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Hydro assist on the cheap...Under $100

I have a 2x8 ram and am ordering the JKW cap and tapping the top cover. I'll get my lines and fittings from surplus center. I am still undecided on mounts. I would like to do the razorback with ram mount from DIY because I am unsure if I'll be able to securely weld 1" tabs to my axle :crazy:
 
The ps pump is real easy to do, not much involved. I bought a new one when i did it. I chose ems since its close and there wasnt shipping, i took along my top cap and they tapped it and sold me the cap..(good guys to work with). I did the trail gear ram since it came with mounting tabs and hoses. The tabs are welded to the tube right next to the housing and they held up good.
 
blasphemous said:
I was going to get by without hydro-assist because I didn't want to deal with the PS pump. That EMS setup is tits though.
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I didn't do anything to my pump

Maybe I should? I haven't noticed anything
 
I got a new pump and drilled my fitting out by 1/16" IIRC. Classic mod info here. I only got a new pump 'cause the old one died when I popped a seal in my steering box and puked all the fluid. Other than that I don't plan to change anything else unless I have problems.
 
wanna see more of them mounted. anywhere to buy mounting brackets yet? also can find them in 6" for d44?
 
same here but im still looking for more info on doing it with my D60 with highsteer..
 
I got a diff cover for my 60 from Diy4x, it has the ram mount on it. I also got the ram from Kert. He cut and turned the mount for me. I need hoses and I can mount it. I should be done soon. It will about $300 when I'm done, not $100, but still a lot cheaper than a system from PSC.
 
munepit said:
I got a diff cover for my 60 from Diy4x, it has the ram mount on it. I also got the ram from Kert. He cut and turned the mount for me. I need hoses and I can mount it. I should be done soon. It will about $300 when I'm done, not $100, but still a lot cheaper than a system from PSC.
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what steering setup do you run? i have highsteer, and im not finding many easy mounting options for the ram.
 
38377k5 said:
We have brackets for you, I believe they are $35. There should be pictures of them up on the website tomorrow.
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certainly get those posted! i run your high steer on my k5 and with the 42"s it is hell to steer in anything deep/rutted. im hoping it will help stiffen up my on road drive-ability as well.
 
munepit said:
I got a diff cover for my 60 from Diy4x, it has the ram mount on it. I also got the ram from Kert. He cut and turned the mount for me. I need hoses and I can mount it. I should be done soon. It will about $300 when I'm done, not $100, but still a lot cheaper than a system from PSC.
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Aside from the discussion of mounting an assist ram to something that isn't really fixed, make sure you're comparing apples to apples.

I made my own hydro assist setup a ways back and it's been ok for me.

The PSC pump has significantly more flow and pressure than the stock pump, which is a big deal in the hydro-assist world.

Yeah, you can modify a stock pump, I've tried that. It did not work well for me the couple times I tried it (either too much pressure and it blew the seals out of everything or I didn't notice much difference). It's just one of those things, you don't know which particular steering pump/valve you have so it's tough to really know how to modify it and make it reliable. Plus you're using some kind of used or rebuilt pump.

I've been through 4 NAPA pumps in the last few years and my truck doesn't see all that much run time. They are all properly bled etc, adding hydro assist simply asks that much more from the pump. Using a stock or modified stock pump at or beyond it's design capacity will burn it up quick.

PSC pumps last much longer and work better simply because they aren't being pushed to the limit 100% of the time like a stock pump might be. Depending on application, PSC pumps are ~30-50% more flow and pressure.


Some of you have wheeled with me and my steering setup works ok (stock Saginaw pump, 1.5" ram). I wouldn't call it reliable per se because I seem to go through pumps pretty often, and I'll certainly be switching to an aftermarket pump when I go to full hydro in the near future.


So that's pretty much my .02, mount the hydro assist cylinder to something solid (usually tabs welded to the axle tube) and use a good pump. Adding hydro assist means significantly more load on the steering system and means that the rest of your steering system needs to match it: more pressure, more flow, better cooling, more fluid capacity etc.
 
38377k5 said:
Aside for the discussion of mounting an assist ram to something that isn't really fixed, make sure you're comparing apples to apples.

I made my own hydro assist setup a ways back and it's been ok for me.

The PSC pump has significantly more flow and pressure than the stock pump, which is a big deal in the hydro-assist world.

Yeah, you can modify a stock pump, I've tried that. It did not work well for me the couple times I tried it (either too much pressure and it blew the seals out of everything or I didn't notice much difference). It's just one of those things, you don't know which particular steering pump/valve you have so it's tough to really know how to modify it and make it reliable. Plus you're using some kind of used or rebuilt pump.

I've been through 4 NAPA pumps in the last few years and my truck doesn't see all that much run time. They are all properly bled etc, adding hydro assist simply asks that much more from the pump. Using a stock or modified stock pump at or beyond it's design capacity will burn it up quick.

PSC pumps last much longer and work better simply because they aren't being pushed to the limit 100% of the time like a stock pump might be. Depending on application, PSC pumps are 30-50% , more flow and pressure.


Again, some of you have wheeled with me, my steering setup (stock Saginaw pump, 1.5" ram) works ok. I wouldn't call it reliable per se because I seem to go through pumps pretty often, and I'll certainly be switching to an aftermarket pump when I go to full hydro in the near future.


So that's pretty much my .02, mount the hydro assist cylinder to something solid (usually tabs welded to the axle tube) and use a good pump. Adding hydro assist means that much more load on the steering system and means that the rest of your steering system needs to match it: more pressure, more flow, better cooling, more fluid capacity (especially this, at least with a single ended ram) etc.
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much appreciated information..:waytogo:
 
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