Power steering removal

[hamann318is]

I drove a Golf GTI tonight sans power steering, and am now wondering if I can remove it from mine. I've heard something about just removing the belt from the power steering, but is that safe? What's the approperiate way to accomplish this? I've got SRS, fyi.

Any help is appericated!

[AdamF 88iS]

Cut the belt off to see if you like it. If you do like it, you can remove the pump, hoese, and bottle, and just seal some fluid in the rack.

[chrisd]

I cut the belt off the first week I had the car, after it severed the coolant line from the radiator. (Yeah, I have since replaced all the engine and tranny mounts to prevent that from EVER happening again.)

Not a single problem, but I am leaving the pump on for when I sell the car.

[Brew]

If you want to do it "right" find a euro manual steering rack. I believe that you will also need a lot of the other steering components. Ask "Mtriple".
You can just take of the belt of your existing rack, but a true manual rack will need less effort because you're not pushing fluid through the lines every time you turn the wheel.

[Gus]

i converted from a power steering rack to manual....easy as pie just unbolt the old rack and

all line, pump and stuff and bolt in the new rack...much simpler more reliable....i really prefer

the feel of the rack as well although in hingsight would much prefer a e36 m3 rack

conversion.....the manual rack is still got the trademark e30 slowness and thats with me

using a small (~350mm wheel) but its much more fun...most corners can be taken without

moving hands if i so desire....to see if you like it just unbolt the pump and remove the belt

then tighten pump again.....this means you still have everything to put it back together and

will give you a good idea. or just turn your car off whilst coasting down a hill :D be careful though

[hamann318is]

Took off the pully and the belt, and I am really enjoying the driving w/o power steering. It's much stiffer and seems to give a better road feel. I think I'm going to keep the system in until my rack goes (plus I'm lazy). Thanks for the help guys!

[TimmyBigHands]

So I can just yank the belt off my pump and go? Will there be any adverse effects to doing it this way? Sounds interesting.

[george graves]

You don't save too much weight with the PS stearing removed (the AC is the real bitch)

I have had mine off and I parallel park at least twice a day, sometimes 6 times a day. It a bitch. I'm going back to PS with my m30 swap - not a lot of choice.

[Rob]

I actually prefer the PS feel of the e30, but thats just me

[hamann318is]

You don't save too much weight with the PS stearing removed (the AC is the real bitch)

I have had mine off and I parallel park at least twice a day, sometimes 6 times a day. It a bitch. I'm going back to PS with my m30 swap - not a lot of choice.

I would go back if that was my situation, but I don't parrallel park too often. The only real reason I wanted to change is because my car felt sooo loose after driving that Golf w/o PS. It's much tighter now, and it's soooo tempting to get that M-tech 2 wheel.

[Oxbrain]

I helped my friend pull the PS off his 325, it must have been about 50lbs of stuff overall. And that much weight in the front end can make a difference. When you're moving you don't really need the PS anyway.

Just pump iron for a while, 22" biceps = poor mans' power steering.