was power steering ever fitted to a smart car mine is a fortwo passion 15" wheels and very hard to steer when parking i know i could put more air in the tyres so can i a retro fit power steering kit or is it a figment of my imagination and all smarts have not got any form of power steering
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Some fortwos had electric power steering but it was an option I think. Roadsters I think had it as standard but I could be mistaken.
Retro fitting can be done AFAIK (requires different steering column as lengths differ) but expensive.
Believe it or not - many don't - wider front tyres make the steering lighter. A rarity for sure, but with 195s on mine it is lighter than with the original 145s.
NB Just realised you have a 451 and my fortwo references are to a 450. At least you have some history! -
Having already owned a Roadster complete with power steering, I was amazed that the 451 I test drove did not have it ... for a little car that's intended as a city run-about, I was surprised at how heavy the steering was when trying to park it back up. It was enough that I searched for a Fortwo with assisted steering. After 20+ years of having it I wasn't about to make a backward step.Comment
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PAS was an option on the 451, just as it was on the 450 though it seems a rarely specified option. It's not difficult to retro fit, though it does require a coding operation.Comment
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Roughly only 5% of 451's sold had power steering, so you will have a hard job finding one. have to agree that with non-power steering a 3 point turn or a slow 90 degree turn is heavy on the hands, but you get used to it, and once moving you do not notice the lack of power steering.
Other than no power steering the 451 seems to have perfect working steering.
All roadsters had power steering, they also had an inherent fault of 'interference fit' steering racks causing knocking sounds at low speed on bumpy roads, requiring a new rack on many of them (mine included)
And all 453 Fortwos also have power steering, again many are now having to get new steering racks due to noise at low speed. Will smart never learn. A further complication on many 453's is a whining noise behind the steering wheel when turned back and forth, that seems to be caused by a worn steering box, located just behind the dash.
Better to stick with the 451 guys,
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Some of the early LHD Roadsters had manual racks, but the vast majority have EPAS racks.Originally posted by ColSmart View Post
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