Roadster Reporting After 532 Miles

[skullandbones]

Hi All,

I've had the roadster registered and driving since April but the summer of AZ kept me off the road much of that time. I've been a bit timid to drive too far away from the home base while I was breaking in the engine and checking things out. I also did multiple changes to the front suspension to improve the geometry. So after a two and half week vacation, I got in the roadster and started getting a little more aggressive about the distances driven. Some other guys and myself have takes a trip into the mountains and some rod run events. The result is 532 miles on the odometer. I know that doesn't sound like much but it has been fun for every mile. I think it may be a little more as the calibration on my speedo was a little off. I finally got a chance to check out the suspension work on some real windy roads. The run up to Canyon lake has some 180s and lots of variety with changes in elevation. After I had gone about half way, I realized I had done some work on the front end but not the 4 link. So my aggressiveness toned down a little when I started thinking about "snap spins". I turned around and headed down the mountain (no shoulder and no guard rails with cliffs). I did manage to catch up with some motorcycle guys that I had passed on the way up.

I was able to get a little feedback from the car regarding the handling. It felt totally different in the tight curves from any of my previous driving. I can feel the extra castor pulling me thru the turn at the start and then recovering when leaving it. So that seems to be working. I guess the next level will be to put it thru it's paces on a AX course. That leads me to a question and the Power Steering. I like the PS as I have shared with everybody. But I did notice that the quickness is a little unsettling. If I don't keep my attention on it constantly, it will react to any input I give it even if it is to avoid a pot hole or critter. It's stable (not jittery) but extremely quick. I would like to get a little bit of dampening into it without affecting the quickness if that makes sense.

I have heard that you can take a coil or maybe even a half coil out of the PS actuator (made that up-the spring that affects the pressure the pump applies). I was wondering if someone had found the Goldy Locks formula for how much to remove. I thought that doing this first was the right order to begin adjusting the PS to get it "just right". I don't want to adjust the suspension as I like it the way it performs so far.

So to put that in the form of a question: Does cutting the spring a little (and how much) do an effective job of dampening?

I also have found that a lot of the feedback that I have read on the forum must be true regarding the rear end. I have 3.27 gears and I like it for now but it isn't as good as I would like it. I am going by the way 4th and 5th react. I love overdrive at about 80 but I end up driving in 3rd and 4th a lot where I should be in the next gear from my experience. So I think a 3.55 is probably the best gearing for a car that is driven on the roads and freeways mostly. I might splurge and go for a quick change to get the gear right for road and track. The other thing is the HP. I think I want a little more but don't really want to go into the engine so I will probably be looking for a supercharger. I have gotten excellent feedback from the forum on this subject but wasn't sure I would ever need it. I would like to try a supercharger with low boost and if I didn't like it or just tired of it, go back to my original setup. That's just about it so far. I have some rear end work to do but for the most part I like what I've got for driving and handling. It seems to have taken me this long just to feel comfortable and competent changing gears without thinking about it and getting used to the feel of it. It's been fun so far and I'm pretty sure I will get that odometer to turn over 1000 before too long. Thanks, WEK. :cool::cool:

[AZPete]

Bill, it's good to hear you are enjoying your roadster . . . and the nice weather here. Other guys with more experience than me will reply about changing from 3.27 to 3.55 but with my T5 with 3.27 the 5th gear was great for cruising at 75+ mph and only 2500 rpm.
Pete

[Jeff Kleiner]

RE: How much spring to trim. I've heard recommendations to start with 1 coil. If you go more and find that you've gone too far you can put a small washer or two behind the spring to bring the pressure back up.

Can I help spend your money? I run a Heidt's valve so that I can adjust my assist depending on what I'm doing with the car; backed down on the street, fully boosted for autocross and somewhere in between on the road course.

http://www.heidts.com/steering_kits_components.html Go down the page to "adjustable power steering valve".

I forgot to crank it up before my first autocross run of the day one time and even though reduced power steering was better than full manual I still couldn't "flick" it like with full assist. If you reduce the boost by trimming the spring and don't have the ability to have full assist it may be a hindrance. Conversely several times I've forgotten to go back to my "street" setting when leaving an autocross or track day but it isn't an issue; the car drives the same either way and is no more or less responsive whether fully assisted or reduced. I just prefer to have a little more resistance at the wheel for more leisurely street driving.

