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hydro assist.....disappointing

eripley

eripley

1/2 ton status
Joined
Oct 1, 2003
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Location
knoxville,tennessee
Well got my hydro-assist installed. more like hydro-nothing. 1.5 inch bore ram. Pump modded and hydroboost.

I have the axle on jackstands so that the tires are not touching ground. Turn wheel left and right and it feels like normal power steering. Still takes 2-3 fingers to turn wheel left and right. with truck on the ground it feels slightly better. Dana 60 is welded but hubs are unlocked.

Seems like a waste of money right now to me.

My friend with hydro has a 2 inch tractor ram and says thats just how it is. he doesnt have hydroboost. But he says with truck in air or just sitting you wont notice it but on the trail you will. So guess ill wait. Seems like alot of time and money to get what seems like almost no improvement.

I did hi-steer and hydro-assist. so I have alot of time invested in this.

Guess the results i was expecting from hydro assist is what i would get from full hydro.

any comments?

I did read some people have similar problem and installing a second pump might help but im just wondering if what im experiencing above is how hydro assist normally is before i throw even more time and money into this adding another pump and more hoses and another 10 gallons of fluid spilled in the driveway.

thanks!
 
This is what your post sounds like.

"Hey guys, so I just bought a Porshce, but I think I'm having problems. I don't know. I can only get it to 60 MPH.

"So Im cruising main street and between lights it only gets up to 60. the car is a piece of crap, im gonna trade it in and get a civic."

take it out and wheel it and then tell us it sucks.

On a technical note--like said before make sure you bleed it, you shouldnt need and extra pump, just make the filler a little bit taller so extra fluid can be held, and a power steering cooler is a must if you dont alredy have one.
 
i didnt say it sucks. if it sounded like that sorry. im just asking if the behavior i was seeing is normal. from what i read it is. I have to drive quite a ways to "take it out and wheel it" . so while it is in the driveway im asking. i regret asking now.

I was saying i was disappointed in the results I saw. i have no way to know what to expect because i have never hooked one up or used one.

Wish i could delete this thread now. dont want to sound like im saying hydro assists sucks and offend anyone.

thanks to those who explained and gave me "useful" suggestions without playing flame card.
 
eripley said:
i didnt say it sucks. if it sounded like that sorry. im just asking if the behavior i was seeing is normal. from what i read it is. I have to drive quite a ways to "take it out and wheel it" . so while it is in the driveway im asking. i regret asking now.

I was saying i was disappointed in the results I saw. i have no way to know what to expect because i have never hooked one up or used one.

Wish i could delete this thread now. dont want to sound like im saying hydro assists sucks and offend anyone.

thanks to those who explained and gave me "useful" suggestions without playing flame card.
Click to expand...

I think you're problem is self-described. Just look at the line under you're screen name. :D

The advantages of hydro-assist are just what you are experiencing. There is no discernible difference during normal driving, but when you are able to turn you're wheels when they are jammed up against a big rock, that's when you'll notice the difference. If you want a double duty truck, (street & trail), then this is the best modification you can make for you're steering. Then you added the high steer as well. It doesn't get much better than that. :bow:

Post up some pictures so we can see you're handy work! Then the flaming will really begin!:haha:

Later,
Buddy
 
eripley said:
i didnt say it sucks. if it sounded like that sorry. im just asking if the behavior i was seeing is normal. from what i read it is. I have to drive quite a ways to "take it out and wheel it" . so while it is in the driveway im asking. i regret asking now.

I was saying i was disappointed in the results I saw. i have no way to know what to expect because i have never hooked one up or used one.

Wish i could delete this thread now. dont want to sound like im saying hydro assists sucks and offend anyone.

thanks to those who explained and gave me "useful" suggestions without playing flame card.
Click to expand...

Glad I could help ya . ;)
 
Pump

When you say you modified the pump, what did you do? I was disappointed with my hydro system too until I messed with the pump. How much did you drill out the orifice? Did you modify the spring at all? I finally got mine to where it was worth the money and effort. Good luck.
 
