Can I manually steer my power rack?

I am getting close to a running/driving vehicle and funds/time are getting short, is it ok to manually steer a power rack? I remember running across this once before with people plugging the lines or making a transfer line but I'm worried about the ratio making it really difficult to turn. This is on my '50 Fleetline that will be running 670 15 bias plys.....Maybe I should just swap to a manual rack alltogether?

 

you could,but like you say,the ratio wouldget ya youre arm would sure get tired!you could do it though if you really wanna
id just switch to a manual rack,unless you just love excercizing yer arms all that much:}
troy
ps:good luck getting it on the road

 

Yes,I have done it myself when my p/s pump went bad.It steered hard while stopped but after it was rolling it turned firm but acceptable and this was a 63 Olds 88. Something else I have done on my stock car with p/s without a pump was to loop the lines together with an air fitting,fill box/rack with fluid and add 5-10 LBS.air.This works quite smooth but will kick hard if you hit a pothole,so if you try this keep your hands outside the wheel.

 

68 Nova box in my 36, plugged it about 20.000 mi. ago. Steers like a manual.

 

if you are going to run a p/s box or rack without a pump you really need to loop the pressure and return lines together and make sure the unit is full of p/s fluid. With the p/s box/rack full of fluid and looped the steering effort will be less than if it is plugged and there is much less chance that you will blow the internal seals due to internal pressure differentials. Having it full of fluid will keep everything properly lubricated. I have seen plugged boxes that are almost impossible to turn due to internal pressure.

 

I had a (god forbid) Cobra kit car and used a power rack with out the pump and it was fine. In fact most people that built these kits ran them that way. The over all weight of the vehicle was a little over a ton. The heaver the car the worse it will get. If you find that you don't like it you can always change it later.

 

Eat your spinach.

 

All the power racks I've dealt with used a built in control valve. This works by having a small torsion bar inside that keeps the actuator at the steering shaft from the steering wheel itself, centered between the two valves. Once enough pressure is applied against the torsion bar (not much) to allow the valves to open, the rack becomes power assisted until it re-centers itself to the torsion bar.

All that means is that with NO hydraulic pressure at the valves, you are going to have some play in the wheel. You might not FEEL it due to the slight resistance of the torsion bar, but its there.
Might or might not be an issue to you...

Adding fluid sounds like a good idea but I'm not sure about needing additional air pressure. It should all balance out thru the system anyway.
In normal use, the pump hydraulic pressure just circulates thru the lines without adding power assist at all.
What benefit is the additional pressure? (Thats an honest question...not a dig!)

 

Thanks guys! I just need it as a temp. deal so I can use the cash for a windshield. Linking the two lines sounds like the best deal if I plan on going to power soon.

 

One more point is that you will lose lubrication to the rack. Eventually will wear it out.

 

I ran my camaro for a long time w/o a PS pump.

One day, I broke the colum off in my hands making a U-turn.

A lot of added stress on the colum

 

36 inch steering wheel would make it eazy..........