1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Finally, Gen1 Power Steering Delete Kit Available Soon!!!!!

If you are still concerned about the bolts backing off.... Drill a small through hole across the flats on both hex bolt heads and safety wire them....



There is even a tool made to add the holes...

 

An excuse for a new tool.

 

I wonder if the steering column joints are adequate to handle the high torque of low speed manual steering, over time...

 

Having driven many cars with faulty pumps, don't do it.

 

From what I read earlier in the thread the spacers allow free movement of the rack... You aren't working against a closed system with a non functional pump that would add resistance to the steering....

Need more feedback from actual users... IMHO

 

I have the PS delete and my car is fine.

The reason is I never installed it on the advice of others (Eric, Marzo, Jan, Colin) so its sitting in my tool box collecting dust.

 

Interested!

 

Interested too

 

Ask Stan. He did this (unintended) at MOTD last year

 

I like my power steering. Driving my MINI without PS when the alternator died was not fun for me.

 

I drove for 3 months with no PS and didn't notice much once on the road. The only concern is the strain on the U/J . Because with the PS working the U/J are less stressed. I say that because in that 3 month period I buggered the lower U/J bearings which is not helped by 80% lock up LSD. Mini gave me a new PS with no issues so far. I'd love to see a test report on this conversion

 

Well I would figure turning the wheel at slow speeds without a PS puts a lot force on the U/J's before the rack, try it to see how force you need to turn the wheels lock to lock. With PS you turn the wheel and the steering sensor kicks in the PS pump making the rack do the work. I know I was fighting with the LSD until I got the PS pump working. Maybe my U/J was on the way out?

 

Ok what the hell does U/J stand for? Don't say Union Jack

 

Definition 2: Urban Dictionary: UJ

 

Just ordered mine.