I guess the power steering out of the newer first generations is swappable into the earlier models? I've driven mine for a year like it is, but it's just annoying to have to fight the wheel to turn around.

Has anyone swapped over, and was it easy enough? Also I seem to remember someone swapping power steering over from another model car, I don't know what though. I just want to do the cheapest easiest thing for now. I have to replace the ball joints on mine anyway so I figured while I was at it.

 

mine just broke so the cheapest for me was to find a working one of the same model...(and i did)

 

82 silver, your car did not come with p/s, it was not offered until 84. However all suspension
parts are the same such as pitman/idler/control arms/tierods. You will have to get a p/s gearbox, pump and brackets, plus hoses, you will have to check if your block is drilled for the brackest, it bolts under neath the a/c if you have a/c. rx7doctor

 

I know. I know they share basically everything else so I figured it was doable.. Just thought I'd find someone who's done it so I can see exactly whats involved.

 

I fixed mine by never installing P/S, I like the manual steering much better

 

Work them guns man!

 

I've got an entire power steering set up. If you want it let me know

 

heh, yeah I guess if you look at it that way, I'm getting my shoulder/bicep workout by just driving my 7. Move over Dr. Angus, I work out driving my car lol

 

The two cars I've enjoyed driving the most were my '85 7 GSL and My '85 Honda Civic 4wd wagon... Neither had power steering and both had light enough front ends to not need it... Much more feedback from the road I think...

I could parallel park either of em with one hand, and I'm a little skinny dude.

My current '89 Mazda B2600i truck has power steering, but with a heavy *** 4wd drivetrain, huge *** tires, and often sunk in mud... It needs P/S...

 

Its not that hard to drive without PS. How do you think I built my 18" biceps???

JOhn

 

I find it much more enjoyable without. Poower steering makes the wheel too loose, imo

 

my gsl-se doenst have power steering and honestly, it doesnt need it, i did however have an FC with power steering
and i removed it and those cars are ******* pigs, i could not hardly steer the car, i had to put it back on....

 

I agree it doesn't NEED it. It's just one of those things though. I like tinkering with something and I thought it'd be a good cheap and easy project. Also I just really like driving with me knee while holding a cheesburger in my left hand and a cell phone in my right so I figured it'd be a little easier to swerve back into my lane.

 

That's not cool at all. Get a hands free setup...

But nah, when moving the stock steering is nice when in good condition... When misadjusted, the car will wander on it's own... It's stopped (IE Parallel parking or backing into a space) that makes the steering hard. And even then, it's not hard at all.

 

As if our cars are actually hard to park!

But I agree with most of these guys. Whenever I go from driving my 7 to driving one of my parent's sunfires, I feel like the steering wheel is connected to mushy rubberbands... Very responsive mushy rubber bands, but nevertheless, it does give you more feedback from the road without, and so I keep it off.

It should be a pretty easy project though. From what I remember, the actual steering system itself didn't change much if at all from the non/ps to the power, just the pump system and it's link-ups.

I know second gen guys who have removed their power steering because it's better for autocross!

And dude, just a cheeseburger?

Amazing how challenging it is to eat and drive stick... though I only experience that in dad's car because there is NO eating, drinking or smoking in my 7!!

(20 years and it'll still have the "new car" smell on a sunny day when the car gets warm and you can smell the upholstery)

Jon

 

I guess the sarcasm in my last post was lost, lol. I don't eat and drive even in an automatic. I'd hit every car on the road if I tried that in my 7

 

have you checked your front tire pressure?

I was thinking about "upgrading" to power steering at one point, then checked my tire pressure. When I filled to the tires properly it became so much easier to steer I forgot about ever wanting power.

 

yep, I keep up on the tires

 

I put a PS box from an '84 into my '82. Didn't install the pump, I just wanted the quicker ratio. Only problem I ran into was the steering column is different. Had to use the one from the '84 to bolt to the box. The '84's ignition switch is also mounted about a 1/2" further down so it doesn't quite line up with the hole in the column surround. Other than that, it works great...

 

Well, just go to a smaller steering wheel like I did ( I have a 13" Grant ) and your arms will look like Popeye mated with Baretta in a few weeks !!!