No power steering in a 3/4 ton Big deal?

[jocko]

To your question "is it a big deal"?
It depends...
If you grew up driving with manual steering - and then got something with PS - No, not a big deal to drive without it - PS was a nice add-on when it came out.
If you grew up never driving manual steering - and then get something without PS - Yes, you'll think it absolutely sucks and belongs in the stone age.

[Eric Johnson]

Originally Posted by jocko

to your question "is it a big deal"?
It depends...
If you grew up driving with manual steering - and then got something with ps - no, not a big deal to drive without it - ps was a nice add-on when it came out.
If you grew up never driving manual steering - and then get something without ps - yes, you'll think it absolutely sucks and belongs in the stone age.

😎👍

[69GMC2004]

My 69 3/4 was an absolute pig to maneuver in tight spots. Adjusting its position in the garage required backing all the way out to the road and trying again lol.

[RichardJ]

When this tread started in Jan, I didn't think to check the locations of the OP and other guys that had 3/4 trucks with manual steering. I see two NY locations that Google Map shows as very rural areas.

I live in an area with 220,000 people and a density of about 3500 per sq mile and that's just my immediate area. I encounter traffic and parking challenges shortly after leaving my driveway.

I can see the need for PS would vary greatly, but when you do need it, you'll never look back.

[72c20customcamper]

Well yes I do live in a very rural area. So traffic and parking isn't a big deal.

[Eric Johnson]

Good point about the location. I'm very rural and just usually putter the backroads, etc so it works for me.
I DID find out I have the dimpled frame as it is a late 67. Could someone eyeball the attached pic yeball it and confirm that.

Thanks in advance

[special-K]

Originally Posted by 68 P.O.S.

You'll definitely appreciate manual steering if you ever have your power steering go out. Now that, is a workout!

I'd say non-functioning P/S is at least 2x harder to steering than manual. Manual is made to steer w/o assist and geared accordingly. P/S is obviously geared to have assist.

I guess I haven't had a manual steer for quite a long time. But there was a time where that was all I had and I did just fine. Kinda funny that the '69 W200 Power Wagon had both Armstrong (37/14.50) tires AND arm strong steering. It was no problem to drive but I was a cock strong kid back then. I drove that thing all over, parallel parked, 4-wheeled in deep mud and against rocks, and it never phased me. I even entered it in the first mud bog in Flagstaff. What I remember about going to power steering that I liked over the manual in that truck was no "fight back" at the wheel when wheelin'. If you didn't hold that wheel tight, going up against a big rock could rip the wheel out of your hands and spin to full lock in the opposite direction. It seems P/S absorbs such counter action, or it's just easier to hold back.

My next 4wd was a '71 K/20, manual steer and same tires. That's the one I converted to P/S and pretty much everything since has been P/S, except the real old stuff