Imperial Homepage -> Repair -> Steering -> Power Steering -> Drivability
Comment from Mike:
Unlike their non-power steering brethren, part of the power steering's function is to assist the wheels to go back to 'straight ahead' when you release the steering wheel. Though your car MAY be manageable at street-traffic speeds, it will be TERRIFYING at freeway speeds as every time you go to make a 'minor course correction', THE WHEELS WILL WANT TO DO A U-TURN! I had the power steering go out in my '66 Cadillac convertible, and needed to make a 10 mile freeway trip. I thought that it would be easy at highway speeds. Every time I made minor adjustment of the steering wheel, the wheels obviously wanted to go fully in the direction I was 'correcting' to. BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU ATTEMPT TO DRIVE YOUR IMPERIAL AT FREEWAY SPEEDS WITH THE POWER STEERING OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rebuttal from Dave:
Well, not to "disagree", but I drove my 1970 New Yorker with a disconnected power steering pump for about a year in Arizona, and drove it at freeway speeds many thousands of miles. I never noticed the characteristic you speak of - I was just careful where I parked. :) Maybe the later models are different than your 66, that part I don't know.
Another rebuttal from Ryan:
Maybe with Cadillacs, but I drove my '66 Newport with the PS disconnected for several months with no problems (except parallel parking!) Was the Caddy equipped with one of those variable ratio boxes? Could that have something to do with it? (My '66 had no var. ratio)
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