Alright guys, idk if this goes here, or even if anyone on the board will be able to help me, but before i go and get laughed at over on Pirate, ill ask the question here...


is there a way to do hydraulically assisted steering with IFS/rack and pinion? or any kind of assist for that matter, electric actuators?

maybe disconnect the tie rod ends off road, and steer with a joystick?

i want to figure something out because with the locker i cant turn worth shat... and i almost rolled last weekend because of iy..


Thanks
-Matt

 

With enough money anything can be done. Just keep in mind, most states hydro steering is illegal. And even IF you only use it off road you just wasted your money b/c you will still all most flip due to your locker on the road which is where most people use their trucks the most.

 

it was going to be some kind of part time setup, i have manual hubs, and i almost flipped b/c i couldn't turn and went up a bank.. there's nothing like that on the road...

 

How about going to a larger PS pump , maybe from an F-250.You may have fab a new bracket.

 

there isn't a way to make a "part time" switchable setup.....either it works or it doesn't......and hydraulic steering is illegal even if it is hyraulic assisted in most states...

 

Why is Hydro -steering illegal?

 

who knows.......but it is......

 

if you lose power to the truck *stalls, shuts off going down the road* you will loose your steering being the pump is 12volts no 12 volts pump isnt runnin..you have fluid in the lines but no pressure or nothing pumping on it to move it..the wheel will be all floppy and loose and i dunno what you would do..

thats all that i can come up with..

 

What's the difference between Hydro and power steering then ( besides the obvious Mechanics)?

I have driven an old vehicle without power steering, that's a biotch.

 

With power steering there is a direct mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering box/rack and the wheels.
Hydraulic steering there is a valve at the end of the steering shaft.No direct mechanical link to the wheels.If you lose hydraulic pressure there is no way to turn the wheels.

 

Exactly, if you lose power with a power steering truck you can still turn the wheels, its just not as easy.

 

im scared about making it full time because its more responsive then normal steering, and there is no way to like, fab a bracket to the steering knuckle, and make it so you can disconnect the ram?

because i see that in my head, please tell me how i couldnt achieve 'part time' by doing it that way...

i was never envisioning converting fully to hydro steering... not yet atleast, once its sas'd and its a trail beast maybe

 

its not. this is a common misconception that it is.

 

there are several setups that are legal. they still have the mechanical link and they hydro assist.

 

i want to add something onto what i have, i don't want to mess with my stock steering set up.

 

If the locker is keeping you from making a turn on trail get out and unlock a hub.

 

im with phil, unlocking a hub will fix it.

or just turn harder!

only way i would know is to some how port the rack and mount the cylinder infront of the rack. then stack the links.

 

i would, but you should see some of those hills haha, theres no room to get out, and as soon as im in the turn theres another climb which i cant normally make in 3wd...

it was taking me AND the passenger to turn the wheel, and sometimes that wasn't enough lol


so Zach, your saying, stack em? or something like that i was thinking do a steering set up like a SFA, minus the gear box, and just be able to disconnect the piston from the ?drag link? im flaky on the names but i have a picture of what i want to do in my head.

 

idk how to tell you. but it could work.

the rack and pinion is kinda like ram assist. not sure if you could boost it.

 

in Indiana, even hydro assisted setups are illegal for on road use....

 

I would like to see that law.

 

accouple things

theres a difference between Hydraulic Assisted Steering and plain Hydraulic Steering

Hydraulic ASSISTED steering is legal in all 50 states BECAUSE it is assisted steering, so if the pump goes out, you still have the manual ram, its just being ASSISTED by hydraulic

and I'm not understanding how you are going to adapt this with a rack and pinion setup, Ive seen it work with steering boxes, but isn't a rack and pinion a hydraulic-like setup to begin with?

 

not strong enough, idk what ill do, Badkarma said a mud truck down the street has a sprocket welded to one shaft, and to another, so you have the mechanical linkage but you get the extra gearing?


im not totally sure how ill adapt it, maybe ill just deal with it until i figure it out.. orrrr just when i get a SFA