Cheers,
Jeff

[CraigS]

A couple of questions for you 1-What rack do you have? For me the 2.5 turns rack is too quick for the street but great for AX. The 3.0 rack will be much better on the street. 2- What tires and pressures are you running? Assuming 17s, try dropping your front pressure to 20#. I actually run 18# but have a ton of negative camber. 3-How much caster? I like 8 deg positive. 4- As Jeff mentioned cut one coil and try it. Cut one more if you want. If you can talk your wife into holding her thumb on the port for 2 minutes, you can remove the spring, cut it, and reinstall it and only lose a little fluid. BTW Honda PS fluid from the dealer is the fluid of choice. It seems to deal w/ heat better.

[skullandbones]

Craig S: I have a 2.5 turn rack, I think. It says that in the spec sheets for 92 GT Mustangs. It's one of the few original donor items left on mine. It counts like a 2.5 and it behaves like a 2.5. I can not imagine it being a 3.0 and then wondering how quick would a 2.5 be!! I have not seen any identifying markings, numbers, etc to tell me for sure.
The DIY alignment is -1 camber, 6 castor, and about 0 or maybe 1/16 Toe In. Of course, I have done a lot of changes to the front suspension that involved moving both control arms and changes the geometry somewhat. The 17x9 Cobra Rs fit in the wheel wells very well. I have not played with the tire pressure yet. I'm sure there is a lot of fine tuning to do down the road. It is so funny imagining Trish holding her finger on the PS hole (ha...ha...ha). I'm afraid that would go on my "bad list" that she continues to add items forever. If someone asks she will count them off one by one. It's beginning to be like Jacob Marley's chain of bad deeds.

AZ Pete: I know what your saying about the cruising. It is hard to give up that comfort at highway speeds. The side pipes mellow out and the engine hums along effortlessly. I am thinking seriously of a quick change so I could nail the ratio at about 3.45 for most of the time. However, it would be cool to make it flexible enough to do AX or track day activities too. Thanks.

Jeff: I remember your setup from back when I was trying to decide whether or not to even use PS. I thought the valve was much bigger than what I am seeing on the website. That might be a cool add on. I like the adjustability for future uses for the car. I would like to be able to use my existing high pressure braided hose that was $80 as I remember. I think I could cut it at the correct location and have two new ends added making a hose from the rack to the valve and a short hose from there to the pump. I'll have to see if they can accommodate me on that job. Is there any other plumbing, I'm missing? Also what kind of rack are you using?

Thank you, WEK.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Jeff: I remember your setup from back when I was trying to decide whether or not to even use PS. I thought the valve was much bigger than what I am seeing on the website. That might be a cool add on. I like the adjustability for future uses for the car. I would like to be able to use my existing high pressure braided hose that was $80 as I remember. I think I could cut it at the correct location and have two new ends added making a hose from the rack to the valve and a short hose from there to the pump. I'll have to see if they can accommodate me on that job. Is there any other plumbing, I'm missing? Also what kind of rack are you using?

Thank you, WEK.

Chances are good that you can use your existing hoses by cutting them and adding 4 fittings to accomodate putting the valve in line. I mounted mine as shown...

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj43/jkleiner/100_0933-1.jpg

...but I have seen the X member used many times also.

I run the 2.25 turn rack in my car. I've built a couple of more street oriented roadsters with the 3.0 turn power racks but really love the go cart quickness of the fast ratio!

Jeff

[skullandbones]

Oh! So both lines have to go through the valve. I will have to get another pair of braided lines for the return. It must bleed off some fluid that just recirculates back to the pump depending on how much you have the valve cranked up. It's also curious that it looks almost identical to my proportioning valve except bigger. That looks like a very nice setup. Thank you, Jeff.

[Jeff Kleiner]

It must bleed off some fluid that just recirculates back to the pump depending on how much you have the valve cranked up.

You are correct!

Jeff

[Mesa Mike]

Bill…as you know I went from 3:27 to 3:55. The change is really great. I can get around town in 4th now instead of 3rd. I don't see any problems on the track either with the 3:55. I think you will enjoy the PS with autoX but not on the track. Find a way to slow it down, when you need to, and it should work out great for you.

[skullandbones]

Excellent! Thank you. I can't wait 'til I have a chance to do an AX course to see what it's like. I will be asking a lot of questions from the AX guys.

Thanks Mike. There's another testimonial for 3.55! Also, now I have an excuse to put another toy on the roadster. I know you just put a cruise control on yours. Is it working yet?

