super stiff steering

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inertia said:
The alignment may not have changed, but if you had a ton of positive caster with power, - without power steering, - that can make the wheel reaaaal heavy.
The more caster, the more you are lifting one side of the car, or the other.
For little o!d ladies, I set caster to +1*- 1.5*., making it easy to steer.
Reg drivers 2* - 2.5* reg feel.
For spirited carvers 3.5* + caster, = great directional stability, - the steering heavy, - strg wheel really tries to return to center.
So, the question of your alignment specs has a lot to do with how heavy your steering is .
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screenshot_20200808-160141-png.png

How do these numbers relate to alignment with a power steering box?
 
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a 24:1 turns easy from the middlepoint up to 1 turn. Caster has an effect but not that much! If you have lowering blocks in the back,you can remove this and the car gets less caster. Same effect as lowering the front.
 
I have news. I jacked up the car this evening and found that I have 2.75 turns lock to lock. As far as I know that's a 12:1 ratio! How is that even possible? Maybe the steering box is 16:1 with a quick ratio pitman arm? Was there ever a 12:1 manual box?


I contacted FirmFeel and they're out 8-9 weeks on the 20:1 ratio gear. That's fine. Would rather have the perfect ratio while I'm doing all this.
 
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R3dplanet said:
jacked up the car this evening and found that I have 2.75 turns lock to lock. As far as I know that's a 12:1 ratio
Click to expand...
That explains a lot. I think you hit the nail on the head. 16:1 with quick steer pitman.

Your original post said you just switched to a 24:1 box

was it new or used?

How do you know it is a 24:1 box?

If it is not can you get your money back?
 
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Dana67Dart said:
That explains a lot. I think you hit the nail on the head. 16:1 with quick steer pitman.

Your original post said you just switched to a 24:1 box

was it new or used?

How do you know it is a 24:1 box?

If it is not can you get your money back?
Click to expand...

I ordered a 24:1 box and that's how it was handed to me. Granted, I should have verified that ratio before installing it but I had no reason to think otherwise. I already have a buyer for this box so that pays for most of the FF box once that materializes.

My thought at the time was that if that 24:1 was too irritating I could pop in a fast ratio Pitman arm. At the time I didn't even know about the 20:1 option. But I never actually ordered a fast-ratio Pitman arm and this one might have come from my brother. Not sure. That will be a mystery I'm happy to ignore.
 
24:1 box and stock or aftermarket stock replacement pitman arm
IMG_20200828_215209.jpg
 
if it has just the longer pitman, it will be obvious compared to the idler arm. the drag link won't be parallel to the K member
 
Great, u got it. You will see the 20:1 is a great box. Keep away from mounting a fast ratio pitman without the longer idler arm.
If you accelerate, the car goes to one side, during deccelerate the car drives to the other side!!
Marco
 
Dana67Dart said:
I always thought they had to be installed in pairs or a bind could be created
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i can't find the article. someone did a test with just the pitman and then the matching idler arm. with checking the alignment at each step. i think just the pitman screwed up the ackerman
 
kursplat said:
i can't find the article. someone did a test with just the pitman and then the matching idler arm. with checking the alignment at each step. i think just the pitman screwed up the ackerman
Click to expand...
Youre right, it affects the ackerman too, but that doesnt hurt so much.
The problem is: Lock the steering wheel in the middle, lift the car in the front and the wheel have the same change of toe in/ out on both frontwheels. If idler and pitman doesnt match you will have different changes on both wheel. On bumpy roads you will have a feeling like a drunken driver.
 
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