Power Steering Ratio change?

[TSiAWD666]

Is it possible to change the steering ratio? Preferable change it so that steering is much tighter than stock. If so, what might be involved?

What prompted this question was a recent test drive of my neighbor's new s2000. The steering on that car is fantastic... very tight and responsive. Makes my 99 GSX feel very sluggish. I can see managing the wheel much more easily in the s2000 than in my GSX.

Wow I feel like a newbie all over again

 

[Defiant]

Chalk and cheese.

The S-2000 is a front-midengine chassis. It doesn't have all that ballast on the front wheels. Even with a ratio change -I've never heard of one, but in the vast world of Mitsubishi built- and licensed-transport, there may well be a faster rack out there... it wouldn't be cheap- you won't have a DSM feeling like an S-2000. Just as you won't get an S-2000 feeling like an MR-2.

To quicken your steering ratio, you'd need a rack and pinion assembly with fewer teeth. What's a steering rack go, $400 or so? That's just for starters. Getting the DSM steering shaft, or whatever'd adapt, hooked up to it might be another couple of hundred.

 

[TSiAWD666]

Well I'm not trying to recreate the feel of an s2000 in a DSM. I'm trying to get a more of a 1:1 feel in the steering, as I experienced in the s2000. I've heard similar descriptions from EVO drivers of the steering in those cars, but my test drive in an EVO isn't for a couple weeks so I can't comment personally.

I had simply hoped that since gearing was involved there might be gearing options for steering racks that I might be able to change. <shrug> Ah well, enough daydreaming...

 

[jtmcinder]

Here's what you can do to increase turn-in in a 2G (which is 90% of what people refer to as "feel").

Stiffer suspension bushings ... preferably Delrin, but Prothanes or ES are OK.

RRE lower front suspension brace. (Not a STB; the lower brace.)

Front toe out. (Kills tires, but addictive.)

I'm assuming that the car is already lowered the right amount and has a good set of swaybars.

- Jtoby

 

[TSiAWD666]

Err, thanks for the suggestions, but I'm quite familiar with turn-in and that's not what I'm looking for. It's a tighter steering ratio, that's it.

 

[NDgsx]

Maybe you could use Evo rack inards with 2G tie rod ends/case? I haven't looked at an evo closely yet so I'm not sure if the setup is similar. They have a 13:1 ratio.
You could always have a new pinion gear and rack made, but it would probably cost to much to make them a helical gear. Straight gears might not allow as smooth of steering feel.