Replacing power steering with manual steering

[micgolub]

I have a 1986 toyota pickup 4wd, 5spd,
It has power steering.

I'm converting it to an electric vehicle, and I want to convert to manual steering.

Is changing the rack the only thing necessary?

Anyone got one laying around?

Thanks!

[4RnrRick]

Pst.... it doesn't have rack and pinion steering......

[Wheelie_Pete]

OMgosh if you are planning on off-roading that you better come up with some kind of P/S system. But yeah, '86 no rack and pinion steering. Which begs the question, if your the one converting this thing to electric and you couldn't tell the difference, or didn't know EXACTLY what you were looking at when you popped the hood.....

Your steering gear should look like the one on the left.



But yeah, if you can find a non/ps gear just replace the P/S box. Sell the p/s box to someone on this board for $50+Ship.

[brownbagg]

if you want to convert from power to manual. just cut the fanbelt.

[4CrawlR]

You would probably wan to swap in a manual steering box. The power steering box has a much higher ratio so will be pretty hard to steer manually, at least stopped and at slow speed. A manual box will give you easier steering w/o power assist. It should just bolt in and you can probably sell your p/s stuff and more than pay for the manual box.

[micgolub]

OK it's called a gear, not a rack. I don't plan too much off-roading. Of course I live in Alaska.

I was trying to use this 86-toyota 4wd as an A to B car around town on paved and gravel roads.

If there are any links on this board of someone doing a conversion to power steering I guess that will help.

Also, can the old power steering pump or gear be damaged if the pump is not running?

Thanks in advance!

[TNToy]

No, not really.

But that's not the point. Power steering is a necessity for anyone taking their truck off road. Lots of these trucks came with manual steering. I don't think it would be hard to find someone on here willing to pay you $50-100, and also ship you their manual steering box in return for your pump, lines, pulleys, etc.

In other words, downgrading to manual would make you money you can spend on your electric vehicle that'll like never be complete once you realize how sophisticated, heavy, underpowered, and range-limited you'll be. Even with modern technology like brushless motors and lithium-ion/lithium-polymer batteries, I still think useable electric conversions are a decade or so off.

Anything not designed from the ground up to be electric powered is going to end up a rolling, massively expensive compromise.

But what do I know? Most of the people making leaps in technology the last hundred years probably had plenty of 'experts' around to inform them that their idea would never work.

[SeaBass44]

$10 says he won't build it,

[rockota]

Originally Posted by SeaBass44

$10 says he won't build it,

I won't take that bet, but I hope he does.

[TatonkaII]

I'll trade you my manual steering for your power steering staight up

[s1037s]

Originally Posted by micgolub

I have a 1986 toyota pickup 4wd, 5spd,
It has power steering.

I'm converting it to an electric vehicle, and I want to convert to manual steering.

Is changing the rack the only thing necessary?

Anyone got one laying around?

Thanks!

Is that you Al Gore? way to stick it to the gop!

[Pietro]

you can keep the P/S dude

I know for a fact the newer MR2's have electric P/S pump under the hood (not where the engine is located ) has a reservoir and everything

I would imagine that it shouldn't be that hard to retrofit in to keep the P/S box

[Roksamy]

Originally Posted by SeaBass44

$10 says he won't build it,

Ill see you and raise you $5