I bought an new '85 Vanagon with power steering. Liked it. It went out a few miles after the warranty expired. VW wanted $600.00 to replace the rack and pinion (all the seals were blown). I went to a junk yard and bought a manual rack and pinion for $150.00 and changed it over. The most noticable difference is when turning sharp corners at low speed. On the open road, no real difference except more power since the little 1.9L engine is not spinning a power steering pump anymore. I found if I keep sufficient air in the front tires, I never miss the power steering; neither does the little missus. If the air is low in the front tires, though, it is a bugger to steer. To my mind, power steering is like power door locks, just something else to go wrong and cost money. Russell Gunter |
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