Miata Mailing List: May 1997, Message #132
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From: 	"john_k..." <kresky@erols.com>

Subject: Re: Power steering (was Re: Purchasing Miata)

Date: 	Thu, 1 May 1997 18:31:27 -0500



> 

> John said:

> 

> >Personally, I prefer

>  good PS over manual.

> >IMHO a well designed PS system is the only way

>  to go.

> 



Brian responded:



> I beg to differ.  Miata power steering should be lumped in to the same

pile

> as Automatic transmissions, and be considered an accessability option

(like

> crutches, wheelchairs and artificial limbs) for people who couldn't enjoy

> the Miata otherwise.  The added expense of a hydraulic pump, fluid, belt,

> hoses,  fittings and steering rack is completely unneeded in a car as

light

> as the Miata.  Not to mention the extra weight, maintainance, parts to

> fail, reduction of engine power, etc.  I've owned both, and I like the

> manual rack WAY better.  (I also hate self propelled lawn mowers and

> motorized can openers, so its probably a personality thing.)

> 



[snip]

> 

> Brian Dore'



 You must be young and inexperienced, Brian. ;-)   (What could be  better

than a self propelled lawn mower an a motorized can opener?) When I was 21

I had a '69 Z28 Camaro. One of the few (206) made with the Corvette disk

brakes. Roger Peneski(?) needed more stopping power for the Trans Am cars,

so they had to make at least 200 of them to be within the rules. Any way,

the car had manual steering with racing geometry. Now, I am not a big guy

at 5' 11'', 160#, but not a weakling either. After a few hours of hard

driving it got very difficult to steer that thing in a tight turn. I know

because a friend and I would race back to Penn State from Philly almost

every weekend. It was about a 3 hour drive the way we did it (200 miles).

However, the recirculating ball steering boxes were pretty bad for road

feel, and in those days power steering was of the 'you can always turn it

with your little finger type' so it was out. The power steering on toadies

performance cars is really not bad at giving you road feel and nominal

resistance. No, it won't give you the feel of manual, but it does transmit

all the important stuff back to you. And I can concentrate on what to do

and not worry about the effort required to do it. It's all a matter of what

you like, as  you said,  and what you are used to. When I first got my 89

BMW, I didn't even realize it had power steering until I stalled it once,

and I find the Miata's PS to feel quiet similar to the (old) bimmers. Of

course I am referring to a '97 Miata here. I don't know what the changes

have been if any.



 Just my $0.02



   John K...   

                   Miata CA 63076  '97 / Montego Blue / Lth / "PT"

                   BMW CCA 132462  '96 328iS / sport / M Tech /