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I drove a 1980 DL with manual steering for several years. At any decent road speed or on the highway it wasn't too difficult at all, and *occasionally* I might even forget the steering wasn't power. On the other hand, getting into a parking spot, one really notices the difference between zero mph and rolling 2 or 3 mph. While sitting still, it's *seriously* difficult to spin the steering wheel, and even while moving slowly, it is definitely a physical workout to park the thing, though I kind of enjoyed it. My fiancee hated the steering, though she did drive the car once in awhile... but not without complaints.
Would I drive such a beast again? Well... yea, strangely, I would. :) If for no other reason than to remind me that tires enjoy being steered much more if they're actually rolling a bit. Steering while standing motionless is really hard on the tires and all the joints, though with Power Steering, most people don't think about it.
Perhaps the most difficult thing to adjust to was the difference between the steering and the brakes. When a mosquito landed on the brake pedal, the passengers hit their noses on the windshield. (Slight exaggeration, but not much.) Having such sensitive brakes combined with such difficult steering didn't seem intuitive.
The ball joints are slightly different between manual and power steering, only to afford a different caster adjustment. The power steering version is something like 2-3 degrees positive, while the manual steering is a tiny bit less. A smaller caster angle will provide a bit less "centering" feel when on the road, but will make the steering wheel correspondingly easier to turn. Every little bit helps.
- Erik
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