So I know this has been asked 1000 times but this case is slightly different. I know that a lot of people de-power their steering racks to get both the feel of manual steering and the faster ratio of the power rack. 2.65 turns lock to lock was just not fast enough of a ratio for me so I'm adapting a rack from a 1984 Corvette with HD suspension. This rack has the same total travel that the Miata rack does and it's only 2.0 turns lock to lock.

I'm almost finished the conversion and will post a thread of what I've done when it's in the car and working. My original plan was to maintain the power assist, but now I'm wondering If I should de-power it. The car is primarily for autocross and daily driving, and my driving style tends to be a bit loose.

Should I keep the steering power assisted to take full advantage of the faster ratio, or should I de-power the rack? I'm leaning towards de-power because it will free up a bit more power, lighten the car a little, improve the road feel, and most of all I won't have to spend money on a custom hydraulic line.

 

I love my de-powered rack... but for tight autocross on wide tires I'd probably stay with power.

 

+1 on power, especially with the lower ratio.

 

Which is easier to undo?

That is, is it easier to go from power to de-powered or de-powered back to powered?

 

If I go de-powered it will be not be reversible as I would weld the spool valve to eliminate as much play as possible. I suppose I could loop the lines to see what it will be like but the more I think about it the more my original plan makes sense. Right now I'm running stock size tires but will be upgrading to 225 or 275 hoosiers soon. I think keeping the power assist for autocross does make the most sense.

 

do manual rack!

 

You are ******* moron, GTFO