Hello is the mx5 mk1 very hard to steer with no power steering fitted,I know it will be worse at low speed,is there a lot of difference,just now used to modern car with power steering,has any body tried both and could tell me please.
Very heavy when parking or slow turning etc.No much difference while speeding along ,some even say they like the non power steering at higher speeds. Its easy to fit power steering to mk1 cas as I have sold several sets to UK members and worked out a treat.Really makes the car friendlier to drive.park etc ,for daily use
I have had a MK1 without power steering for nearly 14 years and also had regular use of my girlfriends Eunos with power steering for over 8 years.
As the previous poster says no real difference at speed. The big difference for me has been a move from Coventry to the slow country roads of South Devon where a lot of slow speed manoeuvring required.
I preferred non power steering in Coventry but would definitely choose power steering down here. Could be because I am getting old but I reckon it is the different driving conditions.
Tight parking in a line of traffic is hard work without power steering. You do get used to it but it is never as easy as with assistance.
Look for an IS model which does have power steering
…or one of the countless other Mkl with PAS fitted.
I personally prefer non power steering on my mk1 1.8 it helps if you run slightly higher tyre pressure in the fronts and alter the castor angle slightly to
For years I avoided owning a car with power steering, mainly because I did not like the dead spot many had when travelling in a straight line, or rather when trying to.
If the steering geometry is designed for no power steering then the car need not be heavy to steer. Back in the early 1970s (pre 70 limit)I owned a Series IV Humber Hawk, it weighed 30cwt never had power steering and I’d fitted XJ6 ER70 SP Sport radials instead of the specified cross-plys. With proper double wishbone front suspension it handled like a mini, it didn’t matter that there was no power in the engine, I just didn’t bother to slow down for the many (in those days de-restricted west of the Hoover building) A40 roundabouts if empty, just flipped through them.
Maybe a dozen non-power-steering cars later I finally go around to buying my first ever New Car; and after lots of test drives in various new cars mostly with naff dead-spot power steering I eventually found a 1994 Astra without power steering or aircon. This had the bonus of giving me another 2 to 3 mpg during my 205,000mile ownership, and was still light to steer. In fact Vauxhall had actually designed in a friction brake to the steering rack to stiffen it up a bit.
I had no choice when buying the Vectra, but by then the power steering was sufficiently better it was barely noticeable, and SWMBO was the main driver for that.
My NC is the first car I’ve driven (with hydraulic ps, and including many rentals) where the car steers straight without wandering slightly. However, some of the modern electric ps cars are superb and a great improvement on the hydraulic, I was impressed by it in my recent set of test drives before deciding on the Mazda3.
But I still wonder why in this fuel economy conscious age a small light car needs it, other than as a box-tick item.
The power rack has a faster ratio compared to the non-pas rack, and is thus better suited to the sports car. It also is engine speed sensitive; the assistance reduces at speed. Its a crude system, but effective.
Front wheel drive.
The 70mph speed limit came into force at noon on 22nd December 1965
Not a problem with my Astra. I guess the friction damper on the rack sorted the front wheel torque steer some people are worried about. I didn’t mind an extra half turn of the steering wheel, it made control more precise.
Not a problem steering the very fruity Cooper I shared forty years ago, or any of the other minis. That was sold because unless we were tippy toed when driving it, it was just too scary; throttle like a switch - off or gofffaster, brakes like a switch - go or lock four wheels. Being young and stupid we didn’t know enough to sort it out and the fun/scare ratio just tipped the wrong way. I’d love to have that car now and fix it properly.
If the geometry is correct then no problem.
BUT, consider when things go wrong. The main difference is that modern cars are also set up to be able to survive a front wheel blow-out at speed and not lose steering control. When the tyre deflates the centre of the contact patch might no longer be at the pivot centre of the wheel for steering purposes, and then there might be a significant force acting to change direction. In such a case the power steering really will be a great help.
I had a 1994 Astra without power steering and aircon too Richard but mine had the 1.7D lump. Trying to park that in very busy Cardiff streets when I was contracting there was like a session at the gym.
Aircon(when operating) is well known to adding to the fuel bill but pretty sure that power steering has no such noticeable overhead cost.