I am not sure I could recommend a PS box in a manual configuration with bigger tires. I have a unisteer manual rack with 235/45/17 and it's a pain in the parking lot. I haven't autocrossed it yet but I am concerned I won't be able to steer quick enough for the slalom portion. I am biulding another car and I am not sure what to do.

 

A 5-turn box would be a disaster in autocross, you'd be winding and unwinding the wheel like a madman. Movement will help with wheel effort, as will adrenalin.

 

I have a hard enough time driving my car with a 5-turn box through back roads. Even mild corners require slowing down more than normally necessary in order to give me time to crank the wheel. I couldn't imagine trying to autocross with it, although supposedly the previous owner did just that.

 

AutoX with a high ratio box is insane. You basically HAVE to take your hands off the wheel to negotiate turns....and you do NOT want to do that. The 4.5 turn boxes in very tight turns may require you to reposition your hands before you begin the turn, but your hands can stay on the wheel. You don't want a 5+ turn box in a racing environment, especially something with tighter turns like AutoX, when you hack all over the wheel trying to turn you're giving up some of your ability to control the car properly.

Trust me, there's a HUUUUGGGEEE difference between the 4.5 and 5.5 turn boxes. And it IS the difference between taking your hands off the wheel to keep turning and not.

And I can't possibly see how you can effectively slalom with a 5.5 turn box, there's no way you could turn the wheel enough without crossing your arms and sawing all over the place with the wheel.

You just have to kinda deal with the parking lot effort really, but think of it as exercise.

 

So is there a PS that will give me quick ratio and not be a pain in the *** to install? Mom wants it to steer easier but I don't want to hack up the car to do it. I'm leaning towards just putting a quick ratio manual on. What should I do?

 

Just keep in mind that the PS has no road feel, which can impact your ability to push the car hard through turns....makes it harder to know when you're reaching the traction limits. Chances are your mom will not want to drive a MS car. MS is a lot cheaper though.

 

I was trying to say I wish there was a power steering that was faster than 4.5 turns. My manual Unisteer is 4.5 lock to lock and I feel like I am steering like crazy to park it. I am concerned I couldn't turn the wheel fast enough for a slalom course. I guess I need to get out there and run the car.


Any idea what the borgeson does?

 

All cars have to be cranked when parking. You're turning VERY tightly in parking lots, far tighter than you could turn at speed. 4.5 turns is fine for slalom and autox and road racing. At most it would require you to move your hands to 12 and 6 o'clock just prior to starting a tight turn. Boxes with faster steering ratios than that are NOT recommended for use on the street, they're a race only item and can easily lead to over correcting in normal driving.

 

I will never do anything but a rack ever again. P/S is a bonus. A box will never compare to a rack, even FR box with all new components. I tore one out not too long ago, and still a huge difference. I haven't even been able to sell the box for him lol.I won't even work on stock P/S systems anymore because you can't find good parts, or competent re-builders for the stuff. Gets really old really fast installing stuff 2-3 times and getting paid once.