Manual steering? Manual brakes?

[Insanejughead]

Can't see why anyone would swap to manual steeing. My 96 Ranger has manual steering and it's a bitch to get into or out of a parking space. Yea I get it about road feel and all but this is a truck, not a sports car.

My power steering was really sensitive. Too sensitive for my tastes.


Sure it takes a bit more thinking ahead to get into and out of some parking spots, but that's part of driving. Some argue the same point when people want to swap to a manual transmission, "Why would you want to use both feet and hands as you drive?" "That sounds like alot of work..."



I know I'm a better driver for having to use more of my brain and body to get my truck where I want it to go when I drive around.

 

[Louisville86]

Some argue the same point when people want to swap to a manual transmission, "Why would you want to use both feet and hands as you drive?" "That sounds like alot of work..."

That reminds me of a different '66 Mustang (Sauterne Gold with a Parchment Pony interior) I used to drive in college (belonged to my Dad who let me use it). It was a 289, no PS/PB, but instead of an automatic, it was a 3-on-the-floor. Man, that car would wear you out trying to drive. The clutch was super-stiff. But I had some fun times in it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Dad's old '70 Dodge 3/4 truck has manual steering, I don't overly care for it.

You have to spin the wheel like you are driving the Titanic coming into a turn, and start spinning the other way halfway thru so you come out of the turn heading the direction you want to go. And as you go thru all of this work it is easy to snag the seat belt and unbuckle it with your hand on the huge steering wheel.

If power brakes were not standard it wouldn't have them, it doesn't even have a radio. You get to feel like a one man band between the ship like steering, four speed manual trans, manual choke, and the seatbelt that keeps getting unlatched. I do love the way that transmission shifts though, it has a really nice detent going into each gear.

I have never drivin a RBV without them from the factory, I do know my '85 neither turns or stops well dead stick.

 

[jmaynard]

When my Explorer was having its transmission rebuilt the first time, I borrowed a friend's '84 Ranger. Bare stock truck, no power anything. I let him have it back when the brakes locked up on a Dallas freeway...