[skullandbones]

Well it's been a few more miles on the odometer but an interesting thing happened to me on the way to the gas station. I was entering the freeway which is always an invitation to let it loose a little. So I wound it up through second and at about 80 mph something unexpected happened. My hat blew down over my face just as I was about to shift. I must have jerked my hand to the right as a reflex. I found myself in a "fish tail". As I corrected, it fish tailed back to the right. I repeated the correction a couple of times (all happened in about a second). Long story short I was doing S curves on the freeway next to a bridge. Everything slowed down in my head and I finally released the wheel. It centered and stopped the over corrected bad behavior. It's been a few weeks since then so I have had time to reflect on what really happened. I believe the initial input was enough to cause a near catastrophic crash. I could not respond fast enough without over correcting the wheel which just caused the fish tailing to continue. Thankfully there was room and no close traffic. Also, I think I figured out that I was the cause of the violent response of the car. It was just following my commands. Needless to say, I was lucky that I didn't flip it by turning the wrong way. The Heidt valve is going on very soon (dampen the PS). In the meantime I am avoiding any distractions that could cause this to happen again. Both hands are on the wheel and the hat is pulled down tight. That was a close call and definitely a reminder of the difference between a regular car and one of these little beasts. Just thought I would "confess" my indiscretion hoping it will help someone else to tread lightly. Thanks, WEK.

[David Hodgkins]

Wow, scary. Thanks for the post. I wonder what the car would have reated like if you had the height's valve or manual steering.

Glad your still here to talk about it! These cars require our attention ALL THE TIME and this is just another example why.

:)

[Jester]

Glad to hear everything turned out ok.

The short wheel base and power can result in unexpected wheel spin when you least expect it. I have found that when in a fish tail - removing the foot from the throttle brings the car immediately back under control and straight line travel is resumed.

I was in a similar fish tail once on black ice on a major highway doing 75 mph and my truck unexpectedly began fishtailing. I came over a hill and all I saw was cars in the ditch and my pick-up was in a full side to side fishtail that would not stop. My steering response was quick enough to keep the pick-up truck on the highway but it wasn't until I let my foot off the gas pedal that the pick-up began to track straight.

Also, last summer I let a professional race car driver take the wheel of my roadster on a short drive and he hit the gas pedal while we were going along sweeping curve and he put the car sideways in traffic but let off on the gas and straitened out quickly (manual steering) - scary few seconds but no harm. Lesson learned - never let anyone drive your roadster.

Hopefully this tip may help others that find themselves in a fishtail that wont stop.

[skullandbones]

Wow, scary. Thanks for the post. I wonder what the car would have reated like if you had the height's valve or manual steering.

Glad your still here to talk about it! These cars require our attention ALL THE TIME and this is just another example why.

:)

I'm pretty sure it would have been a non event except for feeling stupid that I let my hat slip down like that. The steering is so sensitive that it's hard to realize until you have done something like this. When you go around a curve, the feel is very good and smooth. It's almost like you don't have to hold the wheel very tight. You just guide it. Now I realize that that's just too much sensitivity for normal driving and as Mesa Mike said for the track too. I can't imagine how bad it could have been at 120 mph. So the dampened PS should make it much less likely to "over input" when something bad happens. This was also my first experience with a short wheelbase car in that violent a maneuver (things happen quickly). Another accessory that will have to be added: a dead pedal. I felt a lot of Gs right, left, right................... I think that would help stabilize me even better. BTW, I was strapped in good but still was slung around like on a roller coaster!!! Live and learn.

Note: During all that, I still can't remember if I took my foot off the throttle or if I was stuck on it from the force. Things just happened too fast!

Thanks,

WEK.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Sorry you had a scare Bill but I think you learned a very important lesson, that being that small inputs get big results.

Don't count on a Heidt's valve to change the way the car acts. If you look back at some of my discussions about using one you'll find that I have said repeatedly that "my car behaves exactly the same with full assist as it does with it reduced". In fact I find that when things are happening quickly I can keep up with the car better with the boost up and that's why I adjust it for more when on track and when autocrossing. That's a driver thing, not a car thing. By that I mean we humans are all different and although the car may respond the same not all drivers do. With that said it could be that you'll find that reduced assist/higher effort will help you to temper your inputs making you less prone to overcorrection.

Good luck,
Jeff

[skullandbones]

Sorry you had a scare Bill but I think you learned a very important lesson, that being that small inputs get big results.

