Redneck Ram or PSC gearbox and pump

Brian83

TJ Enthusiast
Original poster
Joined
Mar 25, 2019
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390
Location
Oklahoma City, OK
My saga of steering gear bullshit continues. At this point I'm about ready to just buy a PSC system. Anyone have any input on the Redneck Ram set up? I'm on 35s. I'm not sure if I would buy the PSC hydro Assist or just the gear and pump for now and go hydro assist down the road. Just wondered if anyone had any real world input on the set up from Redneck.
 
I just wrapped up an install of the PSC pump, gearbox, and ram. It goes together very well and is intuitive to work with. It can also be used if you ever add hydroboost in the future.
If you get the PSC ram, consider the bolt-on kit sold on Blaine's website. Setting up the ram took maybe half a day, minus painting a couple brackets. The heat sink kit is also quite nice.

https://www.shop.blackmagicbrakes.c...rie-Steering-STEERING-COOLER-BRACKETS-RAM.htm
 
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I have the PSC set up and even without the ram it is so much better. I have a buddy running the Redneck ram and it’s good with ram but needed a new pump and modification but is still slower than the PSC
 
I just wrapped up an install of the PSC pump, gearbox, and ram. It goes together very well and is intuitive to work with. It can also be used if you ever add hydroboost in the future.
If you get the PSC ram, consider the bolt-on kit sold on Blaine's website. Setting up the ram took maybe half a day, minus painting a couple brackets. The heat sink kit is also quite nice.

https://www.shop.blackmagicbrakes.c...rie-Steering-STEERING-COOLER-BRACKETS-RAM.htm
Did you use the BMB setup? I’m having a hell of a time getting a response from PSC for the parts MrBlaine said I’d need from them.
 
Did you use the BMB setup? I’m having a hell of a time getting a response from PSC for the parts MrBlaine said I’d need from them.
Yes. I purchased the gearbox kit and pump kit from PSC. Between the two PSC kits and the BMB kit, I had every part I needed except for one small fitting.

Try calling PSC. I never had any luck contacting them via email.
 
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Send me an email on the website and I'll try to help. I can order and have it drop shipped to you.
I’ll give them until the end of the week and if I don’t hear back I’ll contact you Monday through your BMB email. Thanks.
 
PSC gives fittings for a smaller return line. In order to use your larger hose, I had to run out and get a 1/2 O-ring to 1/2 JIC fitting to fit the AN fitting on the return line without switching to the smaller hose.

The fitting PSC provided is sitting on the bottle. The JIS fitting I bought is installed

15866543579517236737360037086920.jpg
 
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PSC gives fittings for a smaller return line. In order to use your larger hose, I had to run out and get a 1/2 O-ring to 1/2 JIC fitting to fit the AN fitting on the return line without switching to the smaller hose.

The fitting PSC provided is sitting on the bottle. The JIS fitting I bought is installed

View attachment 153130
Guessing you didn't order the 146 set up for -12 and -8 then?
 
Did not know I needed to... or that it was even an option. This is the kit I ordered:
https://www.pscmotorsports.com/vehicle-specific-products/jeep-temp/03-06-jeep-tj-lj/psc-pk1852.html

Also kept the stock high pressure line. Will that cause issues?
My apologies for not knowing the kits, at all. I order based off of a parts list I've used over the years. The stock high pressure line is perfect and there is no benefit to moving to any other style or type.

Yes, it is an option. I use the 145/146 set up with -12 feed and -8 return along with a CBR pump set up with female inlet for a stock pressure line and a -12 feed.
 
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My apologies for not knowing the kits, at all. I order based off of a parts list I've used over the years. The stock high pressure line is perfect and there is no benefit to moving to any other style or type.

Yes, it is an option. I use the 145/146 set up with -12 feed and -8 return along with a CBR pump set up with female inlet for a stock pressure line and a -12 feed.
Fortunately your kit had barely just enough hose to run -8 for the entire return line. I believe the PSC kit uses the -10 feed line.

The only thing I didn't understand was what the black hose fitting was different for. It was much more difficult to get the hose on that one for whatever reason.
 
Fortunately your kit had barely just enough hose to run -8 for the entire return line. I believe the PSC kit uses the -10 feed line.

The only thing I didn't understand was what the black hose fitting was different for. It was much more difficult to get the hose on that one for whatever reason.
Color tells me nothing. Explain
 
Color tells me nothing. Explain
One of the three 90 degree hose fittings for the -8 return line was black instead of gray. Not sure if it was any different than the others, but it seemed like it was much harder to get the hose on that fitting than the others. May have been my imagination though.
 
One of the three 90 degree hose fittings for the -8 return line was black instead of gray. Not sure if it was any different than the others, but it seemed like it was much harder to get the hose on that fitting than the others. May have been my imagination though.
We warm the end of the hose with a heat gun, squirt power steering fluid in the end and shove it onto the barbs. Doesn't seem to make any difference what fitting we use, they are all the same effort.
 
Following Blaine's advice to use a 12 -AN pressure line, 8 -AN return lines, and single pass cooler, I also just finished up a PSC install. Although I ordered the SK250 kit, I didn't install the cylinder assist. After the install the steering was effortless and all my steering, clunks, groans, and weird noises were gone.

The only thing I needed extra was some additional 1/2" hose, for the cooler, and a -8 AN fitting for the reservoir. These were easily sourced from a local hydraulic hose shop. For me, the most difficult part of the job was:

1. Separating the steering rod from the sector shaft - a little pry bar and PB Blaster helped
2. Shortening the steering rod - drilling out the plastic pin and shortening the rod approximately 2"
3. Installing the 16" single pass cooler - I made a bracket out of aluminum and put it behind the "V" brace in the grill and sandwiched the "V" brace in between the cooler (on the front) and bracket (on the back).

The job was made much easier by removing the:

1. Fan
2. Fan shroud
3. Serpentine belt
4. Radiator bolts
5. Two top condenser bolts
6. Two top "V" brace bolts and
7. Driver side headlight bucket.

Items 4 -7 were needed so the radiator and condenser could be tipped back. This was the only way to get the 16" cooler through the headlight bucket and into position. Positioning of the reservoir was important also, because you need to keep the feed line to the pump as short as possible, without kinking the line.

Once I had everything done I double checked the fittings, filled the reservoir and primed the system by turning the pump by hand.

I'm sure Blaine will jump in if needed, but one of the most critical things to do is to ensure the wheels are straight and steering wheel locked in position when you take things apart. This will keep you from damaging the clock spring and set you up for using the reference markings provided by PSC on the steering box. The red marks need to be lined up to ensure the box is in the proper position for installation. I followed this and everything lined up perfectly.

Edit: I noticed Northridge has the SK250 kit 15% off now, at $1544, with free shipping. You do need to order the 16" cooler additionally though. Also, if you don't have one, you'll need a 33MM socket for the Pitman Arm nut.

4n4Oo9m.jpg
 
What cooler are you guys running and where did you get it? I'm guessing it's not the cooler PSC has on their website? Also are you running the PSC fluid?
 
What cooler are you guys running and where did you get it? I'm guessing it's not the cooler PSC has on their website? Also are you running the PSC fluid?
Blaine's kit comes with a bolt-on cooler that fits in front of the A/C condenser.
I am using the Swepco fluid