How to get heavier steering? Pull EPS fuse?
 

Since getting my rx8 in '07 I've only two minor quibbles:

1) Seating position a bit too high (cloth, adjusted all the way down)
2) Steering is a bit too light and isolated.

I've come to prefer the heavier feel of my wifes '08 bmw 328i sport pack.

I'm all stock with the Dunlop 8090 oems. Thought about wider wheels or stiffer tires, but tried bumping tire pressures up to 40psi and steering still felt light so I think it is mostly the EPS. I've even thought about pulling the EPS fuse and seeing what that feels like. But maybe there is some way to reprogram the EPS control module.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Have you ever taken your 8 around a serious corner?

Steering feel is VERY important, it tells you exactly where each tire is and what it's doing.. I don't see how you could dislike it....

To answer your question, though, I have no idea.

First raising the tire pressure up front will lighten the steering feel not make it "heavier". You would have been better served to drop a pound or two up front if you want heavier steering. I don't know but I'm pretty sure pulling the fuse isn't going to make you like the steering more. It could be that you could get a better steering feel with an alignment. Perhaps your RX8 is badly in need of an alignment front and rear. I purposely have zero toe but you might want some factory spec toe for directional stability. You would probably best be served by driving your wife's BMW and letting her drive your Mazda. Of all the complaints about the RX8 I've heard this is perhaps the most odd. Personally I find the steering on my RX8 to be about ideal but that's just me.

Not sure what "serious corner" would be. Never been through the corkscrew if that's what you mean, but I've been on a few canyon runs of course.

In some ways the steering is excellent of course, it is very precise and it does seems to have better feel in hard corners. I just like the steering effort to be higher, it gives the beamer a nice meaty feel.

I'm sure with the fuse pulled it would be too heavy, especially at parking lot speeds (used to have a non-PS fiero and that had much smaller tires).

What about people who put 255/40s on 9" wide wheels? Is the steering heavier?

So more toe-in will make the steering heavier? I wonder if my caster is really low or something. Need to find a good alignment shop in northern virginia....

Sounds like someone should have bought a 350z I hear steering those is a workout.

LOL, I wouldn't be caught dead in a Z.

You won't like the steering without the EPS.....

It's very heavy...especially at low speeds....can hardly drive it

Thanks dannobre, I guess I should have known. Anyone have any ideas how to reprogram to give less assistance?

A while back, Comsumer Reports did an article about the automotive advances made in the last decade, and it ended with a summary that their ideal car would have "....the ride of the BMW i-forget, the lights from an Audi whatsit, and the steering from an RX-8..."

They called it like they saw it - the best steering feel of any car in the last ten years.

Just because your BMW feels heavier, doesn't make it the de-facto standard, sorry.

damn it, Stealth beat me to it.


don't pull the EPS, I had my PS go out and driving the car like that is terrible.

Fair enough, I don't claim the BMW steering is objectively better. I just personally prefer the heft. Not bashing on the RX8, just a minor quibble, and I can see how others could find the the BMW steering cumbersome. But if you haven't driven a 3-series w/ sport pack you should check it out just to see the difference.

Other aspects of the BMW bug me, the throttle response is muted and sometimes hard to predict (automatic), I've driven a manual and the shifter and clutch felt horrible, totally disconnected. And of course the BMW isn't as neutral in the turns (no LSD). But the turn-in is awesome, especially with just a dab of brakes...

I would gladly take the steering of my ex-NA miata over my RX-8 any day. Maybe I really need an alignment or something, cause my RX-8 give me very little feedback at the limit.

Does anyone know if the EPS control module is even reprogrammable or is it hard coded?

The 2009 Audi A4 S-line has heavy steering too. I think it's abit of a PITA..

It's not OVERLY heavy, it's got some computer shit going on so if you're going faster it's heavier, I guess to limit people from being retards at high speed.. It's interesting, and makes the sedan feel sporty, but I prefer the RX-8 by FAR.

I'm sure the BMW has something similar to this..

If you want light steering, drive a 300C with the hemi, accelerate, and try to corner.. It's like floating a steering wheel on a soft pillowy bed of death.

Was your ex-NA a PS or non-PS? I've driven one (a friend's) but I'm not sure which...nice steering regardless.

We have a '07 335i so I know what you mean about the steering... I HATE it. The car is just so heavy in turns. Yes, the power is amazing, but Id much rather be driving my 8.

started with PS, eventually pulled the belt. Loved it without the belt. The car was light enough to turn at parking lot speeds without too much effort. I believe a true non-PS miata has different ratio in the steering box, but I've never driven one.

I still say that even with PS it gave me tons of steering feel compared to my 8.

Cool, I heard some people even connected the left and right sides of the PS rack so the fluid could flow more freely. Just pulling the belt would be pretty heavy steering. Anyways that was how I got the idea to just pull the fuse, I'm mostly worried that throwing the code could screw something up. And you are right about the ratios, I beleive the NA non-PS was a very slow rack.

Get a smaller steering wheel. Then you'd have to work harder each time you turned the wheel.

That might get you the heavier steering feel you're after.

- Kabong

I find the RX8's steering to be heavy enough as is, of course to a point where it is a good thing and nothing less. Even my cousin's stock Evo IX MR Special Edition has lighter steering with 235 wide factory tires. Are you used to driving manual racks or something?

Used to have a manual rack in my Fiero which I really liked, and I drove a friends NA which may have had a manual rack, not sure. Below 5mph manual is a pain but above 5mph the feel is very direct. But mainly I'm comparing to my wife's 2008 328i sport pack which has super heavy steering that feels great. I still may try pulling the fuse to see how it compares but the fuse isn't located in the fuse box, it is by the battery which is kinda odd...

I also found this great article:

http://www.autospeed.com.au/cms/A_2390/article.html

The torque sensor is located where the steering column meets the rack on our car and is pretty accessible so this is a potential long term solution.

Fill your front tires with water? :dunno:

Not even, Sand!

driving around in slower speeds with no P/S is a work out! unless your driving a miata that was easy when i had it haha :smoker:

i would go with put on 3 pairs of gloves..

beers :beer: