Pondering the Zen of Audi Hydraulic Steering

[Marc Boucher]

Is it possible to replace the original hydraulic pump used for the steering
and braking, with a more powerful pump that would require less effort to
turn the steering wheel at slow speeds?

When I was 16 and taking driver's lessons I learnt from my instructor that
the car I was learning on, a Volkswagen Rabbit, didn't have "power brakes
and power steering" like my dad's big old Oldsmobile.  Instead it had "power
assist".  It was well explained to me that this gave a better 'feel' for the
road than the typical North American design.

My 1990 Audi 100's steering isn't as stiff as the Rabbit was, but its always
taken effort in turning the wheel at low speeds, and I've simply accepted it
as the German design.  So I was a bit surprised 2 years ago when I rented a
sweet 2009 A6 while on vacation in Germany.  At low, parking type speeds,
you could turn the steering wheel almost with one finger if memory serves
correctly.

Since my Audi's still in great shape, I'm considering the possibility of
giving it to my mother, (and I'll have the fun of finding a newer Audi toy).
She loves driving it, except when it comes to parking, hence the question of
whether its possible to give it more power assist, with a larger pump or
otherwise.

But even on a purely theoretical level, I look at the size of the current
pump and considering that its driven at a good rpm, and knowing just how
high the hydraulic pressure is in those lines, I'm just surprised that it
doesn't give more assist.

Just pondering...

MC