What has an unassisted, manual steering rack?

I just watched another video review of the 4C, and rolled my eyes at the complaints about the unassisted steering.

My first three cars had unassisted steering, and I liked it. Seems like everything has assisted steering today. I know there are a ton of options if I go to older vehicles. What can I buy that is, say, less than twenty years old (give or take) that has unassisted steering?

I think the 96-00 Civic Hatchback was available with manual steering, CX model, maybe?

96-00 DX and CX hatches for sure. At least the DX hatch I have has a manual rack and it is a trim level above the DX.

I am stupidly loyal to my beater hatch because with the manual rack, no ABS, very connected to the gearbox shifter, and a few suspension and brake improvements, driving is a truly visceral pleasure. There is something to what you are talking about.

eastsidemav wrote: I think the 96-00 Civic Hatchback was available with manual steering, CX model, maybe?

My 79 capri was a 302 with manual steering. Not bad with mickey thompsons 5 inch front runners, it was terrible with the 225/60/15s.

older into the 70s and 80s, Fiat X 1/9s and the last of the 124s had manual racks. My old Hyundai Excel had a manual rack.

Modern cars have much stickier, taller, and wider rubber than cars built 20 years ago. I am not sure most people would want to deal with turning a wheel connected to today's tyres unless it had manual assist

TR7s came with unassisted manual steering racks. TR8s came with power steering racks. Care to guess why I have 6 TR8 power steering racks in my basement?

first gen mazda3 with a fuse pulled?

83 944

Mike wrote: Seems like everything has assisted steering today.

There's a couple of reasons for this: as tires have gotten wider and stickier, they're harder to turn at low speeds. And power steering allows for faster steering ratios, so you can have 2.5 or 3 turns lock to lock instead of 4 due to needing less mechanical advantage.

76-82 924 (essentially a reversed RHD Mk1 Golf rack)

Elise?

I don't know what models but Miatas were available with a manual rack at one time. While not the answer to your question. On of the reasons that power steering is so popular is that with today's technology it's possible to have assistance and great feedback. Porsche even figured out how to accomplish it with electric assist.

^^ Yup, my '99 Miata came with a manual rack.

1999 manual Miatas are rare, only the base model came that way. They disappeared in 2000, and the only other appearance was the 50 Club Sport models in 2003.

It was a lot more common on the NA, but the manual rack actually kinda sucked compared to the power rack. The NB one was much better, but very rare. I've driven a V8 ND with a broken hydraulic PS system and I can't really recommend it much.

I have a VW Vanagon with a power rack and my coworker has one with a manual rack. Sucker The Land Rover, the CRX and the Mini are all manual racks, and the latter two are better for it.

I mentioned that my first three cars all had manual racks. They were, in order:

• 1983 RX-7
• 1986 Pontiac Fiero
• 1992 Suzuki Samurai

I think the Samurai was around until 1995, so that's probably a "twenty years, give or take" entry.

Gen1 MR2s never offered anything other than a manual rack.
I'm not sure of Gen3s MR2s, '00-'04

Keith Tanner wrote: It was a lot more common on the NA, but the manual rack actually kinda sucked compared to the power rack.

Yep. My '92 was a manual rack from the get-go, and it was ok. I depowered the rack in the '94 turbo, and loved it.

I had also depowered the rack in my old '88 rx7 GTU, and it was awesome.

Which makes me wonder... Is this just a Mazda thing, or are most manufacturer's manual racks worse than their power racks, once de-powered???

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The NA Miata manual rack was apparently rushed through R&D because purists claimed that the Miata had to have a manual rack after the PS one was already well underway. 6 weeks, I think. So it just didn't work.

The depowered Miata racks aren't really suitable for day to day use - track work is okay, but they're pretty heavy at slow speeds.

John Welsh wrote: Gen1 MR2s never offered anything other than a manual rack. I'm not sure of Gen3s MR2s, '00-'04

I think the gen 3 was electric assist. I can't remember from when I owned mine though. Certainly some sort of assist though as I was running sticky rubber and low speed was easy. Great system though. I miss that car.

Keith Tanner wrote: The depowered Miata racks aren't really suitable for day to day use - track work is okay, but they're pretty heavy at slow speeds.

Hence the turbo...

I had 3 cars with one.

1991 MR2 Turbo

1995 Mitsubishi Mirage

1993 Miata

Swap-wise, there are tons of non-hydraulic racks out there now. Lots have the power assist built into the steering column, so gas the column, come up with a normal one, and boom, simple manual steering.

As far as proper manual racks, My knowledge has these: Volvo 240 until about 81, Neon in 94, Early Fox. Problem is, every one had the same issue of poor lubrication making the pinion bearings go bu-bye. I'm waiting for the same problem to show in the electrically assisted ones. Already seeing steering shaft u-joint failures from the extra stress.

Mike wrote: I mentioned that my first three cars all had manual racks. They were, in order: + 1983 RX-7 + 1986 Pontiac Fiero + 1992 Suzuki Samurai I think the Samurai was around until 1995, so that's probably a "twenty years, give or take" entry.

While the IFS equipped Sidekick/Tracker may have come with a rack and pinion steering I'm pretty sure the solid axle Samurai never did. All the ones I have had just had regular steering boxes and drag links.

Kia Rios were available pretty recently with manual racks. I know because after my mom's bypass surgery it was hard for her to drive hers, so I swapped in a power rack for her.

Pretty sure the MR2 was available with a hydraulic rack that used an electric power steering pump. That electric pump was fairly sought after at one point.

My 1991 VW Fox had an unassisted rack. It was a major POS, but the steering feel wasn't bad at all!

I had a manual rack '86 RX-7. It was excellent.