Power Steering Effort
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Joined: Oct 2001
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From: West Los Angeles
Power Steering Effort
I just recently went back to power steering from a de-powered s4 TII rack. I am missing the de-powered so much...
The power steering system gives so little feedback it's embarrassing that it was ever designed the way it was.
Is there a way to increase the effort required with the power steering system properly installed? In the FSM it essentially just says if it's too much then double check everything in the system.
With the de-powered rack I remember that if I tightened the nut that covers the spring on the top of the pinion body I could adjust the effort, but I pretty much just finger tightened it because the fast rack ratio provided all the effort and feedback anyone could ever need.
Will doing this have the same effect with the power steering all hooked up - without causing some sort of pressure problems in the system? I just haven't come across anything regarding this in the forum - usually the response is just to de-power the rack or un hook the belt.
The power steering system gives so little feedback it's embarrassing that it was ever designed the way it was.
Is there a way to increase the effort required with the power steering system properly installed? In the FSM it essentially just says if it's too much then double check everything in the system.
With the de-powered rack I remember that if I tightened the nut that covers the spring on the top of the pinion body I could adjust the effort, but I pretty much just finger tightened it because the fast rack ratio provided all the effort and feedback anyone could ever need.
Will doing this have the same effect with the power steering all hooked up - without causing some sort of pressure problems in the system? I just haven't come across anything regarding this in the forum - usually the response is just to de-power the rack or un hook the belt.
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 31,833
Likes: 3,232
From: https://www2.mazda.com/en/100th/
if you have the S4 power steering then there is a really easy way to change the effort. actually there might be two.
the easy way, is that since the pump has a stepper motor in it to very the effort, and a controller to control the stepper motor all you have to do is look in the FSM to see that the only input is speed. if you built some little simulator you could control the input to the controller and thus steering effort.
we've talked about it a bunch, but never done it.
the second method, i kind of thought there was an adjustable bypass on the pump itself, and in theory you could adjust it and get less assist, but i don't see it looking at the book just now.
btw everything you could possibly want to know about the steering system is here https://docs.google.com/#folders/0Bz...Y2NzkwNDg0NzI0
the easy way, is that since the pump has a stepper motor in it to very the effort, and a controller to control the stepper motor all you have to do is look in the FSM to see that the only input is speed. if you built some little simulator you could control the input to the controller and thus steering effort.
we've talked about it a bunch, but never done it.
the second method, i kind of thought there was an adjustable bypass on the pump itself, and in theory you could adjust it and get less assist, but i don't see it looking at the book just now.
btw everything you could possibly want to know about the steering system is here https://docs.google.com/#folders/0Bz...Y2NzkwNDg0NzI0
talking head
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,775
Likes: 15
From: Perth, WA, OZ
if you take off the cover of the stepper motor
you will notice a clock gear mechanism that has movement in one direction limited by the adjusting grub screw
clock the mech against the screw
the grub screw will allow you to custom set the steering weight
( you may wish to wire the clock to that position for safety )
this sets the pump to the "minimum assist" position that the car will normally go to when you move past 25-30 km/h
it will not require any electrical wiring and will be stuck in this level of assist permanently if you leave it wired or the stepper motor unplugged
you will notice a clock gear mechanism that has movement in one direction limited by the adjusting grub screw
clock the mech against the screw
the grub screw will allow you to custom set the steering weight
( you may wish to wire the clock to that position for safety )
this sets the pump to the "minimum assist" position that the car will normally go to when you move past 25-30 km/h
it will not require any electrical wiring and will be stuck in this level of assist permanently if you leave it wired or the stepper motor unplugged
Originally Posted by bumpstart
/\ take the cover off the PS stepper motor and you will see a clock mechanism
rotate the clock back till it is butted against the grub scew , this is minimum assist
you can alter the grub screw and allow it to clock more or less depending on what level you require
unplug the stepper motor and it will stay on this setting
- note you may have a functioning system but someone may have played the grub screw and thus the clock goes all the way around
( you really need the cover off when playing with the screw to be sure you dont adjust it out so far that this may happen )
it may only be a matter of turning the clock clockwise and re-establishing the correct length on the grub screw
if you have no working speedo, disregard the last note
rotate the clock back till it is butted against the grub scew , this is minimum assist
you can alter the grub screw and allow it to clock more or less depending on what level you require
unplug the stepper motor and it will stay on this setting
- note you may have a functioning system but someone may have played the grub screw and thus the clock goes all the way around
( you really need the cover off when playing with the screw to be sure you dont adjust it out so far that this may happen )
it may only be a matter of turning the clock clockwise and re-establishing the correct length on the grub screw
if you have no working speedo, disregard the last note
Last edited by bumpstart; Dec 28, 2011 at 05:41 PM.
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