numb steering? easy way to get better road feel

[Matt Gruber]

Cure:
remove the steering damper.(it's there to isolate the driver for a luxury car feel, but sport car drivers WANT road feel, at least i do)

 

[SWortham]

So you did this? Can you take a picture of the steering damper and where you removed it from? I'd like to see what you did.

And if you remove the damper, wouldn't it make the steering more susceptible to any imbalance? If so, you may have steering wheel vibration problems more often than you'd like. Just a thought.

 

[Matt Gruber]

yes i did this in 84 on a then new fiero.
you are right about bad balance showing up. i'd rather get a good balance than cover up a bad job.
i've read reports that the 05 stang has numb steering, and i know the feeling.(pun).
It looks like a shock absorber, attached to the steering.
It will steer easier and be less tiring without it. Pontiac agreed and eliminated it in '88.
I forgot to check when i tested the v6 yesterday.

 

[SWortham]

OK, good to know. Might be worth a try. I'd also try other things that could use upgrading anyways -- specifically, the tires. A stiffer sidewall should make a nice improvement in steering response. Maybe Yokohama AVS ES100's would do the trick. I haven't driven the car myself though so that would be the first step before I start making assumptions on what it's missing, heheh.

 

[PONY XPRESS]

Not sure I've ever seen a dampner on rack & pinion steering?

 

[J98GT]

I don't know of any passenger cars built today that have steering dampers. Only recirculating ball steering systems really need them. I bet you could count on one hand the number of light duty vehilces that still have them . . .

wrangler, F150, Dodge Ram . . . Maybe the smaller trucks like ranger and dakota, but I think that's it.

On vehilces that use it, it's there for a reason. If your car uses one, leave it on. Period.

I know for a fact that no Mustang has had one at least since 87 . . .

 

[SWortham]

I know for a fact that no Mustang has had one at least since 87 . . .

I wouldn't have known since I didn't really start to work under cars until after I owned my '97 Mustang. Well, tires may still be one of the best improvements you can make. That numbness could easily be coming from the stock tires.

 

[Matt Gruber]

J98GT
thanks! i called SVT and they did not know!
I wonder why the o5 is 88% stiffer than my 67? hmmmmm