets...Pump leaks a bit and so does the rack and I don't know if i should put out the money to replace both or just get a manual rack. Anybody have any regrets about taking their power steering out? Does a manual rack make it a lot easier or could I just plug the stock rack and call it a day?

Make the swap. Manual racks are great. You get more of a "feel" for the steering.

[flattusmaximus78]

Yeah the valve in my pump went missing, therefore the pump didn't work... Id go manual rack, because the car was just horrible to drive.

[R0B0T]

if you disconnect the lines into the rack, and drain all the fluid out, it will feel similar to a manual rack.

of course you would also need to remove the pump or at least get a shorter belt to bypass the pulley.

this is how my car is, but i have a flaming river rack sitting pretty in my room, so i won't be able to tell you how it holds up over time.
as soon as suspension parts make their way to my door, flaming river is going on.
no need to pay for an alignment twice.

[Smirnoff]

mine was a dd with manual steering the only time it was even relatively hard to turn was when parking or going really slow once your moving its easy

[1slo5.0]

Originally Posted by R0B0T if you disconnect the lines into the rack, and drain all the fluid out, it will feel similar to a manual rack. of course you would also need to remove the pump or at least get a shorter belt to bypass the pulley. this is how my car is, but i have a flaming river rack sitting pretty in my room, so i won't be able to tell you how it holds up over time. as soon as suspension parts make their way to my door, flaming river is going on. no need to pay for an alignment twice.

It feels nothing like a manual rack. Nothing at all. They are two totally different designs. A manual rack requires hardly any effort compared to a power rack with no pump. You will see the difference when you put your manual rack in.

[flyin ryan]

go manual man i've dd'd a fox with a flaming river kit for the last three years and i don't regret it at all.. really cleans the engine bay up too and you shed like 32lbs at the same time. no more leaks or lines to worry about.

[e3sean]

Originally Posted by Darrell It feels nothing like a manual rack. Nothing at all. They are two totally different designs. A manual rack requires hardly any effort compared to a power rack with no pump. You will see the difference when you put your manual rack in.

+1

i have had power steering in my mustang
i have had a power steering rack with no pump
and now i have a flaming river (standard ratio) rack

the power steering leaked it was annoyingly loud,looked ugly,but nice to turn when parked. i noticed that there was alot of slop and i couldnt keep it stright on the track.

the power steering rack with no pump is just plain horrible its so hard to turn driving and almost impossible parked.and the slop got worse.

manual rack is great its not too bad parked but as soon as you start moving even the slightest bit you can steer as easy as power steering. you feel like you have more control of the car i havent brought it to the strip yet but i have a feeling it will go perfectly stright.

[iused2sk8in98]

Thanks for all the Info guys, last question i have is what the ratios mean when buying a manual rack. Like they say that a 20:1 ratio flaming river rack is a standard?

[TN.Frank]

It's pretty much the same as rear end ratios. The higher the number the easier it should be to turn but I think it also makes it more turns lock to lock IIRC. I'm sure someone will chime in with more/better info.

[e3sean]

there is a standard and a quick ratio. standard is what you want. i believe quick ratio would be for road racing.

[TN.Frank]

Also, front tires will make a bit of a difference too. If you're running skinny tires aka the "Drag Race Look" then manual won't be too bad but if you're running a wide tire aka the "Trans Am Look" then it'll be harder to turn at no or low speed. I'm really kickin' around the idea of getting a manual rack. My power steering lines are lose and leakin and besides getting rid of a bit of weight it'll make the car simpler and simple is best, it's one less thing to work on or worry about.

[flyin ryan]

You want the standard ratio manual rack and if your power steering junk is already leaking an making noises which means it's on its way out just go with the manual setup. If you don't like it you can prob resell it for most of what you put into it if need be

[R0B0T]

Originally Posted by Darrell It feels nothing like a manual rack. Nothing at all. They are two totally different designs. A manual rack requires hardly any effort compared to a power rack with no pump. You will see the difference when you put your manual rack in.

driving a p/s rack with fluid/lines hooked up, it sucks. if you disconnect the high pressure lines from the rack, it's not that bad at all. is there really that big of a difference besides the ratio giving you more "leverage"??

[1slo5.0]

Originally Posted by R0B0T driving a p/s rack with fluid/lines hooked up, it sucks. if you disconnect the high pressure lines from the rack, it's not that bad at all. is there really that big of a difference besides the ratio giving you more "leverage"??

I've done that in the past when I was a cheap ass and it is nothing like a manual rack. My brother in laws car still has a power rack with no powersteering. It sucks to drive like that.

[Traidmarx]

Originally Posted by Darrell I've done that in the past when I was a cheap ass and it is nothing like a manual rack. My brother in laws car still has a power rack with no powersteering. It sucks to drive like that.

+1

id had my 94 super coupe set up like that, it was the biggest pain in the ass ever.