Hydro assist

[Mud&Rox]

who all is running hydro assist here? I had a few questions before I make the swap. any one run it on a streetable truck or just trail toys

[99NCXJ]

I'm not running it yet, but I'm working on it. I've got everything but the cooler and the lines.

[Jeep07]

I've ran it on 2 rigs. Best steering dampener you will ever have for a street rig.

[BillM]

Hydro assit will still work like normal steering on the road for the most part.

[Mud&Rox]

ive just read that when the pump really gets spinnin (high RPM's) that the steering can get "twitchy". my psc ram should be here mid week then I just gotta get some hoses made up and its a go..

[Jeep07]

On full hydro I could see that but with hydro assist it's only gonna move as fast as your steering box since its mechanically linked. You should have no problems at all. On homebrew kits I usually buy a ram from SurplusCenter.Com .

[Panthers65]

not running one, but I know plenty of people who are and have built several kits myself. Great setup for the price, I've seen them build for well under $100 and helps the offroad steering tons

[M. Franklin]

i have it on my 79 f-250 (offroad only). i have a tapped gear box and a psc ram. it's real slow, i think i need a higher volume pump. i've got a new pump but it don't work the ram fast enough to keep up with the steering. i've checked the price on high volume pumps and i can go to full hydrolic for about the same price. i didn't have to have a cooler for it, just tapped the box and ran the lines to the ram. a friend of mine made his full hydro with regular pump, steering valve and ram, and works great. no cooler on it but it hasn't got hot or had any problems yet. i think matching your ram size and pump output is critical for hydro assist.

[Hadfield4WD]

I have it. It is a little twitchy, but it's not a problem. I really like it. If I were to do it again I'd go full hydro.

Here is my write up.

I ordered this cooler from Summit

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=FLX%2D3818&N=700+4294924500+400226+115&autoview=sku

I have a yj box drilled and tapped for 3/8" NPT

I have the inner frame plated.

I have this Tie Rod Bracket.

http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/OD-Tube-Clamp_p_21-1474.html

I did the West Texas Pump Mod.

http://westtexasoffroad.homestead.com/powersteering.html

I have this cylinder.

http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2007040810283306&item=9-4410-08&catname=hydraulic

SPECIFICATIONS
Double Acting
Bore/Stroke 1 1/2" x 8"
2,000 PSI max
Rod dia 3/4"

Ports 3/8" NPT
Retracted Length 13 1/2"
Shpg. 10 lbs.

END MOUNTINGS
Rod End Crosstube
Pin hole 3/4"
1-1/4" cross-tube width

Base End Crosstube
Pin hole 3/4"
2" cross-tube width

I will also need to do an internal stop on the cylinder for 7 1/8" travel. Some say this isn’t necessary due to the box having an internal relief when it hits the internal stops. However I have my knuckle stops hitting before the box reaches the internal stops, so if I kept turning with the assist I’d push my knuckles right off the inner-c’s eventually as the ball joints can only take so much. So I took the cylinder apart and added this metal sleeve.

Before

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/cylinderinternalstop1.jpg

After

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/cylinderinternalstop3.jpg

Also why we are on the cylinder as this axle is very tight I needed to rotate the fixed end 90 deg so I could have the hoses coming out of the top of the cylinder. I had to cut it off and re-weld it on.

Started like this.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/cylinderbefore1.jpg

90 deg rotated

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/cylinderafter1.jpg

Lastly on the cylinder I didn’t want to use a ¾” bolt so I sleeved the ends with bronze down to ½”

Here is a pic of the frame plating ¼”.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/steeringboxbrace3.jpg

New box bolted in.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/steeringbox1.jpg

Axle brackets welded on.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/bracket003.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/bracket002.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/bracket001.jpg

Cooler installed. I put it on the passenger side as it is the side with the mechanical fan and will be pulling air constantly.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/cylindercooler2.jpg

The cooler is plumbed off the return line from the box to the top fitting on the cooler. The lower fitting goes to the reservoir on the pump.

