80s Steering Boxes - - were they changed?

This sub-forum is for discussion of very general discussion of 1980-89 Town Cars that is not suitable to the other specific sub-forums asking for advice.

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This sub-forum is for discussion of very general discussion of 1980-89 Town Cars that is not suitable to the other specific sub-forums asking for advice.
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Gerald F. Chase
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80s Steering Boxes - - were they changed?

Post by Gerald F. Chase »

I drove my '88 TC today for the first time in a couple of months.

I couldn't help but notice the perceptible difference in both the speed of the steering compared to my '85 TC, and that it took a bit more effort to move the steering wheel.... consistently, in all kinds of turns. Now, I could well understand that if L-M installed a bit faster ratio in the later 80s TCs steering boxes, that such would require a bit greater human effort at the wheel. The problem in switching to drive the '88 (from the '85) is that it's too easy to over-steer, esp. on the freeway.

Yet, I would not expect such a change during the '80 - '89 production run of these icons [along w/ CrnVic & GMarq]; so I figure that the odds of such a production change order is rather low. [Even my '89 F-41 Caprice doesn't steer so fast!]

I have matching, stock tires on both my '85 and my '88. Suspensions and front-ends seem quite good. Somehow, I doubt that a front-end alignment would find anything odd on the '88. That may be the only way to find out, I suppose.

If indeed the '88s steering box is different, would it be possible to install the earlier, "slower" box... without significant problems? Que pasa aqui?
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Dan Szwarc
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Re: 80s Steering Boxes - - were they changed?

Post by Dan Szwarc »

In all likelihood, the steering became less numb, more "responsive", more "sporty", and less over-boosted over the years in the 80s. Note my careful use of quotation marks.

Start looking up steering ratios for those years and you'll find your answer.
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