[alfa] Re: Re: Non Power Milano Steering

[George Graves <gmgraves@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

We definitely agree about the stock steering being too slow for really 
spirited driving. However, I think your avoidance of PS is unnecessary. 
The pump and reservoir only weigh a couple of pounds and I'm sure the 
system isn't much of a power robber (not like an AC pump at any rate). 
What you would end-up with is a car with quick, light steering -which 
is what you say you want.

Just my $0.2

George Graves
'86 GTV-6 3.0 'S'
Con PS and loving it!




On Nov 18, 2003, at 11:42 AM, alfa-digest wrote:


> Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2003 10:03:47 EST
> From: ALLSTEELDA@domain.elided
> Subject: [alfa] Re: Non Power Milano Steering
>
> Hello All:
>
> I guess I will weigh in on this one.
>
> On my 3.0 Alfetta GT, I am working on a similar issue.  The manual 
> steering
> on this early Alfetta is 4.0 turns lock to lock.  GTV-6's have about 
> 3.5 turns
> lock to lock so this is not much of an improvement.  Frankly, this is 
> pretty
> slow for a track car.  My experience with other track cars and various 
> BMW M3s,
> New Maserati's and Ferrari's is that 2.5 turns lock to lock feels 
> pretty
> natural both on the street and on the track.  Soooo that is my goal. I 
> do want to
> stay with manual steering (it just seems proper on minimalist 2100 lb 
> Alfa).
> However, I would like the steering to be as light as possible.  At 
> first, I
> thought about using a Milano rack with-out the power as the ratio is 
> about
> right.  Many said this would be way too heavy.  Then I looked into 
> aftermarket
> racks.  Tar ox makes (made?) a quick steering rack and pinion to fit a 
> GTV-6
> housing...this might be a great way to go however, it appears tobe 
> difficult to
> obtain.  So, I have come back to my first thought and I now have 
> played around
> with one a bit and have another comming to me from Andy Kress at 
> Perfomatek. If
> you remove all the hydro fitings the rack becomes "unpowered"  
> However, the
> rack remains quite sticky.  It appears that the seals at the rack ends 
> are
> causing this as they need to contain the high pressure fluid.  Why not 
> simply
> remove these and fill the rack with some quality grease?  A nice 
> smooth manual rack
> with about 2.7 turns lock to lock.  Yes, it will be a bit heavy, but 
> plenty
> quick.  At least you won't have to turn it as much.  Of course, my car 
> weighs
> about 800 lbs less than a Milano.
>
> Stay tuned, I will have my rack in a few days and pull it apart to see 
> what I
> have.
>
> David Alexander
> Riverside, IL
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