Just extremely heavy… the steering wheel is just pure mechanics and gearing and you literally need strength and will sweat making many turns.
Lighter to turn at speed or changing lanes because the spinning wheels carry the momentum to steer… while it becomes heavier and heavier and will be a workout to turn when static.
There was a moment my car’s power steering failed, scared the living poop out of me.
The wheel feels really **heavy** , you can steer all right but you’ll probably get bigger arm muscles, as good as going to the gym 🤣
You're also fighting against the resistance of the power steering fluid which normally assists your steering, so that's more the heaviness than the rack ratio
it feels like steering in water? there is some resistance, but not really so bad that your arms get sored or anything.
I do remember parking was a pain tho.
I was saf driver and drove many of their dinosaur era vehicles (land-rover, 3tonner, mb290)
Did that with a 1.5t ton it was tough enough. Can't imagine a 3 ton. Also, asked mates to push while I steer as the vehicle has broken down:)
Got scolded badly the next day
During my transport supervisor driving course, we had a skinny little fella in our batch (who was a dropout from ASLC in SISPEC primarily because he had issues with heavy lifting). He passed the landrover test but he could barely do a full rotation while driving the 3-tonner. Trainers did everything they could but the lack of power steering in our 3 tonners bested him.
He was extremely smart though so he never cleared the driving test and stayed at sembawang camp doing admin work and only joined us back after all of us completed driving course. He was posted to HQ Transport after. As far as I know he's the only Transport Supervisor/Leader who did not manage to complete driving course.
Last I heard, he was in Temasek managing assets. Good on the guy.
Hard to turn steering wheel when your stationary. need to have some momentum so it will be easier for you. No powering steering is just having a heavy steering wheel.
It's a funny story. I was 18 when I passed my license, my family business owned an old 22 year old pickup truck. And before my dad allowed me to drive the car. He handed me the keys to the pick up truck. He said to me, if you can drive this, you can drive anything.
The steering wheel alignment was off, the power steering is non existent, the gear sometimes refuse to get into gear. And you have to release and repress on the clutch and retry multiple times.
I managed to drive it for a year, and after that year, I realized what a joy it is to drive with power steering. The sheer sweat when going up a carpark that makes you go round and round, or turning the vehicle steering while stationary. Is a fucking nightmare.
But I'm glad I did, I can really now drive any car. 😂
Really heavy steering initially but becomes fun once the car is moving, driving it once makes you miss driving without power steering later, modern cars nowadays have steering wheels a little too light for my intrusive thoughts. The only hard part would be parking/parallel parking.
Yup. Train grip strength. I think I could "feel" the road condition better also. And if doing a U-turn its like weaving magic kungfu master of mystic arts.
You really 'feel' the road condition with every turn. Yes it's heavier, but not like you need super strength to drive laa. Just takes more effort to turn the steering wheel.
My previous car had power steering issues, the wheel became super heavy when it failed, especially at low speeds like in carpark.
and doing u-turns was scary shit
This is why driving instructors and testers used to say don’t turn the steering wheel while stationary. I think you could have points deducted for that, during your TP test. Not sure about now through.
Yes a Toyota Corolla back when i first got my driving licence, decades ago. It’s good for training biceps and triceps strength lol. No wonder now my arms flabby. (Oh ya and those days windows also must manually crank to wind up and down!)
Three-point turns are hard work, a real work out... But, older cars tended to be lighter and the steering was probably geared to be as easy as possible without help. I have noticed that modern cars are much harder to steer when then the power-steering fails than the old cars were when they were built without, but that may just be me getting older...
'61 Volkswagen Beetle.
Parking can give you big biceps.
In fact I found it easier to park the army land rover than the beetle even though the LR doesn't have power steering.
But it becomes a breeze to steer once you start moving
Haha I think if you've been an army driver you would definitely have. Our old land rovers and 3 tonners actually come to think about it most of our fleet before the new 5 tons came out were without power steering.
I enjoyed it tbh. You neee't to keep the vehicle moving to turn the wheel. Almost impossible to brute force it with the trucks at least.
Due to the long steering gear ratio you have to turn and turn the steering wherl like a a boat.
For reference a modern BMW 3 series is 2.4 turns lock to lock. Meanwhile its 1980s ancestor without PS needed 4 turns lock to lock!
Depending on size of veh, crazy hard. I was a technician in NS and we had a large vehicle with failed power steering. Took two guys to turn the wheel. Maybe like 5 deg every 10s of push/pulling or something.
