04 steering gear/box advice

[stabbyjoe]

Good evening.
I have a 04 TJ and will be needing to replace the steering gear/box in the near future.
My first bolt in replacement choice is the psc xd box.. BUT.. This brings me to my first question. Do I need to get the high volume pump and reservoir if I'm not running hydro assist OR should I get them for performance purposes?(which I'm not opposed to)
second question... is the psc bolt in worth it on an 04? Or should I modify the mounting hole on the frame to the 97-02 bolt pattern? (highly doable for me to accomplish).
Will be doing hard wheeling so please consider that with your answer.

Thank you all, I really appreciate this page for being here.

 

[P man]

This is a @mrblaine Type of question.

 

[mrblaine]

Good evening.
I have a 04 TJ and will be needing to replace the steering gear/box in the near future.
My first bolt in replacement choice is the psc xd box.. BUT.. This brings me to my first question. Do I need to get the high volume pump and reservoir if I'm not running hydro assist OR should I get them for performance purposes?(which I'm not opposed to)
second question... is the psc bolt in worth it on an 04? Or should I modify the mounting hole on the frame to the 97-02 bolt pattern? (highly doable for me to accomplish).
Will be doing hard wheeling so please consider that with your answer.

Thank you all, I really appreciate this page for being here.

PSC uses the same gear for both year ranges just with different mounts to fit the frame bolt sleeve pattern so there is no difference in the two except what they bolt up to. You can run the gear with a stock pump and generally the only downside will be a slower response and less power at times. If you are wheeling hard enough that those show up, you need the bigger pump anyway. Once you do move to the bigger pump and remote reservoir, you will need or should be running a good cooler.

At some point you may stress the trackbar mount enough to tear it loose from the frame. That is when hydro assist becomes far more valuable than just a mod to be collected.

 

[stabbyjoe]

Lightbulb moment!
Okay, so am I understanding correctly? Psc should be my first choice If I'm going to wheel it as "hard as I say". At that point hydro assist isn't necessarily a "cool mod", It's worth the investment ahead of time if im willing and have the money to do so. Especially at the psc standard of steering gears.

 

[mrblaine]

Lightbulb moment!
Okay, so am I understanding correctly? Psc should be my first choice If I'm going to wheel it as "hard as I say". At that point hydro assist isn't necessarily a "cool mod", It's worth the investment ahead of time if im willing and have the money to do so. Especially at the psc standard of steering gears.

You have to make the choice based on your own value system. PSC is the only company offering a new steering gear instead of a reman for performance steering which is what causes the big price difference.

Hydro assist is easy to figure out. When you get in the rocks and can't turn the steering wheel, then it isn't "should I get it?" it becomes "where do I get it?",