I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, but:

The power steering in my '72 coupe is nice and tight handling-wise, but there isn't much resistance in the steering itself. With the car running and sitting still, you can almost spin the steering wheel and let go, and it will turn all the way until it hits the stops.

I've been told that's how most of the old cars were, but it almost feels dangerous to me. I have to use my right hand to steer and my left hand to act against my right hand so that I have some resistance in the steering. When driving in heavy CA traffic and having to sometimes take your eyes away from the road to check for cars and safely merge, I've found myself almost crossing lanes inadvertantly.

Is the steering supposed to be this way and I just need to get used to it, or is there a way that I could add some resistance (without spending a small fortune).

Thanks!

That doesn't sound normal to me. I have a Chevelle with over 580,000 miles on the steering box and it's not THAT loose! Have the front end checked first for loose/worn components such as the idler arm, center link and tie rod ends. Is there alot of "play" in the steering? As you see, there's quite a bit that can contribute to your problem, besides the steering box being worn. Try taking it to a REAL alignment shop for their opinion. Usually, though, it will turn out to be several worn steering components.

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MalibuJerry350
TC Member #1279
Original owner '70 Chevelle.
580,000+ miles on car.
Hey, if it's got wheels, DRIVE IT!
My Chevelle: http://hometown.aol.com/erie614/myhomepage/index.html

Well you said it is nice and tight. Sounds like the pump is on the strong side. I think i have heard of reducer sleeves to put in pressure line to reduce pressure at the box

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71 SS-454 El Camino

I'm sorry, I forgot to mention that I just had the entire car undercarriage checked and inspected thoroughly and aligned. I ended up replacing $900 worth of stuff, which isn't really too bad I guess.

I have 2 power steering pumps for the car. One was in the trunk when I bought the car and the other came on the engine. I've had both of them on the car and the one from the trunk isn't as bad as the one that was originally on the engine. (The engine is out of a 1984 El Camino).

People have been telling me that there's something going on in the box, but surprisingly, nobody's really mentioned too much about the pump. I'll have to look into the reducer sleeves.

Once again: Thanks for your help guys!

Sounds like a problem with the spool valve in the box.