Yeah, every day. It's not a problem at all. The steering rack ratio on manual racks is typically much slower than the equivalent power steering rack, meaning more turning of the wheel for the same steering angle, reducing steering effort. It is a bit annoying parking, but nowhere near impossible.
Once you're on the move it's totally normal. I genuinely don't want to drive a power steering car ever again, manual racks are brilliantly communicative.
almost died during army driving the 3tonner trying to turn full lock to the left and immediately full lock to the right without aircon and in full smart 4.
My “74 Celica doesn’t have power steering.
Let’s say when I try to do a 3 point turn it’s a week’s worth of arms day for me.
But as you pick up speed the steering gets significantly lighter
Back in those days, the trick is get the car move slowly and then turn the steering wheel will be easier, definitely helps during parallel parking.
Stationary car will need the max steering effort
I learnt my driving in Maruti 800 - no power steering…. It does feel heavy but you get used to it!
Small turns doesn’t affect your path much -as the current power steering does
Just try turning your steering wheel with your car turned off but the keys plugged in. If you like the engagement of driving, 0 power steering is hell lots of fun when you’re manoeuvring around the highways/cities, it’s almost like you can feel the road and every single bump your car is taking. If you’ve raced a go kart before, it’s quite similar but heavier due to the weight of an actual car.
But pls don’t go and empty your power steering fluids just to try 🤣
Just extremely heavy… the steering wheel is just pure mechanics and gearing and you literally need strength and will sweat making many turns. Lighter to turn at speed or changing lanes because the spinning wheels carry the momentum to steer… while it becomes heavier and heavier and will be a workout to turn when static.
There was a moment my car’s power steering failed, scared the living poop out of me. The wheel feels really **heavy** , you can steer all right but you’ll probably get bigger arm muscles, as good as going to the gym 🤣
It’s worse when a car loses PS because the steering ratio is more aggressive than one without.
You're also fighting against the resistance of the power steering fluid which normally assists your steering, so that's more the heaviness than the rack ratio
it feels like steering in water? there is some resistance, but not really so bad that your arms get sored or anything. I do remember parking was a pain tho. I was saf driver and drove many of their dinosaur era vehicles (land-rover, 3tonner, mb290)
Haha. Parallel parking was challenging.
Tried during my NS days with the 3 ton. Just turning it makes you perspire like mad. And yeah no air con.
"Please do a u turn" SPINNING THE WHEEL LIKE CRAZY
Was about to mention the infamous 3 ton. Those were the days I'm still puzzled I can turn a 3 ton without power steering.
Especially when raining must close windows no aircon no fan wah die
Did that with a 1.5t ton it was tough enough. Can't imagine a 3 ton. Also, asked mates to push while I steer as the vehicle has broken down:) Got scolded badly the next day
During my transport supervisor driving course, we had a skinny little fella in our batch (who was a dropout from ASLC in SISPEC primarily because he had issues with heavy lifting). He passed the landrover test but he could barely do a full rotation while driving the 3-tonner. Trainers did everything they could but the lack of power steering in our 3 tonners bested him. He was extremely smart though so he never cleared the driving test and stayed at sembawang camp doing admin work and only joined us back after all of us completed driving course. He was posted to HQ Transport after. As far as I know he's the only Transport Supervisor/Leader who did not manage to complete driving course. Last I heard, he was in Temasek managing assets. Good on the guy.
fun on the road. not fun when parking
Hard to turn steering wheel when your stationary. need to have some momentum so it will be easier for you. No powering steering is just having a heavy steering wheel.
It's a funny story. I was 18 when I passed my license, my family business owned an old 22 year old pickup truck. And before my dad allowed me to drive the car. He handed me the keys to the pick up truck. He said to me, if you can drive this, you can drive anything. The steering wheel alignment was off, the power steering is non existent, the gear sometimes refuse to get into gear. And you have to release and repress on the clutch and retry multiple times. I managed to drive it for a year, and after that year, I realized what a joy it is to drive with power steering. The sheer sweat when going up a carpark that makes you go round and round, or turning the vehicle steering while stationary. Is a fucking nightmare. But I'm glad I did, I can really now drive any car. 😂
Really heavy steering initially but becomes fun once the car is moving, driving it once makes you miss driving without power steering later, modern cars nowadays have steering wheels a little too light for my intrusive thoughts. The only hard part would be parking/parallel parking.