Don't count on a Heidt's valve to change the way the car acts. If you look back at some of my discussions about using one you'll find that I have said repeatedly that "my car behaves exactly the same with full assist as it does with it reduced". In fact I find that when things are happening quickly I can keep up with the car better with the boost up and that's why I adjust it for more when on track and when autocrossing. That's a driver thing, not a car thing. By that I mean we humans are all different and although the car may respond the same not all drivers do. With that said it could be that you'll find that reduced assist/higher effort will help you to temper your inputs making you less prone to overcorrection.

Good luck,
Jeff

Absolutely!!!!

I need to de-sensitize the steering so I can get used to it and then maybe I can learn to handle it after some more seat time. I think I got 3 or 4 seconds of very instructive seat time but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone with a weak heart! I would like to get it in smaller doses and be expecting it more. I'll have to go back and look at some of your threads. I don't remember catching that about the car handling the same with or without the valve adjustment.

Thanks,

WEK.

[Hans944]

WEK:

Here's my advice to you. Keep driving your car. Put lots of miles on it and get used to it. More seat time will make you more comfortable. I bought my used MK II Cobra about 3 months ago. I have put about 1200 miles on it so far. I considered more changes to it when I first bought it (i.e. new pedals, supercharger etc.) but am now more comfortable and familiar with the car after 1200 miles of seat time. These cars are beasts. No doubt, read the intro about newbies on the forum. The intro helped me.

I have owned numerous high performance cars (muscle cars and sports cars) and motorcycles (sport bikes) during my lifetime and it always takes me some time to fully adjust to the vehicle's performance level. You will get there with more seat time. The Cobra has taken a little longer for me and I'm still adjusting to it. Don't fear it. Relax and enjoy it too. Stay focused while driving it.

My car has a 3.73 rear end with a T-5 transmission. Gears 1-4 are more close ratio and 5th is a taller overdrive gear. I like it. Quick out of the hole and 5th gear for cruising highway speeds. My steering is manual not power. It works great but is a little different. I have owned manual steering performance cars from the 1960's in the past.

Bottom line, more seat time for you. Drive the car. Driving it sorts it out any mechanical bugs too! Good luck!

Regards,

Hans

[skullandbones]

Hi Hans,

I agree with your comments. I am continuing to drive my roadster. I have about another 250 miles on the car since my first post on this thread. I know drive time makes a big difference. I, too, have driven lots of muscle cars, sports cars, and motorcycles. My favorite cars were vettes. I like their driving characteristics. I think it will take me longer to get used to the roadster. It's just different from any performance car I've driven. So seat time is definitely in the plan. I'm taking a drive today in sunny AZ.

My insurance limits the use of the car as a DD. I can understand that as it puts you in those traffic patterns that are most risky for fender benders especially out here with all the winter visitors. I am getting more creative with excuses to drive the roadster instead of the DD. My goal is to do about 50/50 ratio. We are doing a lot of parking lot "car shows" just to get out there more. It's still in primer but it still gets a lot of attention. It looks fast just sitting still. I had a guy say to me that I would get tired of driving before long. I just looked at him like are you crazy!

Thanks,

WEK.

[Hans944]

WEK:

My insurance limits my use also to about 3000 miles per year. No daily driver for me either.

I agree with you the Cobra took me longer to get used to driving. I almost wrecked the car on my first test drive with the owner! The pedals are much closer together than my Z28 Camaro. I had on a pair of shoes with a wider soles and accidently hit the gas and brake at the same time. Scared me to death! The owner too. I couldn't see the pedals either.

After buying the Cobra, I quickly considered new Wilwood pedals..... It was intimidating....

I have a pair of Merrill shoes with very thin soles! I thought, by God, I'll drive it with them! They worked perfectly and have ever since then! I don't need new pedals! Seat time is what helped me... Just getting used to it.

My car doesn't have power steering or power brakes. It has 4 wheels disc brakes though and stops well. I originally thought to upgrade to power steering, power brakes, winshield wipers and a top. After owning it now for 3-4 months, I don't need any of those things! The Cobra is sort of like a "Cigarette boat on land" or a motorcycle with respect to weather.

Once you get used to it you will be banging gears and relaxing while driving your awesome car.

