At 10:11 AM 4/18/2011, mcneely4@cox.net wrote:
>Remember when cars the size of the Prius simply did not have power
>steering?  My Toyota pickup, 1993 model, did not have power
>steering.  Simply not equipped.  I managed it fine.  I used to
>consider power steering simply another thing to break.

My '84 manual-steering Westy was perfectly reasonable with 185-series
tires and a real bear with 205-series.  When I got the '89 I expected
to run it without P/S rather than fix the leaking pipe and put
185-series tires on in consequence; steering effort was higher
because of the smaller wheel and different leverage at the steering
knuckle, but still within reason; however concern for the U-joint in
the steering linkage prompted me to go back to P/S.  It certainly
makes parking on a hot day a less sweaty exercise.

Like brakes, vehicles with power-assisted systems are set up
differently than those with manual systems.  The advantages of these
setup changes come back to bite you when you lose the assist...

Yrs,
d