I went to the local Parker store for the hose and ends. I may have gone a little overkill on these, but the hose is 4700lb hose reinforced with 3 layers of wire mesh. I had to cut it with a chop saw. I also used reusable ends. As a result if I have a broken line on the trail I can take out my spare line and put the ends on and call it good.

I prefilled everything I could with fluid. This would make bleeding much easier. As for fluid I have heard many things work well, but all agree that Amsoil Synthetic Power Steering Fluid works the best. Some problems are that most people go through growing pains when they first install the hydro assist and have to replace the fluid a couple times and that you can’t get it on the trail or at a part store. Well I bit the bullet and bought a case of it. This way I’ll carry my own and have enough to redo it a couple of times.

[Hadfield4WD]

Bleeding procedure taken from here.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/PR-Hydro_Steering/index3.html
Once you have everything installed and plumbed, it's time to fill and bleed. The procedure I discovered works well is:

Fill reservoir to just over tip of column
Raise front tires off ground to remove resistance
Turn steering wheel lock-to-lock while constantly checking the reservoir for air bubbles and level drop. Top us as necessary - be careful not to over-fill. When no more air appears to bubble out and the level remains constant, go to step 4
Check fluid level in reservoir, disconnect coil wire, and crank engine over to operate pump and flow fluid through entire circuit. Crank in short bursts. When no more air appears to bubble out and the level remains constant, go to step 5
Re-connect coil wire.
Check fluid level in reservoir and start engine. Operate at low rpm's at first, do not turn steering wheel. After a few seconds shut down engine and check reservoir. It will likely look like the pic at left, frothy and full of air bubbles. Allow bubbles to dissipate (can take upwards of an hour) and repeat this step until frothing does not occur.
Check fluid level in reservoir and start engine. Operate steering lock-to-lock while constantly checking the reservoir for air bubbles and level drop. Top us as necessary - be careful not to over-fill. When no more air appears to bubble out and the level remains constant, go to step 8
Top up reservoir, install reservoir cap, lower front tires to ground.
Here you can see everything installed. You can see how tight the clearances are.

Turned right

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/complete006.jpg

Turned left

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/complete001.jpg

Front shots

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/complete005.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/complete002.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k51/hadfield4wd/My%20Jeep/complete004.jpg

[Mud&Rox]

sweet guys, thanks. nice write up, similar to how I'll do mine but the ram will be mounted to the frame.

[Jeep07]

but the ram will be mounted to the frame.

?? please explain your mounting. Are you gonna hook it to the Drag link instead of the tie rod?

[Mud&Rox]

?? please explain your mounting. Are you gonna hook it to the Drag link instead of the tie rod?
yes it will be pass. outside frame rail to the drag link about 1' from the driver side. its just going in place of the steering stabilizer.I just gotta get a hiem and make the tabs thicker. my links are made from DOM so im not to worried about bending em steering while flexed.

[RamAford]

Sounds like the rover is coming along. I meant to look at it when i was over there mowing the other day. But i was trying to beat the rain.

[Mud&Rox]

lol yea you will have to come over sometime when im here

[Hadfield4WD]

With the ram mounted to the drag link its linear power will not be transfered to a linear motion. It'll put stress on the box, pitman arm and joints. The stresses will be not what they are designed for. Plus it'll be tough to figure out how long the throw is because it'll change as the axle flexes.

You'll be much better off mounting it on the tie rod.

[bcowanwheels]

it works real good on & off road. nothing like 2 finger steering......... and thats with 15" wide tires too..........

[Want2Wheel]

IN like mine, and it works great.

[Mud&Rox]

IN like mine, and it works great.

man if you dont mind I'd like to run down there sometime and check yours out. I've been meenin to check your shop out lol

[jmiltier]

We have hydro assit on our class 8 truck and it helps turning 39s in tough spots but stills works well at 100mph also :)

[Hadfield4WD]

We have hydro assit on our class 8 truck and it helps turning 39s in tough spots but stills works well at 100mph also :)


I think my assist would work at 100mph. Everything else might fall apart though.:tongue3:

[jmiltier]

I think my assist would work at 100mph. Everything else might fall apart though.:tongue3:

Can i ride!