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disable power steering

Joined
21 September 2000
Messages
85
Location
Bellevue, WA, USA
If I disabled power steering, will it damage anything? Last time my power steering went out, it felt great driving on the highway, but a pain when making those turns at slow speed.

Thanks, guys.
 
No, it doesn't hurt anything to disable it.

It cuts out at highway speeds anyway though.
 
Originally posted by MRacer:
If I disabled power steering, will it damage anything? Last time my power steering went out, it felt great driving on the highway, but a pain when making those turns at slow speed.

Thanks, guys.

MRacer,

If you do this, let us know if you keep it that way.

I have been contemplating doing this for some time, but like you thought it may hurt someting. But is Lud says no, that's good for me.




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Since the power steering cuts out at even moderate speeds (I think it's inactive above 35 mph) anyway, why would you want to bother disconnecting it? It's only effective at speeds where you would want it... no?
 
I lived without ps for almost 3 months when my steering ecu died. The only place I really liked it better that way was at 20-30mph. It was a bear at parking lot speeds. Be sure to do extra reps on your arms before you try to downshift into first and pull into an elevated drive! EPS really has little to do with our normal driving and none to do with the track. My last track instructor asked me to get my power steering checked out because he thought it was broken because it "was so hard to steer"!! Those wimpy ITR folks.
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Gary Yates
1995 Red/Tan
 
Yeah, I don't really want to disable it, but I had too many bad moments driving fast on the open highway. I said "fast" not "reckless"...usually 5-10 above the posted speed. I lowered my NSX with the Comptech sport suspension kit about 2 inches with the settings set to softest. Usually while driving down the road, I'll either get stuck in a grove or hit some small bumps the car tends to sway either left or right. Even when I try to counter the sway, the car sways even more in the direction I'm trying to correct. So I'm think 'power steering is too sensitive, why not turn it off and see if it solves the problem?' Last November, my power steering chip died and I had to drive the car from Sacramento to Seattle. It was great. The car didn't nudge, but responded very well on the open highway on smooth, rough, and uneven payments.

I replaced my wheels. 17" Pirelli P7000 Supersport for the front and 18" for the back and had it realigned. The new tires solved a little, but not much. I haven't tweak much with the ride setting (should I?)

My only option(s):
1) try to disable power steering
2) over haul the suspenion (last resort)

So here I am at option 1.
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By the way, how do you disabled power steering?
 
I think the majority of the problem is in the suspension. 2" drop will result in very little suspension travel, resulting in a handling characteristic called bump steer. Also, set to full soft, I'd bet that the damper becomes unbalanced with the spring, as the damper can not absorb the force from the spring. In addition, that low of a drop likely has given you very negative camber, and may have thrown your toe settings as well. Did you have the car aligned after the suspension change to 2"?

The EPS, even disabled, will still have the EPS motor and gears attached to the rack, and will never feel the same as a non-EPS boosted car. The EPS cuts out at the freeway speeds you are at, so I doubt this is the problem. From memory, the steering rack on EPS equiped cars has a lower steering ratio, which will not be affected by disabling EPS.

Start with the suspension, then worry about the EPS.

Let us know how it comes out...

-- Chris

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Sign up for the Northwest NSXCA Track Event at Thunderhill:
http://sacramento.nsxca.org/Events/thunderhill_driving_school_4-02.htm
 
Originally posted by MRacer:
Yeah, I don't really want to disable it, but I had too many bad moments driving fast on the open highway.

Again... The NSX EPS cuts out at 35 MPH. If you are having a problem at highway speeds, it is not due to EPS.

I had a set of P7000s (17" all around) a few years ago and the reason I never bought another set was that they really REALLY tramlined when there were grooves in the pavement. To the point where it felt unsafe if the pavement was heavily grooved and I was going 70+ MPH. So I suspect you have a tire and/or suspension and/or alignment issue (or some combination.)

[This message has been edited by Lud (edited 26 March 2002).]
 
Thanks for the info, guys. I'll leave the power steering alone. Next time round I'll get some other tires. For meantime, I'll just tweak the setting when driving in town and highway.
 
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