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Full hydro or hydro assist??

Full hydro - makes life much simpler

As with any system carry some extra hose, reusable fittings and more fluid to get ya home if something really goes down

Matt
 
Whats your planned tire size? If its 40" or smaller I would go with assist just because its cheaper than full hydro. Look at www.wnccustomjeeps.com and check out what they can do. I was thinking about hydro assist and they had a killer deal on it.

AARON
 
Also think about how steeriung with full hydro will be if your rig isn't ruinng...

We had Wills Scrambler die on Mt Mayhem and getting it out was a huge chore because it wasn't running....no steering.
 
go full hydro or go home.

its a quick, easy, straightforward mod...

IMHO, the xj uni-crap frame rail isn't worthy of pushing huge tires with a steering box there. Yeah, an assist ram mounted on the axle takes a lot of the pressure off, but if yer gonna go the hydro route, why not just go for ultimate power an symplicity?

before the dual purpose xjers start whining about legality issues, I know since we're talking to Forewheeler here, we're talking about a trailered rig. My answer reflects that situation.
 
TOZOVR said:
Also think about how steeriung with full hydro will be if your rig isn't ruinng...

We had Wills Scrambler die on Mt Mayhem and getting it out was a huge chore because it wasn't running....no steering.

I'd like to dispell this myth right here, right now....

if you buy a barkeater-special orbital valve, then you'll more than likely find a percentage of them do not steer dead.....

however, MANY orbital valves will pump steer while dead.

i can steer my rig without the engine running, its a bit slower and harder, but no big deal, it can still be done.

Every single one of my four forklifts can steer dead come to think of it......
 
Myth? A myth is a traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people.... Sorry beez. It happened I was there. What I posted was first hand experience of a hydraulic setup barely steering when the engine was dead (granted he's running 44's....)

...Did he have the barkeater-special orbital valve you speak of? Nope. I guess that wouldn't have been a problem if he had though, good to know.

I was just throwing out a concern.

FWIW the steering on his scrambler is from a Steam Roller :D





Beezil said:
I'd like to dispell this myth right here, right now....

if you buy a barkeater-special orbital valve, then you'll more than likely find a percentage of them do not steer dead.....

however, MANY orbital valves will pump steer while dead.

i can steer my rig without the engine running, its a bit slower and harder, but no big deal, it can still be done.

Every single one of my four forklifts can steer dead come to think of it......
 
it is a myth.....

at least on POR which is usually a couple steps ahead of what is discussed here.

you cannot discuss 'going hydro' without folks perpetuating the "myth" that "hydro steering won't steer when the engine isn't running"....

which is true, when you are running "less talented" orbital valves.....

the "myth" develops when people read the various 'no power means no steer' reply, and assume that ALL orbital valves are the same.

lesson learned?

choose your non-barkeater orbital valve wisely.
 
Sorry, didn't mean to perpetuate...had no idea there was a myth or rumors about it...just merely recounted my personal experience and tossed it out as something to think about.
 
my hesitancy in going to full-hydro rather than hydro-assist comes down to margin of error. it seems that you can have an 80% perfect steering system with a drag-link and be just fine, but you have to have a 95+% perfect system with full-hydro or you're going to end up in serious trouble.

if you're familiar with Elf-Cruiser's full-hydro problem over on PBB, you'll see what I mean
 
mad maXJ said:
, but you have to have a 95+% perfect system with full-hydro or you're going to end up in serious trouble.

your paranoia will end up being your limiting factor on serious obstacles......

I don't know who elf is, but how can someone have THAT MUCH trouble with something so mechanically basic?????
 
Beez, I'm also going to go full hydro after BOTW. What orbital, pump, cooler & filter setup did you go with? Did you buy a package or piece it together? I had pricing from a company that deals with full hydro and the orbital was only $279, cheaper than an AGR seep box.

-jb
 
POR connection.....

you guessed it.....

station.....

have some money you don't mind other people earning interst on?????

stock products
the other guys research
your money
the other guys timeframe.....

know whadda mean?

I guess its one of those "value added" things.....

who understands?
 
Beezil said:
your paranoia will end up being your limiting factor on serious obstacles......

I don't know who elf is, but how can someone have THAT MUCH trouble with something so mechanically basic?????


I don't know if they ever figured out exactly what went wrong, there was talk of the pump cavitating, air bubble, debris in a line, blah blah blah, the point is he had a setup that worked flawlessly for months then BAM, he was upside down on the side of a road.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=208725

sure the same thing could happen with a TRE breaking or something else in a mechanical system, but TREs are more "idiot-proof" than full-hydro.

I wouldn't hesitate to do full-hydro for a couple hundred bucks on something fully tubed that never goes over 50. I wouldn't hesitate to do full-hydro on my daily driver MJ if I could drop over a grand to have Station set everything up for me.

However, cobbling together a full-hydro setup for a couple hundred dollars then driving it 80 mph on public roads is just asking for problems.
 
I am running full hydro on my XJ. Before I did it, I had hesitations also. But then I did it and I'll never go back for a trail only rig. I love turning the wheel with one hand on the trail. Makes life easy. Bring spares though. Ram, lines, fittings, and fluid!!!! The only problem I've had in mine for over a year now is that occasionally on steep, bumpy inclines the pump will "suck" an air bubble and I'll get a dead spot for a second. But all it takes to get the bubble out is turn the wheel the other way for a second and your good to go again. Easy remedy is to run an external reservior. I've just been too lasy so far to install it. Maybe this winter..... Do it, you won't regret it.

I also only have 300 into mine... Orbital valve from a combine... Works awsome and yes, it does steer just fine withought the engine running.
 
I built my system by buying a piece at a time - it works fine and does steer nicely with the engine off - I can go lock to lock while the rig is sitting still on a concrete slab...

The only issue I have had so far is on the rod side of cylinder the pump pressure does not generate quite the amount of force I would like (pump bypasses while steering into heavy rocks and trees, logs, ect) I am still using the OEM pressure cartridge so once I shim it a little it will be fine...

This stuff is not rocket science and works much more simply than the gear box with an aggolmeration of power assist stuff - plus with a drag link you start to loose right turn as you articulate....

Matt
 
I like my dual, but really, a single will definitly work just fine for you too....

I don't think the pro cons between running one or the other make for a clear decision....

I am using a 9.7 orbital valve, which is a FLOW HOG! and I'm still running the stock ps pump, and i haven't even done the flow restrictor mod yet.....

I don't need to.

fore, check out surpluscenter.com........
 
Beez, can you give me some specs on what to look for, surpluscenter has a million different rams, I don't know what the fawk to be looking for, I'm stupid.

I assume that I need an orbital valve, ram and hoses and fab mounting brackets. what else?
 
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