This was some very good advice for me... There are some great points here which I find myself referring back to frequently..... http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?9926-A-few-reminders-to-all-owners-amp-a-good-read-for-soon-to-be-s

Later,

Hans

[edwardb]

I agree with all the comments made here. These cars need to be respected and learned. What no one has said -- and sorry to be the Debbie Downer here -- is that blasting down a freeway ramp in any car at 80mph is a recipe for trouble. Even more so with these. I say that with all due respect, but it needs to be said. Add to that an unforgiving car like these, and the incident with your hat (I've blown off a couple myself) and you're very lucky to have learned a lesson without any worse consequences. There was a story on the other forum a couple years ago about a guy who did almost the same thing, and with cold tires his wasn't so lucky and really tore up the car.

For those that haven driven these yet, it's quite an interesting paradox I think. The cars drive absolutely fantastic. They are rock solid and go down the road like a slot car that will go just about any direction you point it with little/no body lean. To be honest, it wasn't what I was expecting at all given the scare stories. It gives you a great sense of confidence, and is really a pleasure. But what you quickly find out is this margin is very thin. Do something a little too fast, at the wrong time, whatever, and it gets in trouble in a hurry. I admit I'm pretty conservative by nature, so have completed the 3,000+ miles in my Mk3 quite carefully. Well, most of the time. Twice it did something I wasn't expecting and reminded me to take it easy. Nothing serious, just a quick reality check. Both times I was amazed how quickly it went from perfectly under control to uh-oh...

Hopefully this story is a lesson to all. I've seen many recommendations that the right way to learn the limits is on the track or autocross and with instruction if possible. Haven't done that personally, but perhaps will consider at some point. In the meantime, take it easy and enjoy what you have and your accomplishment.

[CraigS]

WEK, I don't know all of the build details of your car but will give a list of things I think might help. Some you may already have so just ignore. 1- If you have a Ford PS pump, you can cut the spring in the pressure control valve to reduce the assist. Much easier and just as effective as a heidts. Search for details and don't worry if you cut a coil too much, just shim back w/ some small washers. 2- Crank in more positive caster. I like 8-9 degrees. You may need longer sleeves for the front of the UCA. 3- Lower front tire pressure gives higher effort steering. Try 20 and don't be afraid to try 18. 4- Not sure about your PS rack but the 3.0 turns rack is much better on the street than the 2.5 turns version. 5- Be cautious of fully releasing the gas pedal. many times it is better to come about 1/2 to 2/3 out of the gas. 6- this spring find some autocrosses to run. Do NOT worry about your times as someone in a civic may blow you away. But this gives you an opportunity to go as fast as you can go w/ a usual max of about 60 in a very safe environment. If you run 5 autocrosses I guarantee you that you will feel much more confident about driving your car.

[gofastoldguy]

I agree with you on the positive caster. I relocated my UCA to the inboard mount holes, used longer sleeves to assist in the caster adj, and set caster to 6-8 deg. The steering immediately reacted by being less "twitchy" and more pleasant to drive on the freeway. Haven't tried any auto crossing yet.
Good luck to you Bill
Bill B @AZ Cobras

[skullandbones]

Well I guess I need to explain a little about the entrance to the freeway. Where I am talking about is not really an entrance ramp. It's a third lane (level and straight). It's also before actual freeway starts but not much of a transition as the state highway was upgraded a lot. This entrance and exit are very different. I think there were some serious accidents like head on collisions so a redesign was in order. I would say the entrance and exit lanes are about 300 or more ft. So when I get on it a little, it's one of the best places of the areas I drive. The problem wasn't the entrance, it was the incident with the hat and my over reaction to it. But thanks for the advice.

I will be going with the Heidt valve as I do want the added adjustability. I love the extra castor that my suspension mods allowed me to perform. I have my LCAs inboard with a much reduced upper spindle adaptor and relocated UCAs. With the -1 camber and 6 to 6.5 castor, I think the frontend is handling very nicely.

I'm also going to try to get some real autoX scheduled when I can find it. Thanks, WEK.

[skullandbones]

Just finished modifying my PS to include the Heidt valve. I haven't taken it out for a test drive yet (having things polished and re-installing upgraded shocks) but expect to have some level of control and adjustability for the feel of the steering during highway driving. It's nice to know the car will handle as it does at the touch of a finger but it's also nice to know I won't have to contend with that while normal day to day driving. I hope!!!

[CraigS]

I think you will like the valve. As you adjust for less and less assist be sure to try it at parking lot speed w/ the engine at a slow idle to make sure you till have assist. For me that was the limiting factor as to how low I could go.

