power steering

[justin2564]

I was wondering if any body has takin the power steering stuff out I'm trying to take anything that I can out of the car to make it lite and i was wondering how these cars do with out power steering?

[gearheadE30]

The cars are light enough that you don't really need power steering. It doesn't make much of a difference above 20 mph anyway; it is just nice in parking lots.

[george graves]

It is just nice in parking lots.

I ran no PS for about 3 or 4 months. I would NEVER do it again. It's a PITA parking. You will look like a monkey on crack trying to parallel park. In the hot CA sun, after a 5 point parking job I'd be sweating.

PS pumps are light compared to AC compressors.

[sharky]

I don't run it in my car. Yes it is heavy at low speed and parking but it is definetly more of a rewarding drive when you are having some fun.

[alpinaclone]

I have run e30's without ps, including one powered by an m30, and even that wasn't bad at low speeds. That was with a non power rack though, not a de-powered ps rack.
The non power racks are a shit ton of turns lock to lock, but the feel is great.

[DaveSmed]

Steering effort is also dependent on how much rubber you have up front and how much caster you have.

I ran without P/S on my old eta that sported 195s up front and stock CABs but I wouldn't run with out it on the vert with the 225s and the THR m3 offset CABs.

[ethree]

Did you guys loop the lines or just not run a belt?

[george graves]

Did you guys loop the lines or just not run a belt?

No belt for me at that time.

[sharky]

No belt for me, I have a E36b rack waiting to go in but I will wait till I do the S52 to do it. I have been running no PS for about 5 years now.

[Raxe]

I'm not running a belt either.

[xLibelle]

probably runs better if you remove the pump assist seal instead of looping lines or even simply disconnecting the pump.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showpost.php?p=599041&postcount=6

[gearheadE30]

I just installed an e36 rack that unfortunately leaks like crazy. Good thing it was dirt cheap, I suppose. I took the belt off with no other modification, and it works great. Above about 5 mph I can bearly tell a difference, but steering effort increases sharply in high-speed corners.

[E30Kaiser]

I have been rolling without PS since I got the car and it drives fine above 15mph, though if you are going to be parallel parking a lot I would say just keep it because you probably won't get a chance to actually notice the difference being in a city and all. Power sliding, high-speed turns, etc aren't hard without it, though I wouldn't know if there is any kind of difference because like I said I haven't even had PS in the first place so I can't really compare it.

[george graves]

This is one of those things that your age factors into as well. If I was 18 I would live with it. At 34, yea, give me my f-ing PS.

I don't know about e36 racks, but the stock rack has too much "assist" - so I agree with you guys there.