Just install the PS rack and pump. That was the best thing that I have done to my car for drifting. The manual rack is just too slow to do much drifting, especially for a beginner. Those J-turns are a bitch.

 

How tough was it to install the PS rack. It doesn't look like the easiest thing in the world.

 

It's not too bad. Taking the radiator would make things easy. I can see it being a pain in the *** if you still have A/C, but I didn't have to worry about that. The most frustrating part for me was trying to thread the metal lines.

 

Any was an S5 PS rack would work in my S4?

 

This subject seems to come up more and more often these days. I am in the mindset that there is a right way to do things and the wrong way. Mazda engineered a different rack for manual steering for a reason. For one all the lines and oil pathways are not there to contend with. Two Mazda engineers made it more turns lock to lock for a reason, so it makes it easier for the driver to manipulate the car. In the same respect they made a power steering rack, so that it may be used with a pump to assist the driver. With out this pump the rack is no longer working as it should and possible problem can arise.

Manual steering is not for everyone and I agree with neevosh is probably not the best for drifting. If you are going to drift your car or daily drive it, and can not deal with the different circumstances the manual rack gives you (more turns, harder feel) then you should leave good enough alone and leave the PS assembly in the car. The amount of power loss you get with PS is nominal to the point that it is not worth “rigging” your car and possibly having a failure running a PS rack with out the assist of a pump.

- Dana “safety first”

 

I'm not sure what happen to my post, but I don't remember being drunk when I wrote my previous post.

I'm not trying remove PS from my car, I'm trying to add it, and I've found an S5 rack for pretty cheap. I it is possible, then I'll probably pick it up and convert my car over. I like the feel of my manual rack, but I just can't keep up with having to deal with so much turning.

 

yeah is possible. I was going to install a man rack on my car, but after removing the pump and lines, the power rack is great. Its an easy install, but make sure that you have the passenger side rack mount/couple its a tad different between the two racks... Otherwise everything should be semi-bolt up.

 

Then you've obviously never driven a p/s 7 w/out the p/s belt in place. Its a BITCH at low speeds and parking. Moving was ok. Its no where near the same.

 

There is a HUGE difference between the P/S rack when it has the pump in place(ie, just no belt) and not in place (ie, not belt/pump/lines looped together)

Now i'm not a _very_ strong person, I however have NO trouble at all turning my car when its not even moving, and i've removed the pump, left fluid in there and looped the lines together.

It's actually just as easy as my AE86 Corolla (~900kg.. ) is to turn.

 

I sent an email to Howe racing regarding their steering quckener and they replied:
http://www.howeracing.com/Steering/I...-Quickener.htm
I found this thread after a search. but it didn't say much on compatibility. Will this ork with out steering rack based on what Rick said?

 

then you've never driven a p/s rack with most the fluid and pump removed....

Its VERY easy, and more responsive. You feel the road, and you feel what the tires are doing. AND... The one road in town that used to track the car EVERY time... now has no effect on the car.

They didn't fix the road, I fixed my car

 

You don't want p/s.
You want the p/s rack. That means no power steering pump and no power steering lines.
Find a p/s rack, take off the two lines that you see, turn the rack from lock to lock, and then put rubber caps/ bolts in the place of the rubber lines.
You will decrease from 3.5 turns lock-to-lock to around 2.5 turns lock-to-lock.