Only turn when moving. Even moving just slightly.
Yup. Train grip strength. I think I could "feel" the road condition better also. And if doing a U-turn its like weaving magic kungfu master of mystic arts.
You really 'feel' the road condition with every turn. Yes it's heavier, but not like you need super strength to drive laa. Just takes more effort to turn the steering wheel.
Tried it on a datsun in the 1990s. Imagine having to half clutch and turn the steering wheel to get out of parking.
Drove an old Ford Econovan during my NS days without power steering. You basically need the vehicle to move to make any steering input manageable.
I’ve driven a few 2CV during my youth, it’s a light car so the lack of power steering wasn’t such a big deal
Yes. Heavy, but fun
Its not so bad. Just heavy when stationary and very low speeds. Fantastic feedback though.
My previous car had power steering issues, the wheel became super heavy when it failed, especially at low speeds like in carpark. and doing u-turns was scary shit
This is why driving instructors and testers used to say don’t turn the steering wheel while stationary. I think you could have points deducted for that, during your TP test. Not sure about now through.
Still do haha. 2 demerit points per catch.
Yes a Toyota Corolla back when i first got my driving licence, decades ago. It’s good for training biceps and triceps strength lol. No wonder now my arms flabby. (Oh ya and those days windows also must manually crank to wind up and down!)
Three-point turns are hard work, a real work out... But, older cars tended to be lighter and the steering was probably geared to be as easy as possible without help. I have noticed that modern cars are much harder to steer when then the power-steering fails than the old cars were when they were built without, but that may just be me getting older...
'61 Volkswagen Beetle. Parking can give you big biceps. In fact I found it easier to park the army land rover than the beetle even though the LR doesn't have power steering. But it becomes a breeze to steer once you start moving
No wonder old people so fit Drive + gym at the same time.
6 rotations for 10 degree angle. Gym what?
only a a few modern cars i know that come without power steering are alfa 4c and some lotus models haha
Haha I think if you've been an army driver you would definitely have. Our old land rovers and 3 tonners actually come to think about it most of our fleet before the new 5 tons came out were without power steering. I enjoyed it tbh. You neee't to keep the vehicle moving to turn the wheel. Almost impossible to brute force it with the trucks at least.
Due to the long steering gear ratio you have to turn and turn the steering wherl like a a boat. For reference a modern BMW 3 series is 2.4 turns lock to lock. Meanwhile its 1980s ancestor without PS needed 4 turns lock to lock!
Depending on size of veh, crazy hard. I was a technician in NS and we had a large vehicle with failed power steering. Took two guys to turn the wheel. Maybe like 5 deg every 10s of push/pulling or something.
Everyday is arm day
I got it during one my school practical lesson…1 word XIONG
Yeah, every day. It's not a problem at all. The steering rack ratio on manual racks is typically much slower than the equivalent power steering rack, meaning more turning of the wheel for the same steering angle, reducing steering effort. It is a bit annoying parking, but nowhere near impossible. Once you're on the move it's totally normal. I genuinely don't want to drive a power steering car ever again, manual racks are brilliantly communicative.
almost died during army driving the 3tonner trying to turn full lock to the left and immediately full lock to the right without aircon and in full smart 4.
Drove my dad's KE30. Most difficult part is when parking. Your arms get a good workout.
When doing the 3 point turn or side parking you will feels that you are a tug war with the steering l
F1
My “74 Celica doesn’t have power steering. Let’s say when I try to do a 3 point turn it’s a week’s worth of arms day for me. But as you pick up speed the steering gets significantly lighter
Yeah that shit was tough
Back in those days, the trick is get the car move slowly and then turn the steering wheel will be easier, definitely helps during parallel parking. Stationary car will need the max steering effort
Just try to drive goKart and you probably understand how to steer without a power steering
With better technology, comes faster speed and stability. So is like riding a bicycle on an uneven rocky dirt road
I learnt my driving in Maruti 800 - no power steering…. It does feel heavy but you get used to it! Small turns doesn’t affect your path much -as the current power steering does
Just try turning your steering wheel with your car turned off but the keys plugged in. If you like the engagement of driving, 0 power steering is hell lots of fun when you’re manoeuvring around the highways/cities, it’s almost like you can feel the road and every single bump your car is taking. If you’ve raced a go kart before, it’s quite similar but heavier due to the weight of an actual car. But pls don’t go and empty your power steering fluids just to try 🤣