I have a question about power steering in general:
Is it necessary to have the power steering in working order in a modern car that is equiped with it? I have the strength to manage the vehicle when the reservoir was empty, and have since wondered if it would be okay to disable and remove the components where possible for weight reduction and reduce power loss to the pump. Are the steering components strong enough to stand up to street driving without the aid of power steering to ease the strain?

 

my pump is going, and it's pretty much !PS at low speeds, and it sucks. Yeah I have the strength to do it, but wouldn't it pain in the *** for a daily driven car?

 

For me it would be a pain I'd be willing to deal with for even the small weight/power/fuel economy gains it might yield, but what I need to know is whether the components between the steering wheel and where the power steering normally engages strong enough to take the regular strain that would be added with out power steering assistance. Any ideas?