Power steering-It's harder to turn right than left

[owenst7]

My box is tapped for 3/8" NPT. Some guys on here are getting away with 1/4", but a lot of people have complained that the 1/4" fitting reduces flow too much.

Mine is 3/8"NPT from box to a hose with male 3/8"NPT on both ends. Then a male 6 JIC fitting at the ram with a 90 deg swivel and a female NPT fitting on the other side. If you're ordering hoses off surplus center, the 48" ones will be way too long unless you have like 12" of lift.

Let me know if you want any more thorough info on the plumbing. I am not a plumber but the local store was very helpful with teaching me the nomenclature. I found it pretty confusing until they taught me how to ask them what I was asking for lol.

And honestly I think tapped caps are 10,000% better in this application than tapping the casting for three reasons.
It's easier and still very cheap
You can still use that box as a core and/or move your caps to a different box in minutes in the future.
you will never have tire clearance issues with the hoses on the front and top (this is the biggest reason).

In case you don't know, NPT is a tapered diameter and seals by wedging the fitting in to the threads. Don't run the tap in too far or the fitting will never get tight. Your fitting should still have several threads visible when it is snugged down. Also, if you're on a budget, harbor freight sells a 6 piece tap & die set that has 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" for like $10-$12. It's a killer deal and my taps have held up just fine, just remember to oil them when you're using them.

 

[pblaze725]

Thanks.
I learned about the tapered tap on the inter web. For some reason I was thinking about standard tap sizes like 1/4" diameter 18 TPI but I quickly realized the error I was making.
Yesterday I replaced my gearbox. Right now my steering is working great. I am going to put the hydo assist on the backburner for a while, while I was under my rig I found some leaks that need to be taken care of.
My tranny coolant lines seem to be leaking. I guess I have to change the O rings. Should I use thread sealant on the fittings too?

 

[shaun89]

hey Pblaze, i did a search and luckly found this thread. im having the SAME issue with turning right,and i read that u replaced ur pump a couple posts up.u said it ran smooth but did it solve the issue with turning right? im hoping i dont have to replace and re-tap another 2wd box

 

[Fordum]

After I posted my post, I realized there was one other consideration. Since you are using a single ended ram, it will not respond equally in both directions.
On the side without the shaft, given equal pressure and volume, it will move slower but with more strength when the pressure is applied on that side then when the pressure is on the shaft side.

Since the surface area of one side of the end of the ram is less than the surface area of the other.
So, if your pump was not developing enough pressure or volume, it might only work one way.

 

[shaun89]

o wow, i never thought of that,but that makes complete sense,thanks..but i also got a new "normal" pump,i had a hydro boost pump on there cause i heard they flow a little better but i had to swap out the resivors cause my bracket didnt fit. maybe i messed it up swapping them. so with the new pump im doing the typical volume/pressure mods and hopefully that will be it...we'll see!

 

[pblaze725]

My issue was in the gear box. I changed the pump first & it was pretty much the same, then I changed the gear box & the problem went away.
Did you modify the pump for more flow?

 

[shaun89]

really? uughh,i was hoping it wasnt, but i got a new pump yesterday,it rained today so i did the mod in my garage,and ill put it in tomorrow or asap when the weathers good. im going to try and flush the box in a last ditch effort to not have to find another 2wd box and re-tap it. ill keep u updated. btw,thanks for coming back to answer this.

 

[pblaze725]

Definitely the steering box. That's the only place that differentiates between left and right. Everything else would present itself in any turning condition.

This guy gets the prize for my situation.

However there was a good point mentioned that if the steering stabilizer cylinder (or in your case hydraulic ram) or shaft is damaged it could be the problem too.
Don't be intimidated by swapping out the gear box it was really easy. While it's off the frame you may want to consider frame reinforcement, maybe plate & longer mounting bolts so you can add nuts and whatever else may make that area stronger.

 

[shaun89]

ya,my first thoughts were my pump,but it turns out it isnt. then i thought my ram got dented,thats fine also. so im going to buy a box from my friends tonight,then tapping it tomorrow and hopefully the rain will hold off to put it in. i almost forgot,about an hour ago while the lines were off,i turned the steering wheel a bunch of times to clear any garbage and or fluid out of the box. then i put a new and freshly modified pump in there and now its hard to turn LEFT and easy to turn right lol wtf o well..but i no steering boxes arent hard, i just didnt want to have to get another one and tap another one for hydro,kind of a PITA thats all.,and i have an ORD brace on there already. thanks for all the help guys! ill let u no how the "new to me" box performs.

 

[shaun89]

so its been ****ty weather and a busy life,and i was sick of waiting so i put on my big boy pants on and finished the steering in the rain today. and it works! thanks for all the help guys! the steering issue on top of dropping my tranny because of my clutch issue has been a PITA. i love chasing multiple major issue and both fixes were the last thing i would have thought of. so glad its over with...for now lol thanks again

 

[pblaze725]

Awesome