Hydro assist steering in steps?

[mrblaine]

Thanks for the education on the fittings. Very good to know.

And its not that I'm intent on not using a remote reservoir. I just don't see the benefit on my TJ. Running a remote ressy involves buying a reservoir, fittings & lines. Then figuring out where to mount it and routing lines. Which is all fine if the benefit is obvious. However, from what I have read the WJ pump is more than adequate to push 37-40" tires, is completely bolt-in with its own piggy-back reservoir, is cheap and I can pick up a replacement at any auto parts store. What am I missing? I guess that as usual, I'll just do it and then either come back and eat crow or I won't .

Well, in that case, why even swap the pump? Hop on over to Redneck Ram and get their instructions for hot rodding your current pump. Shim the pressure relief, drill out the orifice a bit, go have fun.

 

[Chris]

Well, in that case, why even swap the pump? Hop on over to Redneck Ram and get their instructions for hot rodding your current pump. Shim the pressure relief, drill out the orifice a bit, go have fun.

Redneck Ram? As in the dipshit that will port a ZF steering gear and tell you have to stretch the spring on your stock pump and drill it out to run assist?

 

[mrblaine]

Redneck Ram? As in the dipshit that will port a ZF steering gear and tell you have to stretch the spring on your stock pump and drill it out to run assist?

The only problem is that it works just enough of the time that you can't say it is not something you want to do.

 

[Chris]

The only problem is that it works just enough of the time that you can't say it is not something you want to do.

So it's good enough for most, until it isn't.

 

[mrblaine]

So it's good enough for most, until it isn't.

I can't make it work so I don't know how good it really is. I've been on the trail with a couple, some worked, some didn't.

 

[Rock Toy]

Redneck Ram? As in the dipshit that will port a ZF steering gear and tell you have to stretch the spring on your stock pump and drill it out to run assist?

Nothing wrong with a little redneck ingenuity. Not everyone is willing to drop cash on every gold-plated aftermarket part out there. When I started wheeling, that's the way we did it because there was no one out there selling bolt-on parts. So you ported your own box, modified your own pump, fabricated your own suspension and figured it out as you went. Most of it worked and a lot of it failed but we learned from our mistakes. In the sailing community, there is a thing called "credit card captains": folks that don't "really" know how to sail but have enough money to charter nice boats and sometimes someone to sail the boat for them . Same applies in wheeling nowadays. Lots of guys with lots of money that can buy all the parts and bolt them onto their trucks (or pay someone to do that for them) and call themselves wheelers. Which is fine. But I don't think that calling someone a dipshit because they figured out how to do something on their own is in line.

 

[Chris]

Nothing wrong with a little redneck ingenuity. Not everyone is willing to drop cash on every gold-plated aftermarket part out there. When I started wheeling, that's the way we did it because there was no one out there selling bolt-on parts. So you ported your own box, modified your own pump, fabricated your own suspension and figured it out as you went. Most of it worked and a lot of it failed but we learned from our mistakes. In the sailing community, there is a thing called "credit card captains": folks that don't "really" know how to sail but have enough money to charter nice boats and sometimes someone to sail the boat for them . Same applies in wheeling nowadays. Lots of guys with lots of money that can buy all the parts and bolt them onto their trucks (or pay someone to do that for them) and call themselves wheelers. Which is fine. But I don't think that calling someone a dipshit because they figured out how to do something on their own is in line.

I am merely quoting what Blaine said to me in a conversation so you’ll have to take that up with him. I have no experience with Redneck Ram so I am entirely different.

As the cool kids would say these days, “you do you, bro”.

 

[Rock Toy]

Fair enough. I have ported my own boxes, had one of the first Redneck Ram systems and run AGR boxes in the past. I know that PSC is the best and that being said, I am about to throw an AGR box in my TJ because I got one for a great price. But I run with guys that have rigs that are $100K and others that run $5K rigs and the one common thing is that ALL of them break and you never know what's gonna go. Hell, Bailey Campbell was running away with the title at KOH last year and had a water pump pulley fail on her....and I am sure that she was running the best pulley available on the market.

All I'm saying is that there are a lot of bozo's out there doing questionable things but I still appreciate a shadetree mechanic making things work on a budget.

 

[Steel City 06]

This is the pump I use and the one Blaine mentioned I posted:

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/a-less-expensive-cbr-power-steering-pump-option.41085/
It has more than enough flow for a factory or larger box, and probably for hydroboost as well. It works well with a smaller ram, though maximum turning speed can limited at idle RPM. It's not been an issue for me unless I really try to quickly maneuver through a parking lot.

You'll want to convert to the Swepco or GM fluid.