Pondering the Zen of Audi Hydraulic Steering

[Peter Golledge]

You could run the rack circuit off an electric-hydraulic pump lifted 
from an early MR2, not sure if the output would be better but easy 
enough to test.  Not sure on seal compatibility though.

I had thought about doing this plus converting the brakes to vacuum 
booster for the LT-1Q since it has no turbo only a big lump of american 
cast iron.  Various folk are using the electric driven pumps on their 
custom electric conversions....

Another option is to put on skinnier tyres, less work the pump and the 
driver.  I do notice the difference going from summer 225mm to winter 195mm.

Smaller pulley on the hydraulic pump?  Great so long as mum doesn't have 
a lead foot and rev the hell out of it!  :-)

On 11/7/2011 6:45 PM, Marc Boucher wrote:
> 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
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> quattro mailing list
> http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/quattro
> http://www.audifans.com/kb/List_information
>