stock power steering

[Hard Charger]

just completed a 4 year restoration. immediately buying the car I decided power steering was needed so I started to buy parts for the change over.

first I bought a rebuilt steering box and it sat on a shelf for years. everything went well with the installation. all the correct parts right from the beginning. it sure is nice having the power steering.

the problem is you cannot feel the tires. its almost to smooth. is there a way to tighten a stock power steering box like the manual box with the lash screw adjustment?

[c00nhunterjoe]

No, but if you have a saginaw pump, its easy to remove the regulator and shim it to lower the pressure. I did it to mine and dramatically improved road feel from the "pinky finger" stock steering.

[myk]

That's the old Mopar over-boosted power steering for you.  You can try what 'Coon suggested, or you can buy a FIrm Feel steering box that gives a more firm steering wheel...

[c00nhunterjoe]

Not to take anything from firm feel cause i love them, but my method cost about 10 minutes of your time, and a bottle of steering fluid.

[PlainfieldCharger]

Not to take anything from firm feel cause i love them, but my method cost about 10 minutes of your time, and a bottle of steering fluid.

Do you have any more details on the shim method? what thickness? shim material? Sounds interesting...

[toocheaptosmoke]

http://www.moparaction.com/Tech/beep/PUMP_IT_DOWN-re-v1.4.pdf 

Been planning on doing this for a while, might have to try it this week.

[PlainfieldCharger]

http://www.moparaction.com/Tech/beep/PUMP_IT_DOWN-re-v1.4.pdf 

Been planning on doing this for a while, might have to try it this week.

Nice!! thanks for posting....

[Hard Charger]

nice remedy. great information.

[myk]

Not to take anything from firm feel cause i love them, but my method cost about 10 minutes of your time, and a bottle of steering fluid.

Will that give the same result as a modified steering box?  I'd rather not spend the $500 if I dont have to...

[c00nhunterjoe]

Great article. That pretty much sums up what i did. Ive never driven a firm feel box, but i can say that my steering is pretty close to my 2007 charger. Very stable and great road feel. No more over boosted steering.

[myk]

Great article. That pretty much sums up what i did. Ive never driven a firm feel box, but i can say that my steering is pretty close to my 2007 charger. Very stable and great road feel. No more over boosted steering.

Now that's quite a statement...

[c00nhunterjoe]

Great article. That pretty much sums up what i did. Ive never driven a firm feel box, but i can say that my steering is pretty close to my 2007 charger. Very stable and great road feel. No more over boosted steering.

Now that's quite a statement...

If you lived closer i would let you try it.

[toocheaptosmoke]

Just did mine this evening, coonhunterjoe is right, it really does make it feel more normal!   Before I could turn the wheel just a half inch to either side and the car would start drifting that way, with no feedback through the wheel.  Now, there's more of a centered feel and some road feedback.  Wind was gusting 20-30 mph tonight and before I would have been all over the road.  Took a couple miles to get the air out of the system because I didn't bleed it right, then things settled in.  I just have a cheap stock reman gear.

[myk]

See I'm starting to think I may not need a Firm Feel or a Borgeson box to tighten up the steering.  With my Hotchkis installed suspension and the fast ratio parts, the car is getting closer to "satisfactory" in the steering feel department.  If the low pressure 'mod works, I may not need a modified steering box...

[c00nhunterjoe]

As long as your box is not wore out and loose, dropping the pressure is a drastic change. Changing the pressure will not help if your box is shot.

[myk]

Yeah I've got 40K on this box.  It's still worth a shot though, since it doesn't cost anything anyway.

Just did mine this evening, coonhunterjoe is right, it really does make it feel more normal!   Before I could turn the wheel just a half inch to either side and the car would start drifting that way, with no feedback through the wheel.  Now, there's more of a centered feel and some road feedback.  Wind was gusting 20-30 mph tonight and before I would have been all over the road.  Took a couple miles to get the air out of the system because I didn't bleed it right, then things settled in.  I just have a cheap stock reman gear.

So what size washers did you go with?  The ones in the article?  Did you have to remove your pump?

[c00nhunterjoe]

You dont have to remove the pump. Just pop the pressure line off, then unscrew the regulator from the resevoir. I dont remember what i used, i rooted through my toolbox until i found washers that were close in diameter so i wouldnt have to trim as much. I ended up pulling mine out twice. The 1st time made it feel pretty good but i wanted more so popped the regulator out and added another washer.

[myk]

Ok thanks.  I figure I'll buy a half-inch OD washer and just drill it to 3/8ths.  

So to clarify, you remove the valve, take the valve apart, install a shim (or two, or three?), reinstall and refill?

[toocheaptosmoke]

Yup.   There were no shims at all installed on my valve.  I put a 1/16" thick copper brake line washer in mine, just what I had laying around.  It was 3/8" I.D. so I clamped it between two nuts on a 3/8" bolt, then turned it down with a bench grinder.  Ground the nuts down with it, was easier than trying to drill a 3/8" hole in a 1/2" O.D. washer. 

[myk]

I didn't even think about that one.  It'll be much easier to grind down a piece than it would be to enlarge its inner diameter...

[c00nhunterjoe]

I ground mine down as well, just dont remember the thickness i used. It was trial and error based on what i got my hands on 1st, and how i liked the steering effort.

[ws23rt]

I'm glad to see this topic back again. I intended to do this awhile back to the Saginaw pump in my C500 but didn't get around to it.

The FSM calls the Saginaw pump the ".94 pump". My 69 Coronet has a "1.06 pump" (which is the one with the round neck). The flow control valve in the 1.06 pump looks similar to the one in the .94 pump.

Has anyone done this fix on the 1.06 pump?

I'm up to trying this fix on my 1.06 pump and will get back with what I find.

[myk]

I forgot there were two pump styles.  How do I identify them again?  Is the 'mod the same for both?

[ws23rt]

I forgot there were two pump styles.  How do I identify them again?  Is the 'mod the same for both?

The FSM calls the pump with the round neck the 1.06 pump. (I forgot the manufacture name). The Saginaw pump is the one in the article of topic and the FSM calls it the .94 pump.

As far as the mod. being the same for both? That is the question I asked in my post. I am about to attempt a change to mine to see if the fix works for it as well.

[c00nhunterjoe]

I think the round neck is the trw pump.