Help dialing in my steering..

[Rockdrummer93]

Alright so I've been running my hydro assist for a little while now and it's been great but I took the jeep out last Sunday and mid way through the day the steering just got rock hard at idle.. Never really had an issue with this before. Figured it was just hot fluid but after I got it home and let it sit for a few days I went to drive it and it was still doing it as soon as I started her up but it steers fine with the rpms up. Now I know was I gonna run into some issues slapping a ram into a factory power steering set up. What my question is what should I start with? Pulley? Cooler? Drilling the fitting out (and is there a write up for this?)? Trying not to spend a whole lot but need to get it fixed..

 

[trippled]

http://westtexasoffroad.homestead.com/powersteering.html definitely need a cooler, but sounds like your pump is on its way out.

 

[Jbh97009]

Cooler, for cooling and extra fluid capacity, and probably something like psc's pulley. Just a bit smaller to build a little more pressure/flow more?

Depends on what ram you have too, but sounds like your pump is no Bueno....

I don't know hardly anything about hydro assist, but some guys have luck with a home brew setup, some don't. The big boys like PSC and Howe will tell you that the system has to be setup just right for optimum performance. Meaning pump putting out the right psi at the right rate, proper fluid amount, and a properly sized ram to play nice with the pump....
Like I said though, I don't know very much yet but I've been doing some reading as I'm about due for hydro myself

 

[yossarian19]

If it worked for a while but now it doesn't and your fluid level is good, I'm going with "Pump dying"
Add a power steering cooler & a filter in the return line while you are at it.

 

[Rockdrummer93]

Thanks for the advise guys I'll probably start collecting parts and do it all at once, pump, cooler and pulley

 

[Rockdrummer93]

Would a psc pump do the job?