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Advice on upgrading Ram from 1.5" to 2"

dbreid

dbreid

1/2 ton status
Joined
Dec 26, 2005
Posts
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Location
San Mateo CA
All,
I currently have:

K30
40's
D60 Front
Crossover steering (hi steer)
Hydroboost
Hydro-Assist
PSC Pump
PSC steering box

I have a ram mounted and working (has been fine for a while), which I got with the truck. It leaks a little bit, so I thought I would upgrade it with a new ram from PSC. I went out and measured it, and the ram "body" measured 2"

Me, being a dumbass, thought that meant 2" ram. So I ordered a nice shiny new PSC 2" ram.

Now that I get it in my hands (really nice piece, by the way), the "body" of it measures 2.5".... Which makes me think I actually have a 1.5" ram in the truck now.
In reading about it, and doing the math (I understand the physcis, about how bigger ram = more power, but slower, etc... I get the hydraulics), I am now concerned that if I "upgrade" to the 2" ram, I will not be able to drive the truck on the street.

Now, my truck is NOT a daily driver. But I do drive it to trails, and it might see 4 or 5 hours on the highway to and from the Rubicon/Dusy/Hollister etc.

Does anyone have advice on how much different the lag will be when moving up to a 2"??

I don't want to be unsafe, but I wouldn't mind upgrading to the new ram.

Thoughts?

I also don't want to prematurely destroy my knuckles with a monster ram.
-Dan
 
I'm running a PSC 1.5" ram and it's perfect for street driving. The 1.75" will have more power but will react slower and the 2" even more power but slower reaction time. Keep the 1.5" ram since you do still drive it on the street (even if it's not often). The worst thing that could happen is you need to panic swerve and the larger ram WILL NOT allow that to happen. I have gotten into a situation once or twice that i needed a panic turn and even with the 1.5" ram i was lucky to have made it.
 
I was running a 1.5" ram for awhile and then went with PSC stuff and went to a 1.75" ram and really didn't notice much difference on the street. The only way to really tell is to try it or send it back and get the 1.75".
 
Hmmmm. I think the 2" might be a little big. Is there a way to tell definitively what size ram is on the truck? There are no marking, but the shaft is .75" diameter, and the outer casing is 2" exactly. I am guessing that I actually have a 1.75" in there now?

I am less worried about the panic turn, I am more worried about being able to lightly correct on the highway at speed. My suspension is flexy enough that panic turns are not an excellent idea anyhow.

This is so far from a daily driver it is crazy. I just don't want it to be completely unsafe.

-Dan
 
Are you sure the shaft size is .75"? IIRC the OD of a 1.5" ram is 2" which would make the housing .250" wall and the shaft size is .625". I have driven a truck with 1.75" ram and NO THANKS, but each his own.
 
Scott, what Power Steering pump do you have? I have a PSC 1405, and I am looking for exact ratings on the PSI. Is it 1400? Or more?

-Dan
 
There is absolutely no way to tell what size ram you have now based on its outside diameter or shaft size. If you knew the wall thickness of the ram and the OD, you'd know.

Where did you get this ram and what brand is it? Any way you can contact the company you bought it from?


I'll second the idea of keeping a 1.5" ram, 2" is too much for street driving IMO.
 
38377k5 said:
Where did you get this ram and what brand is it? Any way you can contact the company you bought it from?
Click to expand...

It came on the truck. Had Hydro assist when I got it. I have replaced the pump (PSC 1405), and flushed the system since I got it, but left the ram alone.

I'll go get a couple pictures and look closer.
 
Here's a picture:

K30Steering.jpg
 
Excuse the fact that it is dirty. I'll clean that up shortly as well, as I know hydraulics and dirt don't get along.

I am leaning away from using the 2.0 ram because I think the body of it will have trouble clearing the tie rods properly. I on;y run 1 4" lift, and things are snug.

Thanks for all the advice, btw.
 
Also, take a look at the two calculations I did using BillaVista's Excel sheet. Depending on what I put in the green cell (I think the others are close to accurate... assuming 1400psi from my pump...) it changes from a 1.79 to a 1.99....

I am thinking I probably have a 1.75" ram, and that is a better choice than a 2.0 for a truck that is driven on the street.

Ram_calc_02.jpg
 
Again, the rod size and OD of the body of the ram tell us nothing.

You could have a ram with a 4" body and a 1/4" shaft but the actual size of the piston (the measurement that's normally quoted as the "size" of the ram) might only be 1/2". Obviously, that example is drastically exaggerated but nobody can tell you what size the piston is because we have no idea how thick the tubing is. Without a part number or taking it apart, there is really no way to know.

You could disconnect one of the lines and put it in a jar, then (with your hand) push the ram in x inches and then do some volume calculations to determine how much fluid is moved. You'd have to be very careful to avoid air in the system, which would probably be a PITA but it will work in theory.


IMO, you have a 1.5" ram. .250" wall is very common for a ram of this size which would correlate to a 2" OD.

So, I would either buy a new 1.5" ram or simply replace the seals in the one you currently have.
 
38377k5 said:
Again, the rod size and OD of the body of the ram tell us nothing.

You could have a ram with a 4" body and a 1/4" shaft but the actual size of the piston (the measurement that's normally quoted as the "size" of the ram) might only be 1/2". Obviously, that example is drastically exaggerated but nobody can tell you what size the piston is because we have no idea how thick the tubing is. Without a part number or taking it apart, there is really no way to know.

You could disconnect one of the lines and put it in a jar, then (with your hand) push the ram in x inches and then do some volume calculations to determine how much fluid is moved. You'd have to be very careful to avoid air in the system, which would probably be a PITA but it will work in theory.


IMO, you have a 1.5" ram. .250" wall is very common for a ram of this size which would correlate to a 2" OD.

So, I would either buy a new 1.5" ram or simply replace the seals in the one you currently have.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. The good thing I can just exchange the huge ram for the cheaper smaller one. :)

And thanks for letting me bounce this off your brains. It was fun to go through the calculations on hydraulics again.. :)
 
BTW, I think you're making too many assumptions in your spreadsheet calcs to consider them reliable (especially since you're working backwards)
 
38377k5 said:
BTW, I think you're making too many assumptions in your spreadsheet calcs to consider them reliable (especially since you're working backwards)
Click to expand...

I agree, and was only using it as ballpark anyhow. As you say, without measuring each thing exactly, it means nothing. Air pressure in the tires, terrain, heck, even temperature would affect things. The coefficient of friciton is a LOT different in mud/dirt/pavement.

I was just tyring to ballpark things.
 
dbreid said:
I agree, and was only using it as ballpark anyhow. As you say, without measuring each thing exactly, it means nothing. Air pressure in the tires, terrain, heck, even temperature would affect things. The coefficient of friciton is a LOT different in mud/dirt/pavement.

I was just tyring to ballpark things.
Click to expand...

Sure, just making sure you don't jump to false conclusions ;)
 
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