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Hydro assist off center...

G

Gunny65

1/2 ton status
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I just noticed that I can turn the wheels further to the left than the right. Turning left the small bolt that acts as a stop just touches and turning right there is about a quarter inch of space between the bolt and housing. I must have measured wrong when I welded the tabs on. It isn't much but now it annoys me.

Is there an Easy fix? Or just deal with it?
 
you should be able to crack the lines going to the ram and then adjust your drag link to the correct center then rebleed the system
 
supermotard750 said:
you should be able to crack the lines going to the ram and then adjust your drag link to the correct center then rebleed the system
Click to expand...
This wouldn't change the throw of the ram

rompinstompinmudmonkey said:
What ram did you use? If it has heim joints threaded on the end you can adjust them.
Click to expand...
Either this or cut and move the tabs. The ram should run out of travel just before the bolt touches or the force from the ram could brake the knuckles
 
Maybe im thinking of full hydraulic and not hydro-assist but IIRC single ended rams (such as the ones used in hydro assist) will give you about a 1/2 turn more in one direction.
 
gotblazers said:
Maybe im thinking of full hydraulic and not hydro-assist but IIRC single ended rams (such as the ones used in hydro assist) will give you about a 1/2 turn more in one direction.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's full hydro. On single ended rams the rod takes up some of the volume on one side of the ram. It still moves the same distance each way, it just takes more fluid to extend than it does to retract. So in full hydro w/ a single ended rod your steering wheel turn one way more than the other, but the tires will turn both ways equally.
In a hydro-assist setup this equates to a slight difference in power, travel is unaffected due to the mechanical linkage.
 
Ugh. I was hoping I wouldn't have to cut tabs. That is what I was afraid of. I took the limiting bolt out of the right side and checked turn angle. It does not look like it turns much further than the limit stop point but I guess I should move the tabs a tad to the right anyway. I hate double work.

No the joints are not threaded.
 
You did confirm the ram is running out of travel, right? You can simply unbolt the ram from the tierod to verify it was limiting the travel.
 
why dont you just adjust your tie rod over some? Do you have any room on the threads?

I dont see how it is a problem?????
 
NorCal_Chris said:
why dont you just adjust your tie rod over some? Do you have any room on the threads?

I dont see how it is a problem?????
Click to expand...

I can only adjust one side. The other end is solid. Won't that throw my toe out of adjustment?
 
6.2Blazer said:
You did confirm the ram is running out of travel, right? You can simply unbolt the ram from the tierod to verify it was limiting the travel.
Click to expand...

Not yet. I know the limiting bolt stops against the axle tube on the one side. I will check to see if it can go any further while unbolted before I commit to cutting tabs.
 
how is yours set up? Mine is a tab welded to the tie rod.

So say you want to make the truck turn more to the right.

you have say 1/2 of thread showing on both TREs.

Pull tierod off, take right side tre and thread it all the way in, thread left side tre 1/2 out.

That moves the tierod over but keeps adjustment the same, and gives you an extra 1/2 of throw. Make sense?
 
NorCal_Chris said:
how is yours set up? Mine is a tab welded to the tie rod.

So say you want to make the truck turn more to the right.

you have say 1/2 of thread showing on both TREs.

Pull tierod off, take right side tre and thread it all the way in, thread left side tre 1/2 out.

That moves the tierod over but keeps adjustment the same, and gives you an extra 1/2 of throw. Make sense?
Click to expand...

From Gunnys reply I gather that like me he's got one of these tie-rods:
mds905-1_1.jpg

So like previously stated, rewelding the tab or tabs is the only way for him.
 
Fred_M1010 said:
From Gunnys reply I gather that like me he's got one of these tie-rods:
mds905-1_1.jpg

So like previously stated, rewelding the tab or tabs is the only way for him.
Click to expand...

Correct, I have one side that is long and solid. There is no adjusting that end of the tie-rod. The other end is threaded and has a two bolt tube style clamp that keeps that end from rolling in or out on the threads.

Now, is there a tie rod that I might find at the salvage yard that has both ends threaded? I mean, year/model that would fit my year/model. My D60 is off a 1980s GMC dually. I can't remember right now but it was either a 1980 or 1985 truck. I think it was an '80 though.
 
NorCal_Chris said:
how is yours set up? Mine is a tab welded to the tie rod.

So say you want to make the truck turn more to the right.

you have say 1/2 of thread showing on both TREs.

Pull tierod off, take right side tre and thread it all the way in, thread left side tre 1/2 out.

That moves the tierod over but keeps adjustment the same, and gives you an extra 1/2 of throw. Make sense?
Click to expand...

Okay, so I went and took a very close look at the threaded end of the tie rod. It looks like the tubed "sleeve" may be threaded. The long solid metal portion goes into one end and is held in place by a U-bolt and the short end goes into the other end of the sleeve and is held in place by another U-bolt. In that case, if I am correct in what I think I am seeing, it would act just as if both ends were threaded...correct?

It is really cold out so I am not going to wrench on just yet but when I do I will confirm if the sleeve works on both ends for adjustment purposes and update this.
 
Yes the sleeve is in place so don't have to remove the tie rod to adjust it but being that you are mounted on the long side and not directly on the sleeve. Adjusting the sleeve or either end will not help you
 
Yep. I took a good long look. I would need to make adjustments on both sides of the mount tabs for it to work. I will be cutting tabs and relocating tomorrow. Oh joy.
 
If you still haven't, remove the one bolt that holds the cylinder to the tierod and then go to full-lock in both directions to verify it is actually the cylinder limiting travel. If the draglink is not adjusted correctly it can cause the same sort of issue and I would hate for you to go through the hoops of rewelding the tabs only to find out something else is limiting the travel.
 
Well after some minor adjustments, (cutting the tabs off, measuring and mocking things up...A LOT, and welding everything back together), it is fixed. I can turn full right and full left without either side touching the limiting bolt.

I spent a good amount of time ensuring my pitman arm was positioned correctly on the steering gear shaft so I knew that wasn't off. I wasn't to sure about the drag link but I had set it up according to directions. If the rewelding didn't work, I would have rearranged the drag link to see if that would work.

Thanks for the input guys. I appreciate it.
 
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