Mid year Power Steering Valve Spring

[Jack P.]

Hi,

Just a question on the spring used in PS valves for our cars (66 roadster)

Two valves are available. One is the passenger valve that has a ( C ) stamped on the adjustment cover, and the corvette one that has a ( X ) on the cover.

The spring in the ( C ) valve is 30 lbs and the ( X ) valve is a 55 lb. spring.

Is there any difference in the valves other than the spring?

What is the function of the heaver spring in corvette valve?

Jack

[Scott M.]

Re: Mid year Power Steering Valve Spring

The 55 pound spring used to be the standard spring for midyears and early 70's cars, it provides good road feel and at least VB&P will rebuild your valve with either spring requested. I believe the 30 pound spring was introduced in the mid 70's with the larger radial tires to reduce road feel.

[Jack P.]

Re: Mid year Power Steering Valve Spring

The 55 pound spring used to be the standard spring for midyears and early 70's cars, it provides good road feel and at least VB&P will rebuild your valve with either spring requested. I believe the 30 pound spring was introduced in the mid 70's with the larger radial tires to reduce road feel.

Thanks, I rebuilt my valve with the 55# spring, and the feel was different than the 30#. It still feels strange, don't know if I like it or not. I am working on final adjustments to valve.

Jack

[Scott S.]

Re: Mid year Power Steering Valve Spring

Thanks, I rebuilt my valve with the 55# spring, and the feel was different than the 30#. It still feels strange, don't know if I like it or not. I am working on final adjustments to valve.

Jack

Jack,

Now that you've had the 55# spring for a while, what are your thoughts about it?

[Jack P.]

Re: Mid year Power Steering Valve Spring

Jack,

Now that you've had the 55# spring for a while, what are your thoughts about it?

It was not a fair test, because my own rebuild was not the best, and then on the trip to NOVI, a forum member broke my PS unit, once I made it to Novi,

Paragon installed a new unit. The new unit works great. To answer your question, I like the 30 spring better, and I think they went to a 30 spring for later years. It was a fake sense of feeling, or resistance, my 30 spring unit always felt great. It was put on 7 years ago, and was a pro rebuild with a kit. It had the later model (c) cap not the (x) for corvette.

Jack

[Jim S.]

Re: Mid year Power Steering Valve Spring

Just as basic information from my files.
I have two springs listed. A 55 lb spring from 1964 through 1973 and a 40 lb spring used from 1974 through 1982. The lb rating was measured with the spring compressed to 0.38 inches.

The reason for the spring change (from 55 lb to 40 lbs) was most likely to make the valve more responsive to steering inputs. The lower spring load may also compensate for larger cross-section low pressure radial tires. Even though the steering effort with a lower rated spring may have felt lighter, the valve probably was more responsive to movements of the steering wheel. Note that tire pressures in the mid 70s were specified as 20 psi.

I am trying to determine more about the 40 lb and 55 lb springs.
Jim

[Jack P.]

Re: Mid year Power Steering Valve Spring

Just as basic information from my files.
I have two springs listed. A 55 lb spring from 1964 through 1975 and a 40 lb spring used from 1976 through 1982. The lb rating was measured with the spring compressed to 0.38 inches.

The reason for the spring change (from 55 lb to 40 lbs) was most likely to make the valve more responsive to steering inputs. The lower spring load may also compensate for larger cross-section low pressure radial tires. Even though the steering effort with a lower rated spring may have felt lighter, the valve probably was more responsive to movements of the steering wheel. Note that tire pressures in the mid 70s were specified as 20 psi.

Jim

I found the stronger spring resulted in inconsistent response, I would feel resistance , before the wheel would move, not a pleasant feel, my old spring response was very responsive but not fast, just more comfortable.

Jack