[CHOTIS BILL]

Just a little off subject but not to far I hope. One way I was taught to make the steering less sensitive is to grip the steering wheel very lightly. This worked very well for my old Bug Eyed Sprite but I am thinking the Heidt valve might be more fool proof. One more thing to add to the list I guess.

Bill Lomenick

[skullandbones]

Thanks for the tips guys!

I have used that technique also Bill. I was mountain driving up and down and around at speed so it was very helpful to relax the grip and the arms to desensitized the steering a little. I think I will enjoy keeping the very sensitive steering on the roadster but not for highway driving. So the valve will let me dial it down to where I don't have to be in "racing mode" every moment of the drive. I don't think I need to add one more factor into the equation of "how a Cobra can kill you".

Craig: That's a good idea. I had not even thought of it yet. I have lots of castor but the PS takes care of it. You can feel it as you turn. So I will start from the point where most of the assist is bled off and then work my way back to where it is most drivable. I suppose the feel can change with more drive time so it will be nice to have the adjustability at a touch.

Thanks, WEK.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Something to be aware of when backing off the assist with the Heidt's is going so far down that you can "get ahead of" (my term) the power steering with rapid steering inputs. What I mean is that although you have assist during normal maneuvers at regular road and parking speeds if things start to happen quickly and you have to really get after the wheel the boost can drop out altogether for an instant or two if you have the valve set really low. Just experiment with it and you'll be like Happy Gilmore and find your "happy place" (mine is ~ 3 1/2 turns out from full assist for street driving)! As an aside I was co-driving a Mini Cooper S at autocross a while back and experienced the "getting ahead of the steering" phenomenon with that car. I would have expected better but the owner said it's always done that.

Cheers,
Jeff

[Avalanche325]

......the boost can drop out altogether for an instant or two if you have the valve set really low.


I have seen that listed several times on the forum. That prompted me to just do the spring mod. I did it before driving that car and love the feel. But , I don't have anything to compare to.

S&B, I am glad you are around to tell your scare story. I am just over 300 miles myself. Pleanty of muscle cars, German and Italian performance cars in my past. I have made it a habbit to get in and say to myself..."RESPECT THIS CAR". I am headed for a few autocrosses as soon as possible.

I also agree with the post earlier, fully lifting can get you in big trouble in a short wheelbase car. Lift to neutral throttle. You don't want to know about trailing throttle oversteer.

[skullandbones]

I was going to ask about where the valve had worked best for individuals but that would take some of the fun out. I do appreciate the heads up for the adjustment idiosyncrasies. I've never heard of that problem but it sure makes sense. I will start at 3.5 turns and vary it some each way for a happy place.
I'm putting the valve covers and manifold back on after polish. So it looks like a nice afternoon drive after all. It's 86 and sunny! Sorry you guys back east are having it so ruff but when spring and summer come you will have it all over us at 110 and 115!!!

The comments on panic situations are helpful too. These things can exhibit some surprising behaviors when you least expect it. I have to get out there and test my PS now.

See ya,

WEK.

[skullandbones]

Just got back from the Friday parking lot car show at Albertson's and I had to give a heads up on how the PS adjustment valve did. I started out with three turns on the Heidt valve. I think it may be a little too much but I have to say, that's the best $140 bucks I have spent in a while. That was the amount it took to modify my original PS setup. What it did was make the resistance on the wheel more like an OEM vehicle. I was able to turn the wheel easy enough to park also. It's great to be able to change the characteristics of the steering with that little amount of effort and time. So if your mood changes from day to day as to your driving style, no worries. You can pick the sweet spot for that day or if you want it to be wickedly quick for AutoX, just close the valve. Thanks for all the help!

WEK.

[Jeff Kleiner]

:D
Really, really happy to hear that you're pleased with it!

Jeff

[skullandbones]

I can see what you were talking about now, Jeff. BTW, I credit you for putting me on to this in the first place quite a while back (I forget how long it was). The ratio is the same as you mentioned. However, the device acts very aggressively to change the steering feels. It is not one of those compromise solutions that sometimes we are stuck with. It is hard to know from the discussions on the forum if something is that good but this is really that good! Before this, I would not have even considered having Trish drive the car but now I think I will give her a quick shifting/clutch tutorial since she is "shiftless". She has got to experience driving the roadster. Maybe then she can get a little more excited when I tell her how much fun it is.

Thanks again,

WEK.