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That other idea is mostly baked. This one I would like. My power steering would be -off- |
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It might be possible to fit an air conditioning compressor
clutch onto the power steering pump; that would give you
on/off capability. Not quite sure how you'd do a variable
assist - possibly an adjustable bypass on the hydraulic lines,
bleeding the boost down. Seems like that would tend to
overheat the fluid, though. |
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Add the little radiator from a transmission cooler kit. I
have one cooling the hydraulic brakes on my duece; now I
can descend long hills without updating my will. |
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I don't suppose a simple current limiter on the power steering
motor would be sufficient? |
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//power steering motor// The what? |
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In some vehicles, Matt, the power steering system uses an
electric motor instead of a hydraulic actuator. |
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"On Fiat group cars the amount of assistance can be regulated using a button named "CITY" that switches between two different assist curves, while most other EPS systems have variable assist. These give more assistance as the vehicle slows down, and less at faster speeds." (Wikipedia, Power Steering.)
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I would prefer [lurch]'s system; I'm not especially fond of power steering, and would like to be able to turn it off altogether. Presumably, if the power steering system lost power for any reason the clutch would disengage so you wouldn't have to fight the motor. |
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I like having it on while negotiating parking lots, just not all the
way on. |
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Surely the simplest way would be for a steering wheel with an adjustable diameter, I'm thinking a stretchy rim with extensible spokes, wind it in for less leverage/extra exercise. |
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I get worried when people agree with me. Actually, I'm a bit surprised car makers don't fit something like this already, after all there's a "sport" mode option for car transmission. |
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[+] I see a whole suite of products based on this
idea. Can I please order a laptop power supply that
supplies most of the power from the wall socket, but
also requires me to pedal a generator a little bit? |
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What was driving like before most cars had power steering? Did you have to have two people each with a wheel, so they could combine their turning force? Or did they use worm-geared steering shafts like on steamrollers, so you have to crank the wheel 20 turns just to change lane? |
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I used to have a diesel hatchback with no power
steering. In order to get the required leverage on
the wheel, I used to have to sit much closer... I
removed a couple of bits of under-dashboard trim
for more knee room.
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The benefits included chiseled arms and shoulders
and the fact that my girlfriend/mother* never
wanted to borrow it.
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* completely independent, separate, different
people. |
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A '78 Civic was the last car I owned which had manual steering... fine except parking lots were annoying (the ratio is higher so lock-to-lock is longer). [+]
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I might still be driving it if it had had power steering: hitting a rock tore the steering wheel out of my hands. |
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I think that's why a lot of older vehicles had hefty knobs on the wheel...
for extra leverage. |
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certainly, there are many cars with hefty knobs
BEHIND the wheel. |
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I was only teasing, I have never actually owned a car with power steering, only rentals. Still not really used to it. |
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Power steering is sort of a funny idea because it's really a powered device for doing something powerful, like powered levering. |
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What was it like before power steering?
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I own a six-wheel-drive military truck commonly known as
a deuce-and-a-half. It is eight feet wide, twenty three feet
long, has 46" diameter tires, weighs seven tons, and does
not have power steering*. Here are some highlights of the
driving experience:
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-If I want to turn the front wheels, the truck must move.
I'm a pretty strong guy, but I am not strong enough to turn
that wheel when the truck is standing, even on pavement.
The best I can do is
put it in gear and repeatedly feather the clutch, turning
the wheel a little bit with each tiny lurch forward and roll
back.
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- At highway speeds, I keep my hands fairly loose on the
steering wheel and let it waver back and forth a bit. If I
tried to hold the wheel as firmly as I do in a vehicle with
power steering, my shoulders would be burning within
fifteen minutes.
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- In the woods, I carefully keep my hands on the outside of
the steering wheel, because an unexpected stump or rock
can spin that wheel fast enough to snap my thumbs in half.
Power steering works both ways.
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In summary, it was probably like that, but less extreme.
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*There is an 'air-assist' kit that is supposed to work like
power steering, but it isn't worth the box it comes in. |
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I saw it from the other way, one teeny Suzuki car in Japan, with completely overboard power steering. One finger steering probably possible and, a non-linear change of direction when turning the steering wheel. Very, very weird to drive.
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And not self-centering steering as well. |
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This where I can crow about the virtues of a light
car...may I introduce the Mazda Miata first model
(NA)...no power steering on some of those. Didn't
need it. |
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in fact.... the manual steering rack was coveted by
the MX5 enthusiast. Unfortunately the manual
steering rack tended to appear on the poverty-
spec
1.6 models, where as the LSD and other goodies
tended to appear on the specced-up 1.8l models,
lots
of swapping about went on there.
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Although, if you did have power steering it was
probably for the best, you needed it, what with
the extra weight of the power steering gear... |
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[Alterother] - that does indeed sound familiar. At
12 years old, I was driving a '46 Chevy 2-ton flatbed
while hay-hauling (driving was the work of those
too "puny" to throw hay) so I had no "highway
speed" problems, but the other points were right
on. Hitting an irrigation furrow not-quite square
on would really spin the wheel on you. Steering
while stopped was as easy as bending a crowbar
behind your back.
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The '63 Dodge Powerwagon I got for my own later
(which thought "highway speed" was 48 mph) was
much nicer - stopped, I could force the wheel
around if I had my feet braced on the firewall (by
this time I was big enough to throw hay-bales) and
it seldom jammed my thumbs - but I think I had
just gotten in the habit of keeping them out of
the way of the spokes. Come to think of it, I still
do. |
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When I say 'highway speed' I meant 30-50mph. Going down
a long hill with a stiff tailwind I can get my truck up to 65. |
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