Power Steering Delete

[ecalder]

I hope not, I'm actually hoping it will make it more fun, at least that's what I read. From what I understand once the car is moving you don't have to use that much force. It's not my daily driver though so it's not as tough of a decision as for others.

Also tjts1 what kind of hose did you use there in pink?

[iamcreepingdeath]

its just that in autocross you have to turn lock-to-lock extremely quickly at relatively low speeds...   well i guess there is only one way to find out!!

[ecalder]

yesss and I still have at least four turns lock to lock... I'll lelt you know how it goes, next autocross is on the 28th if I can get my car put together in time!

[tjts1]

one question:  does it suck to race autocross with no PS?

Not at all. It does take a little more effort at very very low speed (1st gear 180 degree turns etc) but the rest of the time its not noticeable. I also have a 3.2 turn E36 rack so its heavier than the stock 4 turn E30 rack. Totally manageable. With out any fluid in the rack its easier to tell when the front tire loses/gains grip or when it starts to under steer. It also self centers faster when you take your hand off the wheel.

what kind of hose did you use there in pink?

I'm sorry I don't remember. I think it was either coolant or oil hose. I just went into the auto parts with the banjo bolts in hand store and picked out the hose that fit.

[ecalder]

Sweet, I might just do that and unload this delete block. I guess the hose is really just acting as a spacer then, not worried about a seal... that's great info, thanks.

[tjts1]

It just keeps the dirt out. There is no pressure in the system.

[iamcreepingdeath]

ok just one more question, tjts1.  Are you running stock-sized tires in autocross?  because wider and stickier tires do make the steering harder.

[ecalder]

Yeh I'm curious about that too... I'm running 205x50x15s with 180 treadwear tires. That might make it tough.

[tjts1]

195/60R14 RT615s the cheapest descent tires money can buy. The offset CABs and shorter M3 springs increased caster. More caster = more steering effort but it's really not an issue at all. That plus the 3.2 turn E36 rack make the steering feel completely different from stock. 205 tires are only 5% wider. I woudnt worry about it until you get up to 225+ or something crazy. Try doing an autoX without the PS belt to get a feel for it. Some people worry that the increased effort will slow them down but honesly, I would rather have that little bit extra torque at the wheels. AutoXing without PS is a more physical experience but I enjoy it. I only autoXed once with PS in the car. My last car was a Neon also with manual steering.
cheers
Justin

[carguy101]

I took off the belt and really like the way it drives but parking is a bia... I always back in park and my skrony ass struggles a little bit but when being pushed it feels pretty good but its a better trade off, now I just hope I will not have to parallel park lol, Btw I went to test it out on one of the roads by the com college up here and the back is a lot easier to catch when it decided to step out for whatever reason. I will most likely keep it for now.

[DesktopDave]

Another little thing you can do is swap for a slightly larger steering wheel.  Early e34 wheels swap right over, or go for a nice M-Tech II in leather.  I wouldn't go too big as it'll make the switches difficult to reach.

My plastic four spoke airbag wheel was always in the way so I swapped in a 'vert 3 spoke and it made a big difference.  It needed refinishing too, but a $4 bottle of boot dye solved that.  Remember that you'll need non-airbag stalks too.

[doitover]

The steering effort improves when you remove the pump. If you like it with the belt off, you will like it better once you delete the pump. Saves a couple of pounds too.

I took off the belt and really like the way it drives but parking is a bia... I always back in park and my skrony ass struggles a little bit but when being pushed it feels pretty good but its a better trade off, now I just hope I will not have to parallel park lol, Btw I went to test it out on one of the roads by the com college up here and the back is a lot easier to catch when it decided to step out for whatever reason. I will most likely keep it for now.

[ecalder]

Finally changed the rack... DAMN that was a huge pain! In the end I had to remove the knuckle from the column since removing the knuckle from the rack was almost impossible with the rack in. Then to re-attach the knuckle I basically had to hammer the knuckle onto the rack, there was no coaxing it in. Once that was in the knuckle went into the steering column more easily than expected.

Do the non-airbag stalks swap out without any modification? I thought I'd be ok when I changed to the mtech 1 wheel but after a couple of autox I realize I need the stalks further away. It's so distracting to accidentally hit the turn signal or even worse the slow ass wiper!

I did remove the P/S pump and resevoir. I also no longer have A/C. Do I need to do anything to balance the weight or is it negligible? Also, the PO removed the A/C compressor but left the bracket installed. Can I leave the bracket out or did he leave it for a reason?

[iamcreepingdeath]

ditch the bracket.  you should even ditch the AC lines.  if you are worried about the weight balance, you can always easily re-locate your battery into the engine bay.

[iamcreepingdeath]

I did remove the P/S pump and resevoir. I also no longer have A/C. Do I need to do anything to balance the weight or is it negligible? Also, the PO removed the A/C compressor but left the bracket installed. Can I leave the bracket out or did he leave it for a reason?

actually,  that AC bracket helps hold on the front timing chain cover.  So if you remove it, you will have to find two shorter bolts to bolt back into the holed to help hold on the timing chain cover.

check out my PS delete that I did last night: http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=162329