Power Steering Pump Opinions, Please

Ok everyone .... Have a question in which the answer would be more of an opinion than an outright fact.



I have replaced the steering box on my 97 XJ with that of a 79 J20 (already took care of the hose fittings). I did this because of my desire to run a 4 bolt box with a larger piston. At the same time, I wanted to keep a box that was very similar in characteristics to the factory gear box.


So far, so good ?


My XJ will be running 33s (285/75/16 flavor) so the extra "oomph" was a good deal for the rocks. The frame has been braced forwards, backwards, upside down, and maybe even inside out.



Ok .... the question is which of the 2 power steering pumps would be a better choice ?


1) Reman OE power steering pump for 97 XJ (factory application)


2) Reman OE power sttering pump for 01+ WJ



My understanding is that the WJ pump can be fitted with mild mods ( I just happened to stumble across that info while looking for the J20 box specs ). From what I read, the WJ box provides a little more boost. My concern is that it would start to feel "over-boosted" kind of how the late 80s early 90s Cherokees felt.


Steering linkage wise ... I am running an OTK / Inverted T arrangement. The draglink angles are definitely acceptable right now and but will still be further improved later on (relocating the track bar AGAIN). I do not anticipate quite the roll issues based on the steering knuckles I am using .... but I'm not going to say it would be completely eliminated until I drive it. :gag:



Right now ... my gut feeling tells me to just get a reman XJ pump. If so .... I would think the J20 box alone would be sufficient for 33s for my intended usage. Am I correct in this line of thinking?



There is a 20 dollar difference between the 2 pumps -- so price is not really a factor ($70 vs $90).



Can anyone share some input? All responses are appreciated. Even the http://www.naxja.org/forum/search.php ones. :laugh: If you need some more specific information, please ask me. I will be keeping my eyes on this thread.




One of these days I'll get my build thread here too. Should be interesting to see the reaction. :doh:



THANKS !!!


Joe

Found this thread: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=946090



Not sure I want fingertip sensitive steering.



Comments or input is still welcome. :flame:



Joe

it was not in your list... but I really like my AGR pump. I have a stock box abd with this pump it does not feel like I have 12.5" wide 33"s on. Still a little weak on the rocks but that's because I have stock box and steering...

Magus2727 said:

it was not in your list... but I really like my AGR pump. I have a stock box abd with this pump it does not feel like I have 12.5" wide 33"s on. Still a little weak on the rocks but that's because I have stock box and steering...

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I'd rather put the cost savings into something else ... hence I am only looking at these 2 options.


And if it goes bad (heaven forbid) they carry a lifetime warranty. If it fails on me in some god forsaken place I can get reimbursement up to the cost I paid at my store. Balance would be out of my pocket. So it's a fair trade-off for me.




This is one mod that really has me wondering what's best --- :wow:




Joe

Joe Attardo said:

My concern is that it would start to feel "over-boosted" kind of how the late 80s early 90s Cherokees felt.

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Sorry for being a bit off topic, but what was different with those years to make it feel "over boosted"?

Rmart30 said:

Sorry for being a bit off topic, but what was different with those years to make it feel "over boosted"?

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I think the box ratio was different ... but I'm too lazy to go thru the parts books to verify what was different. I know the steering wheel was like 10 inches in diameter bigger


But with my 89 ... if you sneezed while driving, prepare for a 3 lane change ! My wife hated driving the '89. The 97 has a much heavier feel to it and I want to retain that.



Joe

Hey Joe, I'll see if I can provide some help for you here... but only because you said "Please...":laugh3:

I did not check your linked posts, is there any actual flow/psi numbers for the XJ and the WJ pumps? Also, are you doing Hydraulic Assist too? Are you running a sway bar on-road? I can't imagine the flow/psi of these two versions of pumps would be all that different. I would research what these aftermarket companies do to increase the performance of the "stock-style" pumps. I believe there is some porting work done. Just do that to a factory XJ pump, and you'll be fine.

You shouldn't have to worry about that "floaty" feel either with 33" tires. Sometimes the J20 boxes feel a little loose though, and you may need to tweak the aduster on top of the box to tighten it up a bit.

Hey Andy ... anyone ever tell you that you are a smartazz ? If not ... I would like to be the first one. :smootch:



The WJ pump thread does not have any actual numbers posted .... but it does appear to offer a signifcant assit in the tight spots. That sounds all well & good --- but I'm concerned about the floating sensation. And to be honest, I got used to a heavy steering wheel (between the 97 XJ and my wife's front wheel drive car).


I am not doing any kind of assist on this Jeep. I can't imagine a "skinny" 33 (11 inches wide) creating that much drag. Granted, it could get wedged in, but powering out isn't the answer either.


I am going to run either the original sway bar (1 inch) or one from an older Limited model (1.125) for the time being. I'm currently in conversation with Jim & Charlie at JKS about adapting their new Switchblade swaybar to the XJ platform. That might not be for another 2 months or so.


Didn't plan on any aftermarket pump. Just an OE pump from another application. Check out that thread to see what I am referring to.



I saw a link to the West Texas mod (to port slightly). Anyone think that might be a good compromise?



Assuming the box is built properly .... I'm hoping that picking the 78-79 J20 box will provide what i need. It has a larger piston (a'la durango). The same variable ratio that my XJ has. And the same torsion levels (for road feedback). It also has the 4 bolts body for extra mounting strength. The only downside is that the hose fittings are flared instead of O-rings. So we have the *potential* for more leaks. If you try to use 80+ J20 boxes ... it ends up being the same part number as the J10 box and the YJ box.


Appreciate the input .. and maybe this information can help someone else out too. Like I said .. the answers are subjective, so I'm trying to get a concensus (if there is one) on the best pump for this application.



I used to be indecisive. These days, I'm not so sure about that.




Joe

If you have evidence that one pump puts out more pressure than the other, get the one with more pressure. You should never feel anything negative, any "floaty" feeling because you have a bigger or better pump. Tons of us run higher performance aftermarket boxes and pumps and there are no negative handling attributes....no extra sensitivity or floaty feeling......they just work good.

The only possibility in feeling different would be going from a variable speed box to a non-variable. In most cases the Saginaw box with the bigger piston is non-variable, however I am not at all knowledgeable about what boxes come in J20's, YJ's, or Durango's. I have talked extensively, however, with Lee Mfg and PSC about the two sizes of Saginaw boxes that work on our XJ's, the 800 and the 808. Both come in either 3 bolt or 4 bolt, based on the year of application, and are interchangeable. Kind of crazy that they went away from the 4 bolt boxes on 4x4's, but I guess the factory never assumes people will modify their rigs and run larger tires. I've broken one of the ears off of two different steering boxes, which is a bummer especially when you only run aftermarket parts. But, each time Tommy Lee just put my guts in a new case, and recommended that I change to a 4 bolt box. Definitely a good long term modification to use a 4 bolt box if you can fab up the mount to use the extra bolt.