Should I get power steering?

[JaredS]

Not sure if I should get power steering or not. I hear it works great on the CR cars. Just wanted to get some more input from all of you. I know must people don't have it. I also will be getting a smaller steering wheel so that will make it a little harder with no power.

[Cracker]

no

[J. T. Toad]

yes

[Cracker]

no - no

[J. T. Toad]

hee hee

yes, repeated to the "no"+1

seriously,

not quite the BB/SB debated ( as if there is one for the BB Guys)
but... it really depends on how you intend to use your car.

Authenticity? - no, but why did you get a CR then?
Mainly racing? - why would you?
Daily driver? - a luxury by far, (the whole car isn't that heavy) BUT it come in awfully handy around a parking lot while keeping the horses in check. DV set me up with the Flaming River setup with avoids typical powersteering over steer problems at speed.

it is debatable and personal preference

Ask DV, he has plenty of experience driving both.

[JaredS]

Mostly daily driving and crusing. I could care less about being authentic. I will be running a 351w. I think it would be great in the parking lots. Is it really hard to hook up?

[trularin]

If I had PS, I'd be dead right now.

[J. T. Toad]

no, it wasn't hard to hook up, once you know where to get fittings and bracketry.

trularin
an explaination could be helpful...

otherwise,
I would be dead right now if I DIDN'T have PS

[trularin]

My steering is touchy enough as it is, adding power would make it worse.

[CSCHWER]

You can get a PS pump that only boosts below a certain RPM. This would be good on a Cobra.

[J. T. Toad]

this is the one DV set me up with

http://www.flamingriver.com/racks3.htm

[JayBar]

Do you know what rack the kit uses? If it's a Flaming River get the 18 to 1 ratio and you will think you have power steering. Plus it will not be a "twichey" as the 15 to 1 ratio.
Power steering? I would only get it if I were to
Auto Cross a lot.

[jdean]

I have a heavy car, with the 460 and all, and so I have PS.
I have it so that the pressure is reduced so that there is pretty good road feel and does not feel overly sensitive. It is not an Original thing to have, but......almost ALL forms of race cars have PS today, so it can't be a terrible thing for high performance cars to have it.

I sat in a Backdraft once with a 302 with aluminum heads and it felt like power steering without it, so I can see the point of a light car not having it.

[JaredS]

Well it sounds like everyone who has it loves it, and everyone who doesn't, doesn't want it. So I'm still undecided. So the problem people are saying is that it could be to touchy at high speeds right? Well a miata is about 300lb less than a CR and the power steering works fine. So I'm sure it would work on a CR. I want to build a car that has some modern convinences. Most cars worth 40k come with power steering. So I'm leaning towards getting it.

[J. T. Toad]

Jared,
if you decide to go this route, pm me for some parts you will need.

Caveats;
odd bracket to mount the chevy pump on a ford
fittings for the reservoir
DO NOT use the 'JAZ' reservoir, unless you want fluid everywhere.
(there are some sharp Billet ones)

[dblbarrel]

If you want it I say get it.

[HI Cobra]

Jared,

When we built my CR we used a power steering rack without the power
steering. I drove it that way for a year or so. It was a bit heavy when
moving slowly as in parking, otherwise fine. I had my right shoulder go bad
so hooked up the power steering (was from a Mustang II). It was fine for
parking, but that was about it for me - no feedback at speed, just turned if
you moved. I had ortho on my shoulder (rather than joint replacement),
and it worked very well. A year ago I drove it one last time before getting
my left knee joint replaced (yes I was a wreck) which would mean no driving
a stick fo a couple of months. The next morning there was a trail of fluid from
the left front which turned out to be power steering fluid from a blown seal.
That was it - I got a new rack (not power steering) and had it ready to go when I was able to drive it again. A little work a slow speeds (I don't park where I would have to parallel park) but a joy compared to the old rack, pre power steering, and the power steering.

My only regret was that I didn't just go out and get a standard rack in the
first place. Great feedback and no twitch. I also have a 351W.

This was a bit wordy but hope it helps.

[TampaFla]

I've found no reason to have it. Lite car, lite engine. But if you have a heavy car and heavy motor, you may need it.

[JaredS]

Thanks for all your input! If anyone else has an opinion please post it.

[Jack21]

An old fart like me likes his creature comforts. That's why a CR in the first place. Although not absolutely authentic in every original detail, the changes made over the original were clearly improvements over the original car that I wanted to build and drive. And I love the way this car feels, and drives.

Before building a Cobra, I test drove one of CR's Saxons (Austin Healy 3000 replica) with a 302, and manual steering. I clearly disliked the manual steering. So, one way or another, my Cobra would get power steeering.

Long story short. To make power steering work in a light car, street rod or Cobra, the rack effort and feedback had to be increased, and the pump pressure had to be decreased.

An AGR supplied high effort valved, standard ratio late ('79 - up) Mustang rack bolted right in. The CR frame accepts either MII, or later Fox body racks. But the late rack weighs about 15 pounds, compared to the MII's 80 pounds.

The pump, per AGR can be either Ford, or Saginaw (GM), but their preference was the Saginaw.

The Saginaw pump is used on recirculating ball type steering boxes, including Ford pickups, and vans. The operating pressure of recirculating ball systems is higher (~1300#), than rack and pinion systems (~800 - 1000#). RB's Antique Automotive makes a low presure relief valve for the Saginaw pump used on racks for street rods that solved the overpressure and high speed squirelliness.

I think Don now has these valves for Ford pumps. Summit now carries AGR racks, and pumps. The RB's valve is $40 bucks.

I had to cobble lines, and brackets for the pump.

Bottome line. It works perfectly, and I was delighted from day one. Power steering in a Cobra. It can be done!

Today, however, I would take a serious look at the Flaming River power rack and pump system.