Miata Mailing List: May 1997, Message #423
sponsored by



     



From: 	CKrivin@aol.com

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

Date: 	Sun, 4 May 1997 01:21:25 -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 / 

Well, I hate to add another opinion to this one *-) but, I am truely 

enjoying the manual steering on my brand new R.  It is true, if I had to 

parallel park frequently I probaby would not be so enamored of it, but 

the feel of responsiveness and control is quite a contrast to the PS 

equipped car.  Of course, the R package as a whole tends to amplify that 

feeling compared to a non "r", but I wouldn't trade it.  Besides, since I 

spend so much time driving I can make believe that I'm getting a little 

excersise when I turn a corner!





Craig Krivin

Hannibal, NY (somewhere in upstate ny)

ooooooooooooooo

New arrival 4/2/97

weight: about 2600

Length: about 140"

Triple Black

Unknown sex

R designation

no name yet

But I know I'm in love!