Depower Steering Rack

Discussions relating to MX5 Tyre choice, Wheels, Brakes Suspension components and other items to keep you going around corners, stuck to the ground or stopping on a dime.

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ham
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Depower Steering Rack

Post by ham » Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:28 am

My question, why depower? What are we trying to achieve? Thanks for your thoughts. :?:
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Kieran
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Post by Kieran » Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:45 am

the difference between power and non powered is 0.6-1?(can't remember the exact number) of a turn lock to lock or something its not a huge difference and also cleans up the engine bay!

Angreal
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Post by Angreal » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:48 am

I guess it only makes sense if you're racing the car? Can't say I'd ever want to take out power steering but I'd definitely retrofit it in though for convenience sake.

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Post by Mr. Shine » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:48 am

Power steering rack has a faster ratio than non-power steering rack, so if you want the feedback of non-power steering with the ratio of power steering, you need to depower.

Don't really see the point for people using their car for street purposes (from a practial point of view) but to each his/her own modifications :)

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Post by WideOpenThrottle » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:50 am

De=power also means less weight,less maintenance, better feel for the road & in my case more room for the turbo.
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chris
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Post by chris » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:51 am

Pssh, who really needs power steering? NZ New baby!
1 X Primera
2 X Silvia
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Kieran
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Post by Kieran » Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:05 am

I going to do it as part of my engine bay tuck

Ian
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Re: Depower Steering Rack

Post by Ian » Thu Jun 21, 2012 1:33 pm

ham wrote:My question, why depower? What are we trying to achieve? Thanks for your thoughts. :?:
For a road car/DD, I would leave the power steer as is...after all, MX5s were never criticised for uncommunicative steering (power or otherwise)
It is however, a relatively common mod for track cars for the reasons mentioned. A 'depowered' rack is a faster ratio than the original non powered rack, results in a valuable weight saving of approx 5kg, is one less ancilliary for the engine to drive and is one less thing to possibly cause problems during a race.

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Post by Angreal » Thu Jun 21, 2012 1:55 pm

Haha lately I've been adding weight to the car in terms of both the driver and the vehicle itself although I'm trying to reverse the first one :oops: Pretty much why weight savings aren't so important when ideally I should drop 10kg myself...

Mind you the additional weight has mainly been for the safety and handling aspect :)

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Post by sprsta » Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:19 pm

i just got sick of cleaning power steering fluid out of the engine bay after a track day

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Post by Growler » Fri Jun 22, 2012 1:59 pm

sprsta wrote:i just got sick of cleaning power steering fluid out of the engine bay after a track day
Ummm...fix the leak?

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Post by sprsta » Sat Jun 23, 2012 7:49 pm

It came out of the top of the reservoir
prob had some issue with the pump or getting too hot but i found it easier to remove it all together

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