mx5autoxer

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I tried for like ten minutes and couldn't do it either.

Savington

iTrader: (31)

Feel free to mention that the car was RHD at any time.

j-po

Wheel offset?

18psi

iTrader: (76)

That wouldn't sound as impressive though

Sparetire

Seriously? Nobody is going to comment on this comment?

Anyway. Back from the recent dead.

Depowering NA rack tonight. Previously drove manual rack DSM. That nose-heavy POS (with axles to deal with up front) was no problem in PHX traffic. I come in at 155LBs.

I swear 90% of all behavior in the western world can be traced to avoiding discomfort or even the possibility thereof. The PITA factor of having a bunch of lines all over the front of the car far outweighs the extra 3.nothing LBs of effort I need to exert to turn the car at .2 MPH with it all gone.

Bryce

iTrader: (24)

I've never worked out in a gym. When I replaced the DD duty of my line-loop depowered Miata with 205s with a Saab 9-5, my arm muscles probably lost .5 inches in diameter within a month. I say .5 because I've never measured them, but they're definitely a little smaller now.

I've said this before and I still stand by it.

Depowered steering is like sex without a condom.

dstn2bdoa

iTrader: (18)

My .02

My commute is about 88 miles.

The first half is mountain road at 4:30 am. The depowered rack is, like mentioned above, sex without a condom. With the depowered rack and aluminum seats bolted to the floor, I can feel all imperfections in the road, how they affect the car, and exactly what the tires are doing. We are one, and I love it.

The second half is through LA traffic and city streets, the depowered rack is just ok. Actually I've modified the car to such an extent that anything less than 8/10ths is plain old annoying.

Moral of the story? It depends on what what your doing with the car, if the car will never see more than .7 lateral G's, then why depower it?

Jwind

I had a few cars that came with a manual steering rack, you'll learn to adapt. Try this though, put your key in the on position and try moving the wheel around that way, its not easy is it?

DaveC

I'll bet you can't wait 'till your parents let you drive for real.

mx5autoxer

iTrader: (1)

Sparetire

Yeah, the pump itself isn't a restriction or anything when its not turning. Totally the same as looping the lines. Ugh.

So anyway. Depowered car. It's fine. I am a Miata-driving receptionist and I don't have trouble with it. The end.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

I did notice a significant difference in effort going from 205s on 15x6.5 wheels to 225s on 15x8 6ULs with no other changes. Not bad, but much more.

timk

**** just got official:

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

Meh, I did mine without a pulley kit. I just used a shorter belt and a couple of flat washers between the AC pulley and the mounting bracket to get it just right.

Sparetire

Pfft.

Removed AC to get easy access to lines on steering rack. No desire whatever to bolt it back on or use AC. The compressor is just ziptied up out of the way until I can get over to a shop and have the AC discharged. At which point I will finish removing all that crap too. It has not been a problem so far. If I wanted to go all baller I would have used some paracord or something to cinch it down.

Pitlab77

iTrader: (3)

I forget how different the rack is but my 99 is sports package car with no PS. Never had a problem. I actually like the feel of it better to PS equipped miatas.

timk

That might work where you are but it ain't gonna fly in Queensland!

RavynX

iTrader: (3)

I tracked and daily drove my NB Miata for 2 years with a properly depowered rack. I opened up the rack, cut out the seal, and then had the pinion welded together so there wouldn't be any slop. It's a polarizing issue as I didn't mind daily driving it but my friends ranging from 25 to 60 either didn't like it because it was too hard to steer or they loved it from the feedback they got from the front wheels. If you have a lot of inner-city driving with lots of 90 degree turns it might get old after a while but if it's highway driving and nice sweepers I wouldn't be against it. The real purpose of depowering the car is to get feedback from the front two wheels when driving the car hard either in the hillcountry or on a track.

If you're not going to track the car and are doing a lot of inner city driving I would recommend against it. You may hear people say, "Oh but it gives you so much feedback!", yeah, I suppose, but do you REALLY need that in day to day driving? Given your intentions in the first post I would keep power steering on the car.

The only issues I ran in to while driving with the depowered rack were really tight u-turns in alcoves or preparing to back into a parking spot but it's easy once you get it. Just think ahead and pre-steer in the direction you will be turning the wheel while the car is still moving forward to "set up" rather than trying to turn the wheel while stationary.

Godless Commie

iTrader: (2)

I depowered my steering and promptly re-powered it in the form of an electric conversion.
That was about a couple thousand miles ago, and I even got on the F1 track with that setup.
Drives and feels great.

2ndGearRubber

Just re-posting this.

Everyone who drives the car around the building/parks it, bitches and cries. "Turning the wheel lock-to-lock while stopped is really hard". No ****. Once they learn that going at 0.1mph makes the steering resistance drop near P/S, they say how direct it is.



I pulled out into traffic with one hand this morning. 90* turn. Grip it and turn, then un-turn and drive straight. Well, as straight as you can smoking a 72 menthol cigarette, listening to "Someone Save My Heart Tonight".