Hydro assist

Omgbecki

Well-Known Member
Location
Ogden
Do you have a front locker?

It takes a lot of stress off the steering box and frame, so I'd say not overkill especially if you have a front locker.


I do have an ARB up front and a spartan in the rear. Typically I just unlock the front when I need steering which is still kind of a pain because it doesn't always unlock immediately. I understand itll take the strain off of certain parts but if I'm locked wouldn't it just move the strain elsewhere? Hence why I'm wondering if it is worth it
 

Omgbecki

Well-Known Member
Location
Ogden
Yes, it will help. You are probably getting as much stress on steering parts from the rear Spartan as you are with the front ARB.


Honestly I miss my old set up of a locked front and the stock limited in the rear. I didn't have nearly as much issues steering but of course I couldn't leave well enough alone. I'm not even sure exactly how the hydro assist works. It doesn't replace the steering box does it? I'd rather not since it's pretty new
 

Agility Customs

Well-Known Member
Vendor
Honestly I miss my old set up of a locked front and the stock limited in the rear. I didn't have nearly as much issues steering but of course I couldn't leave well enough alone. I'm not even sure exactly how the hydro assist works. It doesn't replace the steering box does it? I'd rather not since it's pretty new

We do alot of hydro assist installs where we just drill and Tap your current steering box instead of replacing them with a high dollar PSC unit. If your current box is new thats great, Drill and tap it and then mount your ram and lines and presto......

Hydro assist is my favorite mod ever, most people think they dont need it and once they have it they kick themselves for putting it off for so long.
 

thenag

Registered User
Location
Kearns
You can google around and find some good how to info.

My father in law has a tj on 33's with ARB's front and rear, For him I would think there are better things to spend the money on, he is pretty easy on the jeep. I would also look into the longevity of d30 knuckles with a ram, I worry about my d60 knuckles with the ram.

It is a great upgrade.

My experience, which is a d60 with 37's, was great, the only down side is that steering is not as quick, if I had to steer quickly to the right then back to the left I don't think the tires would do it, but I also think the jeep would be on its roof if I steered that quickly. Even with a re-enforced uni-body it is a good piece of mind for me to have the ram doing most of the work.

Building your own setup is one of those things that seems really hard, but if you do the research and build it up it ends up being easier than you thought.

Nathan
 

Agility Customs

Well-Known Member
Vendor
You can google around and find some good how to info.

My father in law has a tj on 33's with ARB's front and rear, For him I would think there are better things to spend the money on, he is pretty easy on the jeep. I would also look into the longevity of d30 knuckles with a ram, I worry about my d60 knuckles with the ram.

It is a great upgrade.

My experience, which is a d60 with 37's, was great, the only down side is that steering is not as quick, if I had to steer quickly to the right then back to the left I don't think the tires would do it, but I also think the jeep would be on its roof if I steered that quickly. Even with a re-enforced uni-body it is a good piece of mind for me to have the ram doing most of the work.

Building your own setup is one of those things that seems really hard, but if you do the research and build it up it ends up being easier than you thought.

Nathan

We run the full WeRock circuit in XJ Nates rig with hydro assist on a dana 30 knuckle and that thing is surely put in worse spots than most. Still going strong after 4 years of comp use.
 

Omgbecki

Well-Known Member
Location
Ogden
What's the difference between hydro assist and full hydro? It looks like full hydro actually goes to the knuckle where as assist goes to the tie rod?
 

I Lean

Mbryson's hairdresser
Vendor
Location
Utah
Full hydro will completely eliminate your steering box and drag link, and possibly your tie rod. (if you use a double-ended ram) You would no longer have any mechanical connection between your steering wheel and the tires.

Hydro assist just taps into the existing hydraulic circuit in the steering box, and adds a ram to provide more steering force, but keeps all the mechanicals the same.
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
And for the most part, you wouldn't want full hydro on a rig that's on the street most of the time. The way it works, it can be twitchy, there's minimal feedback from the road, etc. Driving at higher speeds is out of the question with full hydro on the street. Hydro assist on the street is virtually invisible.
 

Omgbecki

Well-Known Member
Location
Ogden
Those are exactly what I was thinking. I'd never have a rig that would come close to needing it but found a lot of examples when searching hydro assist set ups.


Looks like this also gets rid of the steering stabilizer. I haven't seen an example using the stock configuration though. Is there a reason for it? I figured maybe because most do a high steer set up.
 

joez

Registered User
Location
Elwood, Illinois
Those are exactly what I was thinking. I'd never have a rig that would come close to needing it but found a lot of examples when searching hydro assist set ups.


Looks like this also gets rid of the steering stabilizer. I haven't seen an example using the stock configuration though. Is there a reason for it? I figured maybe because most do a high steer set up.

No sense in keeping the steering stabilizer as the hydro assist ram acts as the best stabilizer there could ever be.
 

ID Bronco

Registered User
Location
Idaho Falls, ID
Hydro assist as others have said is one of the best mods on any rig with large tires being used offroad. It made a huge difference on the functionality and comfort of my rig.
 
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