<VV> Steering woes cont.

[Sethracer at aol.com]

James - After re-reading your original response, I think you have hit the  
"Trifecta" of hard steering. Chevy sold the "quick-steering" option back in  
1965-69 with the (tiny-hard) OEM tires and a 16" diameter steering wheel. 
The  option included "shorter", but not short, steering arms as well as the 
faster  ratio box. Except for racers, I don't recommend the quick box -either 
the  factory one or the Flaming River one, be used with aftermarket quick 
arms.  Aside from the goofy bump and Akerman issues of the short arms, the 
steering  effort rises a bunch. Coupled with wider stickier tires, lower  
backspace wheels (deep dish), and (maybe?) a smaller steering wheel, you have  
made a case for power steering for the Corvair, the American car  which 
should need it the least! <grin> The lower tire pressures can  only make it even 
harder to steer. I have had a car which worked well with 12  psi in the 
front tires. It was my 1000 lb Lola  Formula race car.  I don't know the exact 
weight on a front wheel, but I could squat down and lift  a wheel off the 
ground, and I am not that strong. Both the tire and the car were  designed for 
that pressure. About the 12 psi in a street driven car, I would be  worried, 
not about the ride, which would probably become rougher with increased  
pressure, I would be worried about a tire coming off the rim. 12 PSI is not 
safe  (in my opinion). You might also look into higher backspace wheels, that 
would  lessen the impact of poor roads onto your steering wheel, since it 
would direct  shock load more into the suspension, rather than the steering.
 
-Seth Emerson
 
 
In a message dated 12/31/2013 6:24:13 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
jamescuneo at hotmail.com writes:




Ron,In response to Bryan and you.
At 15psi the ride  is quite harsh on the country roads we have here in 
sonoma county, 12 is the  minimum I run. If it were all nice and smooth I 'd be 
using more. Also, seems  to bump steer less. Since the tires i'm using are 
much larger than stock, does  it not make sense to use less pressure? The 
tires have a much higher load  rating than the origs.Even with 12 psi there is 
not much of a noticeable bulge  in the sidewall.The original size looks 
underinflated at 12 psi.I will try  increasing pressure and see if this relieves 
some of the effort required to  turn steering.Thank  you,Jim