NSX Steering ratio

[jas]

My '92 NSX was a great car but one disappointment for me was the slowness of the steering. A recent Autoweek mentioned the same thing, stating it is slower than even their MDX.

Any information about changing the steering ratio, pehaps replacing the NSX steering bits with those of another Acura product?

 

[Forums Nazi]

Click here.

 

[nsxtasy]

I love the steering. For a pretty good description of why I do, check out this excerpt from the comparison article in the current issue of EVO, a British car magazine:

"'I adore 911s, but I'd forgotten how very close the NSX is to perfection. That fantastic wail between 6000 and 7000rpm stands the hairs on the back of my neck to attention, and the gearchange is undoubtedly one of the finest ever. Look at the power figures and you could be tricked into thinking the NSX is old, dated and slow. Until you drive it...

'It covers ground at an astonishing speed that defies the horsepower figures. The more I pressed on, the more I was impressed. In fact it's only let down by the slight vagueness of the steering. I'd love to own an NSX, but would I choose one over a 911? If I had my sensible 'badge means nothing' head on, and just focussed on how much I enjoyed driving it, I probably would.' Blimey.

It's odd, but the first time any of us drives the NSX we all hate the steering, but once into the groove it annoys less and less. Okay, so it is too slow and heavy in outright terms, but you soon accept that the steering accurately dictates the optimum pace at which the NSX can be driven. Push too hard on the way into a corner, provoke a bit of understeer, and you need to reach for an uncomfortable extra quarter-turn of lock to get the nose turned in. Likewise if you're brutal on the exit and need to contain oversteer, the weight and slowness of the steering discourages you from beasting it again. Stay neat and work all four tyres to their optimum, and the NSX flows with addictive ease and precision. A dozen years down the line, it's still a class act."

 

[jas]

Thanks for the quick replies. It looks like the slow steering is acknowledged but basically -- unlike with almost every other aspect of the car -- changing it isn't a mod anyone has made.

I appreciate how getting used to it, especially in track situations, makes it a non-issue, but cars with quicker steering, like Honda's own S2000, do well on the track too.

Most of my car time is spent driving on the street. In that situation, my NSX didn't feel nimble -- something I really wanted in my sports car. Honda's S2000 feels great in this respect. Without getting into a big off-topic discussion, I like almost everything about the S2000 a lot, yet having driven it several times, I can't get by the lack of torque down low. If it had torque character more in the direction of an M Roadster, it would be the car for me.

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by jas:
my NSX didn't feel nimble

While the steering may seem heavy in parking lot maneuvers, at normal road speeds and above it should feel absolutely precise, like you can point the car at a dime and get a nickel change back.

Perhaps something other than the steering was at fault. Did it have the stock tires (Yokohama A022H or Bridgestone RE010)? Was it aligned properly? How many miles were on the shocks?

[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 14 May 2002).]

 

[Lud]

Yes, the NSX's steering is certainly a bit slower than most cars, esp. on the earlier manual transmission cars. I don't know anyone offhand who has changed their steering ratio. If you pursue it, I'd be interested to hear what is involved and where you sourced the substitute parts.

 

[cojones]

I've only owned early-model manual-tranny coupes... I think the EPS on later cars contributes to this occasional "vagueness".

 

[ScienceofSpeed]

The NSX's turning radius is quite large for such a small car. However, if you look at the front fender well area, you see that Honda used a very narrow fender well so that the fender does not intrude into the driver's footwell, this allowed proper pedal placement. I suspect that the steering gearing was designed by the engineers due to the limited travel allowed.

Does anyone know if the manual Zanardi has a quicker steering rack than other coupes?

-- Chris

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[email protected]
http://www.ScienceofSpeed.com

 

[jas]

Interesting discussion...

My comment about not feeling nimble wasn't so much about it not feeling precise or feeling heavy, it was the inability to make a 90 degree turn around a typical corner without having to shift hand positions on the steering wheel. With the S2000, for example, one can just whip it around the turn. It makes it feel "nimble" -- fast reacting and fun to drive -- even if it is just around the neighborhood.

My car didn't have the factory spec tires and I'm sure that contributed to less than ideal feel, but my real gripe was how much I had to turn the wheel to achieve a 90 degree turn.

My car is sold, over two years ago now, but hardly a day goes by that I don't check the classifieds. Despite my gripe, it's hard to resist.

[This message has been edited by jas (edited 14 May 2002).]