In the past I had a six cylinder and later bought a stock 302 Maverick with manual steering. I don’t recall either was particularly difficult to steer from a standing start. My wife had no problem with either car. I completely a 347 restomod in 2017 but is extremely difficult to turn the wheel when backing out of the garage or trying to park. My wife can’t turn it at all. It actually takes all the joy out of taking it out. When I built the car everything and I mean everything was replaced front to back, chassis suspension and drivetrain. No expense was spared . I went front end non stock by buying and installing lowered front springs, thicker sway bar, PU bushings, disc brakes and BF Goodrich 235/60-15’s. Beautiful car but a bitch to drive. Maybe the slightly lower front end is the culprit. I even tried a remanufactured manual steering box. Maybe i need thinner tires up front or maybe I can do something with the front end alignment. Maybe more grease. Anyone else have this issue and have some solutions. A last resort would be electric power steering but no one makes a bolt on and I’m not enough of an engineer to design one as I have seen others do. I’m about ready to sell it and move on.
There are 2 options. I have Borgerson power conversion on my car, it was OE power steering car. Other than shorting column, not difficult install, make driving lot more pleasant. Others have R&P conversions made for our cars.
Couple thoughts on it, it's possible the steering boxes might be from a power steering car, quicker ratio with higher effort steering. This far down the road anything is possible particularly buying reman parts. The other thing is the caster setting, the more you add, the more difficult low speed steering is (or so I have read).
the 235/60-15’s have a lot to do with it also. I had manual rack and pinion and 235s were a hand full, I went 215s.
Less positive caster will make a car with radial tires steer easier but it will affect the self-centering and feel at highway speeds. Sometimes you just gotta find a good compromise setting. And like others said, the 235's aren't helping. I've been considering adding the Borgeson box myself.
This is a good thought, P/S boxes are approx 3½ turns lock to lock, while manual are a little over 5. Having increased positive caster & wide tires both increase steering effort. Father time also plays a role in perception. In the '70s, with GR 70-14 tires, I'd have argued my Cobra was best driving car on road. By time early '90s rolled around, it had transformed into something resembling a field truck. Was mostly parked from '02 to '17(less than 1400 miles) when I totally rebuilt orig front end, plus installed factory type P/S. It's a joy to drive again. Within three months of buying my Fairlane in June '19, I had converted it as well. Comet has factory P/S.
Does Borgerson make a package for Maverick? Couldn’t find R&P Conversions in a google search. The steering box is definitely for non power steering. I know that the power steering box would make it even harder to maneuver. Others mentioned caster as well. I’m going to play with that. Thank you for your help.
I'm considering 185/80-15s. I’ll compare them to the 215/60’s. FYI - I have Micky Thompson 235/60-15 street drag radials on the back.
I would spring for the Borgeson box if I knew I could install it without excessive modifications. Cutting the column would be no problem. Before I go that far I’ll try narrow front tires and castor adjustment.
There are reasons why virtually every new car has power steering regardless of size. Nearly everything uses wider tires than a similarly sized car of the past. Radials like a lot more caster than the old bias plies. The Borgeson box shouldn't require that much given what you've already done to the car. Pulleys and brackets to add a power steering pump, route the lines, and do whatever voodoo is required to the steering column, done. It's not nothing, but to make a car you're redone from bumper to bumper drivable it seems like a little thing.
If you decide to go w/ Borg. conversion kit order w/ 6 cyl hose set, they are 6" longer than one's w/ V8 setup which moves hoses farther up from ex. headers. I've had both -- that's how I know. They required loosening lower metal-to-hose nut and re-clocking slightly. All the work put into that car, worth effort to not be too hasty parting w/ it. I also, reversed bolts & welded to rag-joint facing nuts toward firewall instead toward engine bay. The lower column to firewall plate had to be slightly modified to clear rag-joint bolts from contacting plate. Steering box longer than OE box, will put it much closer to firewall. I'm in my late 70's and if I had manual -- I would'nt have the car.
I went with 205X60X15 on the front of mine, after the 302 swap. I had the same problem as you, and the smaller tires helped immensely!
I also run on my 72' - 205x60x15 with a manual steering setup but with the faster power gearbox. A bit stiff while sitting still but very little effort if moving even at parking lot speeds. On the road I love the response of the quicker ratio power gearbox.
What about one of these electric power steering conversions? Just a thought. Street rod guys are going this route a lot now. https://www.cjponyparts.com/electric-power-steering-conversion-kit-1965-1966/p/PSKE1/?year=1965 They make a kit for vintage Mustangs.