I can't tell any difference in the driveway or on the street between hydro assist and non assist.

On the trail is a different story.... I have had my front end so bound up before hydro assist that I physically could not turn the wheel what so ever. Problem eliminated with hydro assist.
 
IMO hydro assist will steer worse on the street during normal driving conditions. It is slower to react and sometimes takes more force.

then you get to the trail.

If you have never had your steering bound up on a trail, you won't realize the true benefit of the assist. Personally, I had to flop my truck on its side because it would not turn, even with two people on the steering wheel. it had been hard to turn with the large tires, but when it didn't move at all, I decided to run hydro assist.

If you expected to be able to turn the steering wheel with just your pinky, I understand your dissappointment. But that is just not how it works.

Goinh hydro assist without having the need for it, kinda makes it less of a mod. Kinda like the guy that goes from a stock stereo to 15 twelves running a 10K watt stereo. If he had done 2 twelves then four twelves later then maybe ten twelves, he would know how important each step is. And realize its benefit.
You know, if I had the money to do it all at once, I still wouldn't. But there is nothing wrong with either way.
 
I have (puts on flame suit) an AGR Rock Ram setup on my truck and I do agree that is slower to respond which can be interesting on the street, however I can sit in the driveway and turn the wheel with one finger.
 
before hydro I could not turn the wheel without the truck rolling. now I can spin the wheel around with the palm of my hand. on the trail it's simply amazing, the difference is night and day. In any situation I can spin the wheel with the palm of my hand.

I did all the mods to my pump and went with a 2x8" ram. I can put the tire against an immovable rock and shove the whole truck sideways. before the pump would have just screamed and possibly stalled the truck if I wasn't revving it.
 
Big91RustyBucket said:
AGR is garbage that' is your problem.
Click to expand...
Which problem is that?
I didn't put the AGR stuff on the po did, but it has worked flawlessly for me. If I put it on I wouldn't have used it, but only because of the price. If that were no concern I wouldn't hesitate using their stuff in the future.
 
I agree on the AGR stuff. P/O of my truck put an AGR box on, and I added hydro assist. My steering is very weak, when put up against resistance such as snow or a rock, it just squeels and loses won't turn. Parking in my driveway and pulling off the highway and i've actually had my steering quit.... where I'm turning the wheel with no power assist at all. I suspect a weak stock pump and the bad AGR box.

My friend has a stock box and a stock pump in his K30 Scout and I drove that thing around in 2' of snow and while stopped I could turn the wheel lock to lock in the snow with my pinkey finger.
 
eripley said:
I did hi-steer and hydro-assist. so I have alot of time invested in this.
Click to expand...

What kind of high steer do you have? On my ord high steer the tie rod is about half as far as the axis of the kingpins... So my 1.5 inch ram is like a 1 inch ram on a stock location tie rod... I found my hydro to be less powerfull then i needed so im saving up for a 2 inch ram to replace it with.
 
Jishory said:
What kind of high steer do you have? On my ord high steer the tie rod is about half as far as the axis of the kingpins... So my 1.5 inch ram is like a 1 inch ram on a stock location tie rod... I found my hydro to be less powerfull then i needed so im saving up for a 2 inch ram to replace it with.
Click to expand...

so will you drive it on the street with the 2" or no?

on my last truck i ran 1.5" rocklogic and loved it, that will prolly be on my current build as well
 
If you want to see the ram function, remove your drag link and keep the ram hooked up. With the tires off the ground turn the wheel to it's max (lock) left or right and hold pressure on it. The ram will move your tires left or right but only when you hold the wheel all the way to one side or the other. If you need proof or you just get bored, try that. :wink1:
 
muddybuddy said:
so will you drive it on the street with the 2" or no?

on my last truck i ran 1.5" rocklogic and loved it, that will prolly be on my current build as well
Click to expand...

yeah, i drive short distances, i didnt notice slow steering at all with the 1.5, good for a street driven truck imo... well see how a 2 inch and the 42s work out
 
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