Steeroids Install

[69MyWay]

Felix, I don't have a part number on the headers....I don't even know what brand they are.

Steve, the install went about as smooth as any custom sort of install I have ever done in the past. I think I had the most difficulty with the u-joints getting them set and making sure there was no binding action in them.

I had to trim and grind a little metal off here and there that was not mentioned in the instructions. However, I find that to be fairly normal on such a job when you are installing something custom.

It looks good, feels good, and drives normal. Normal is good.

 

[LIRacer]

An obervation...

...that has nothing to do with this thread, Chris. You do all your work without a lift? I dont see one in your pictures. That is even more impresive!

Bruce

 

[Chris Kennedy]

Hmmmm.....all you say is that it feels "normal" and "good". This doesn't sound particularly enthusiastic.

--Chris Kennedy

 

[69MyWay]

Hmmmm.....all you say is that it feels "normal" and "good". This doesn't sound particularly enthusiastic.

--Chris Kennedy

I guess I see what you mean. However, when all is well, and working, it is hard to get enthusiastic....mostly thankful it works.

In other words, there is nothing strange, unusual, or out of the ordinary about how the car drives, steers, and feels. That is good. With steering, you want it to be predictable, balanced, and smooth. The steeroids is all that in one nice neat package.

 

[69MyWay]

Re: An obervation...

...that has nothing to do with this thread, Chris. You do all your work without a lift? I dont see one in your pictures. That is even more impresive!

Bruce

No lift, not enough spare space to waste in the shop. I would love to have one, but it would be in the way 98% of the time.

 

[Bob Chadwick]

I guess I see what you mean. However, when all is well, and working, it is hard to get enthusiastic....mostly thankful it works.

In other words, there is nothing strange, unusual, or out of the ordinary about how the car drives, steers, and feels. That is good. With steering, you want it to be predictable, balanced, and smooth. The steeroids is all that in one nice neat package.

Chris,

Do you feel that it is an improvement over original?

Bob

 

[69MyWay]

Chris,

Do you feel that it is an improvement over original?

Bob

There are two improvements.

1. It does not have that little bit of slack found in the stock power steering that is required to trip the circulating ball stud left and right to energize the power assist. So, it is tighter feeling than stock power steering.

If you had a non power steering car, and added the steeroids...at highway speed, you would not be able to tell any difference. This is because non power steer cars are direct drive vs. the stock power steering assembly with the built in lag.

2. Bragging rights...because it looks cool sitting in there, and more room on the driver side engine bay.

 

[sac001]

Everyone,

Thanks for all the feeback & info. I guess my question boils down to this, my car is an 80 with Power Steering. I have a little slop in the steering, and at highway speeds its a little concerning.

Is the improvement gained from the steeroids worth the $1200 for the kit, and are there any negatives that I should be concerned with?

Thanks again!

Steve

 

[Chris Kennedy]

For the guy with the '80, you might try, first, loosening the locknut on the adjusting screw on the top of the steering box and turning it slightly clockwise to take up some of the play and then re-tighterning the lock nut. This is REAL simple to do. It's possible to get it too tight such that the steering will not automatically return to center, but just back off a bit until you get the feel right. The downside to this adjustment is that it tends to wear out the box over time and you need to periodically keep adjusting it, but the improvement in feel and directional precision is well worth it (tremendous, really) and steering boxes are pretty cheap. What someone needs to do is to come up with an improved steering box!

The comment on the "lag" from the power steering control valve mentioned by the person who did the steeroids installation is interesting---do non-power steering cars have tigher steering???

More so than cost, what I AM concerned about on the steeroids installation is basic strength and safety----this is re-engineering of a very critical component, and the issue is whether it's been done properly. One thing that I so not like at all about it is the multiplicity of u-joints at sharp angles. That's a recipe for slop, and future problems.

 

[vette-dude]

Do you have to feed this set-up?? See Pic and Moist and Meaty box!! Actually it looks like a real clean installation.



ah steeroids on 1.jpg

Randy

 

[69MyWay]

Chris,

The stock power steering is really a power assist. When you turn the steering wheel, it goes through the gear box, then it actuates a ball stud going into the hydraulic ram. The hydraulic ram will then push/pull after the ball stud has been first tilted in the direction you are going to go. So, there is a bit of slop built into the system.

The non power steering cars are direct drive from the box to the pitman arm/drag link, etc. The only way those cars usually get slop is from a worn out gear box, or worn tie rod joints. Once in a while the rag joint will get some slop.

Mostly, on non power steering car, the steering column gets worn out early due to the amount of force applied at slow speeds.

The Steeroids systems is direct and instant. The multiple U joints is the lease desireable part. However, they use Flaming River street rod joints which are high quality and have been in street rods for years now.

Oh....the MOIST AND MEATY dog food box was holding my chain hoist. Somehow it got in almost every picture???? Our dogs get Science Diet in the bag...but that box came from my Dad's house.

 

[Chris Kennedy]

Thanks for info!

 

[sac001]

Thanks again!

I'll try & adjust the Steering box this weekend before I give the Steeroids any futher considerations.

Steve

 

[Twin_Turbo]

indeed, the ball stud on the pwoer steering valve needs to be moved before the valves are slided one way to give pressure to the ram. This will give slopyness but the majority of slopiness and on center play is in the box itself. The bos is a sloppy POS IMO, the bearings are tiny so there's very little support to the input and sector shaft, the "roller ball nut"/worm gear assemble has some play in it but the nut/sector play is terrible. Part of it is because of the beargins, part is because of the design. If you have ever seen a Mercedes-Benz or BMW recirculating ball system (they used them till the 90's and I think some models still have them today) you will immediately see the difference. The GM box is just crap. Add to that the geometry problems w/ the steering rods and the high position (relative to lower control arm pivot) of the center link...it's less than satisfactory.

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Thanks again!

I'll try & adjust the Steering box this weekend before I give the Steeroids any futher considerations.

Steve

I also understand that filling the box with chassis grease through one of the bolt holes, don't remove the top, makes a big difference.