How do you like it? What did you do to make it return to center? Any other tips or helpful info, spill the beans. 
CK5
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Anybody running full hyrdro steer?
- Thread starter thatK30guy
- Start date
I have full hydro and love it. It is a single ended cylinder so the steering isn't balanced bit it doesn't bother. Only time I notice is driving on street and leave my hand one one spot on wheel because the wheel is in a different spot after you come back out of a turn/corner. If you do a 2 hand shuffle you never notice it. Wheeling is awesome, so much more turning. Before with crossover steer and assist with leaf springs and no pan hard bar I would get twisted up and the axle would push over and loose some turning then if I held steering the assist ram would finish turning and pull the axle back over kinda making the draglink act as a panhard if that makes sense. I am using double ended cylinders on my rockwells though but that is mostly for packaging reason.
Cherryk5 is running full hydro i beleive. And he used an orbital valve off of a tractor or something.
mr250twostroke
1/2 ton status
How do you like it? What did you do to make it return to center? Any other tips or helpful info, spill the beans.
Full PSC system, double ended ram, P pump with some other goodies that are race specific.
Caster is your friend for return to center. We have something like eight degrees of caster and it drives nice, the faster you go the more stable it feels. I have heard of guys running 11 degrees of caster and liking it.
IMO you can piece together a system for a trail rig and it will work ok. If you want matched, balanced, and "right" you need to buy an entire system from one supplier. Orbital size plays into the speed of the system, so does cylinder size and pump output GPM.
dawod122
Registered Member
I personally run full hydro, and I'm also using an orbital valve off of a tractor.
It it pretty cool, and I had to do nothing to it.. it works just fine.
dirtygoat
1/2 ton status
Yep, lots of info...
I've dealt with full PSC kits and pieced together kits, if you do the research first you'll be fine...
Only issue I've had with any full hydro kit I've worked on, was the one on my truck... And that was my fault for not adding a cooler... Once you do it you'll never look back...
One of the best upgrades I've done...
Ok so my buddy wants to do 4 link on his rig. He wants to run full hydro so he doesnt get wacky steering when jumping it. But.... As you know its illegal to have full hydro on the road and he still wants to be able to drive. So my questions are, is it possible to run the crossover drag link with the full hydro also and be able to take it off when we go to the dunes? And also what would happen say if a line blew on the hydraulic system going down the road. Does it jack knife or is there some sort of safety that will keep the wheels straight?
dirtygoat
1/2 ton status
Nope, nope and nope... Full hydro should only be used offroad...
Someone just posted an article about full hydro failure on the street...
I have driven mine on the street, but just around the block and at slow speeds... I love it on my rig, but would never have it on a street rig...
Someone just posted an article about full hydro failure on the street...
I have driven mine on the street, but just around the block and at slow speeds... I love it on my rig, but would never have it on a street rig...
Thats why I wanted to know if crossover was possible to be hooked up at the same time and then be able to take the drag link off when going offroad. As in is it possible to run off of the stock steering box to run instead of an orbital. That way mechanical steering would still be there for on road use, while at the same time having hydraulic steering.... He wants to make his rig triangulated 4 linked for jumping at the dunes but still wants to be able to run mechanical steering on the road.
As Heath told us true 4 link on a rig like that needs full hydro because the drag link will cause major bump steer as the axle moves up and down.... Where that would be fine on the road, but not jumping it.
ion
1/2 ton status
so riddle me this jackson, how can dump trucks drive on the road? they are full hydro, as a matter of fact that have a ram for each wheel too. Full hydro is perfectly fine for the streets. I have run it before at 70+ mph and am not scared to do it again. It's all about the caster which the magical numbers are between 7 and 9 degrees of caster.
All this bs about full hydro is the devil for a street truck is ridiculous. Run a double ended ram, or run a double ram set-up and get it from the front of a mac dump truck or cement truck, and it's legal as it can ever be. it can be done. And that video was for a race truck in a mud bog. a number of things could have and probably went wrong like pulling a fitting off in the mud when the mug clings onto it. also the 950hp doesn't help either.
Just so everyone knows, I never had the intentions of driving this on the street. Nor would I recommend anyone who brings their stuff to me, too.
Clint drives his rig on the street with fill hydro front/rear and no school bus of nuns dead yet. I have logged enough highway miles on mine to not worry about it.
dirtygoat
1/2 ton status
So, what would you do if you lose a hose???
I would hope you would have the common sense to come to a stop by using your brake pedal and hopefully if no cars are coming towards you that you simply let the rig veer in the direction its going into the ditch or anywhere off the highway. Simple as that.
And yes, two things: I'm Capt. Obvious and I'm being sarcastic.
What would you do if you had a sector shaft fail on the street?
dirtygoat
1/2 ton status
I've never had a sector shaft fail, seen several though... But, I've had all kind of hoses fail... Actually, I've never seen a sector shaft failure on the street... Not saying it couldn't happen, just never seen it on the street...
I would hope you have an insurance policy that pays out in gold if you do kill a bus full of nuns...
To me it's not worth it on a street rig... Like I said, I have driven full hydro on the street...
I've had a sector fail on the street, luckily I was in a p-lot doing a 3 point turn on 42's no HA... Had to go home and get a tow rig and trailer...I was lucky I didn't hurt no one...
mr250twostroke
1/2 ton status
I had the filter come loose on my full hydro system one time, it was a bit intense for a minute but honestly not bad. Hit the brakes and steer the best you can to a stop, I didn't loose all steering just most of it. I was also pounding through 3' deep whoops at 50+ MPH when it happened.
Since then I have logged several thousand offroad and a few hundred pavement miles with my system and it's good. No failures or issues since the filter deal in 09'
I have no issue with full hydro on the street for a wheeling rig nor do I have an issue with it at speeds over a hundred in the race car. Use quality hoses and parts, things are fine.
I see the chances of a full hydro failure along the same lines as a sector shaft, drag link end, tie rod end etc. It can happen and will but it isn't a nun killer usually.
Since then I have logged several thousand offroad and a few hundred pavement miles with my system and it's good. No failures or issues since the filter deal in 09'
I have no issue with full hydro on the street for a wheeling rig nor do I have an issue with it at speeds over a hundred in the race car. Use quality hoses and parts, things are fine.
I see the chances of a full hydro failure along the same lines as a sector shaft, drag link end, tie rod end etc. It can happen and will but it isn't a nun killer usually.
