Power steering out, hats off to the old schoolers

If there was still no power steering today their would be many more hands less prone to that ridiculous over steer act they rehearse everytime they try to back.

Once more for the slow to get it,
ONCE you turn the wheel, WAIT for the trailer to show you
Otherwise you look like an "idiot crank" locked to the steering wheel.

 

By the way, a broken power stering box is MUCH harder to steer than a manual box. Especially with the smaller steering wheel. But a manual gearbox has a low ratio...

 

I had this same thing happen to me a few days ago. A seal went out on the gear box an PS Fluid was just pouring out. Cost almost $800 to get a Re-manned pump an installed.

 

I used to drive an old truck with out power steering, always liked the feel of it down the road and cussed when turning in tight spots. I have lost the power steering box and it is much harder to turn due to a heavier truck and a smaller wheel. I had never really thought about the gear ratio. That would add another factor. Gotta love all the guys who did that all the time. I'm not one to advocate going back to the days gone by, but it did have some better feel.

 

That is the way I learned to drive. I think I had driven over 10 years before I found Power steering in a truck I was driving...But don't forget we also had multi sticks to shift too. The advantage of a big steering wheel is that you arm could slip into it and you could shift and steer at the same time. You had to be quick and it is one of those tricks you never forget..

 

Ah yes, the "old days" ...... maneuvering in tight spots; rounding a curve in that overloaded 1971 cabover White Freightliner, on a two lane with no shoulder, and running over a plow sweep with the right steer tire; not a blow out, just a fast leaker that had you standing up , trying to keep it from the ditch and rolling over. Couple of months later, add a blowout on the right steer, within five miles of the plow sweep incident. Pucker factor had me struggling to pull seat cushion out of my posterior quite a while after those interesting moments.

 

With our south LA potholes, slipping your arm inside the steering wheel to shift a two stick was a invitation to a plaster of paris covered arm guard. You learned REAL quick to survey the road condition ahead, then if smooth, shift quick.....pothole ahead? just wind that sucker up a little longer.

 

Yeah and don't forget about the compression release levers mounted on the floor we had to pull on so those mouse powered cummns starters could spin the engine fast enough to get it running. Hopefully.

 

I learned how to drive on an old Gasser with a five & four tranny. The one constant while driving that thing was, you never quit shifting.