I've run full hydro on my Jeep for 1 1/2 years and I have never had any problems, I've never been pulled over by a cop, can drive 80 mph on 39.5" boggers on 32 bolt beadlocks. Its awesome and I'll never go back. I did the complete system myself... Expect to spend $1000-$1500 on parts. Yeah, it seems like a lot of money, but i'm not trusting any tractor supply parts on my rig.

Call Tom at PSC...

 

i have a hard time believing that even if cops knew that full hydro steering was illegal (again i dunno, just assumption)they would be busting their rumps to get in front of you just to look back and discover what is pushing your tall meats. the only time i would be nervous about it would be if i was involved in an accident...i am sure they would love to find things to ticket you for!

-cutts-

 

Although it may not be ILLEGAL to run FULL-HYDRO, I certainly wouldn't want to do it on a road-going vehicle, and maybe not even a train rig for safety reasons. I know there's folks who swear by it and will doubt me all day long, and it may work just dandy for you, but I don't feel entirely safe without a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the direction of the tires. With full hydro, if the pump ain't pumping, you ain't turning. I've yet to throw a belt or stall on a trail, but the last thing I'd want is to throw a belt on the hiway and lose control and endanger my life and others. Same as on a trail. Too many what-if's. Battery slides into the altenator, and the acid burns thru the belts... Don't flame me for wanting to be safe, and by the same rationale, I ain't a hater...just my $.02...

 

Okay, I'll be the full hydro avenger here. I don't say this stuff to argue with people but I eventually plan to go to full hydro front and rear steering on the Cap'n so I've done TONS of research. So here's what I have to say.

If you're using a properly setup orbital valve you can steer with no power. The valve itself is a pump. Granted, it's an arm breaker and takes a lot of work to steer it but no more than any of these trucks without regular power steering. So the whole "If the pump goes or the truck ain't runnin'. . . " thing goes right out the window.

I understand a lot of people are paranoid about not having a mechanical link in their steering system but realistically if any part of a mechanical steering system failed you'd be just as screwed as with full hydro. Think about it: If your rag joint came apart you're screwed. You could bust a shaft like Fishy did. You could lose an end on your drag link. Anybody who's looked at Scary Steering knows that there's hundreds of mechanical steering systems that are ready to come apart and any second. As with everything else it requires that you put it together properly. Simple enough. Monster trucks use it, going 40+ miles an hour toward crowds. The only failure I've seen so far in MT's that resulted in a wreck was with a rear steering system and it was the power to the pump, not the hydro system itself.

You trust your life to it everytime you drive with your breaks. Everytime you get on a plane you're depending on a system that's completely hydro controlled. Scary part is that it's electronically operated. Hydraulics are based on math . . . solid priciples that never change. You just have to use the correct components and not cut corners when you put it together.

There, that's my rant about full hydro.

 

Whatever, Ivan. You're so full of crap...

Nah, great post, for real. I wasn't aware of the fact that the orbital valve is a (sorta) pump. In that case, I decline my negativity towards full-hydro, as long as it wasn't somethin you and Pro cooked up after making more jackstands...

 

And to add to what ivan has said, it's easier to bust a drag link/tie rod then it is to break a hose, as hydraulic hoses are steel braided (and aircraft lines are double steel braided), and its easier to replace a hydralic hose then it is to replace a drag link as well.

 

the questiion i have is you still use your power steering pump itself to power the ram and is that the part you tap and put the larger lines down to the ram so it goes wheel down the mechinal rod to the steering box then up to the power steering then down to the ram or am i missing something its just something im looking into. i dont have the stright axel converstion kit yet i want to buy that 1st just a thought

thanks

 

A lot of boats have full hydro steering and no pumps.

 

Holy crap man I didn't understand a word you just said. But I think what you're getting at is whether you tap the PS pump or not. The answer is no. You tap the steering box because it will control which side of the ram the pressure goes to.

 

yeah sorry about that. Let me change it around a bit, what id like to know is weather you still need a power steering pump OR is there another pump setup because if i can peice together id rather do that than drop like 1k or so on it because i can use that cash to get the larger tyres and or gears

 

Yes, you need a PS pump to make it work but you do not need an additional pump, so only 1 pump will be needed to power the system. As simple as I can put it: all you're doing is adding 1 hydraulic cylinder and 2 hoses to your current system. The hoses both go to your steering box. That's really the basic idea of it. There are things to consider like the pressure and volume of the pump, tapping the box, etc. but it's not overly complicated or expensive. If I'd get off my lazy butt and finish mine up I'll have about $100 into it total. That's even with the new pump and remote resevoir.

 

on the not being able to steer a full hydro steer when the engine dies, you can steer a it without the engine running. all of the forklifts at work are full hydro and you can steer then when they run out of propane and die, its not nearly as easy but you can, even when sitting still you can turn them with out the engine running.

 

to bash on the full hydro over the assist. I did assist. but I have thought about full hydro. but I think I will stay with assist for now since I do drive the bronco onroad alot. one thing I do like about the assist ove full is that the assist you have road feel and offroad you can tell better when the front end is getting wedged in something that will not turn very easily. with full hydro you may not knowtice that.

 

Hate to revive dead threads, but...
Why don't you just put a T in the lines and run the hydro assist off of hte T?

Im no PS or HA expert, sorry if the reason is blatant and obvious...

 

put a "T" into what line?