"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
NY wrote:
Is the heaviness of the steering when PAS is disabled due solely to
having to compress the PAS fluid on the "wrong" side of the piston that
gives power assistance? Or are cars with PAS made with inherently
heavier steering (different castor angle) to give greater precision and
feedback to the driver, in the knowledge that the PAS will more than
compensate for this heavier (but more responsive, more self-centring)
steering. I've heard two schools of thought about this.

I've driven quite a few cars of the same make and model fitted with both
manual and power steering. And the effort needed on a broken power
steering one is way higher than the manual one. Making me think the
hydraulics or whatever must introduce a lot of friction.

Yes I test-drove two VW Golfs that were supposedly identical part from one
having PAS. I found that the one with PAS was a lot easier to keep the wheel
at a non-straight ahead position on a bend (there was less self-centring)
which surprised me as I was expecting the PAS to give greater assistance to
return the wheel to straight ahead. But when I happened to turn off the
ignition just before the car had come to rest, there was immediately a very
strong force trying to centre the wheels.