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PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

MUDTRUK said:
Very nice write-up. Let us know how it works once you test it out on some trails, Judd :cheers:
Click to expand...

Sunday we are gonna wheel the Gap. So Ill report on monday.
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

Matt said:
Finnally (one extra) - if that ram will move across its stroke in that mounting you can ignore this but you really want that thing perpendicular in the horizontal axis to the ball joints/ kingpins and the mounting points to be in the same verticle plane as the ball joint/ kingpin axis (ie: caster angle)
If it is not binding you may be OK but that is putting a fair amount of downforce on that tie rod and eventually into the knuckle... :gag:
Just some observations

Matt
Click to expand...

Ok, so I when wheelin on some 4.5+ trails over the weekend, the ram lives the tierod died.

I have about a 1in bend in my tierod caused by the ram. It didnt bend down it bent back twards the axle. I have rock rash all over the tierod so I could have just bent it from ritting a rock, but it needs to be rock proof and its not.

Time to re-do the steering.
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

BrettM said:
I just wanted to bring this one back to the top for everyone, and say thanks again to Ashman for the awesome writeup.
Click to expand...
thanks - i never would have found it
good times! always cool to see interesting things...
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

ashmanjeepxj said:
Ok, so I when wheelin on some 4.5+ trails over the weekend, the ram lives the tierod died.

I have about a 1in bend in my tierod caused by the ram. It didnt bend down it bent back twards the axle. I have rock rash all over the tierod so I could have just bent it from ritting a rock, but it needs to be rock proof and its not.

Time to re-do the steering.
Click to expand...

I havent redone my steering, The tierod was bent by a rock, it hasent bent more so I keep driving it.
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

andyr354 said:
Where did you get the rebuild kit for the steering box? I have checked all the local parts places and they can't get them.

I have a local GM dealer, is there a gm box that uses the same parts and maybe they would have a kit?
Click to expand...

Where do you get the steering box rebuild kit and does anyone have any update?
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

ashmanjeepxj said:
The large piston, with with spiral shaft in it. The Bearings roll through that little tube you can see in the pic. When you remove the spiral shaft the balls fall into the large piston. I used thick bearign grease to hole the bearings in place inside the large piston.
Click to expand...

ashman, thanks again for the writeup. I got a spare box (bent input shaft) that I'm tearing apart so that I know what's going on when I get into my good one. It is much easier and less complicated than I thought.

Here's my question though; the little balls, I have something like 20 of them, but only about 10 fit in that little tube... where do the rest go?

also, half of the balls are real shiny and the other half are a dull dark grey, they look to be the same size (haven't checked with calipers), did you notice a difference with any of your's?
 
BrettM said:
ashman, thanks again for the writeup. I got a spare box (bent input shaft) that I'm tearing apart so that I know what's going on when I get into my good one. It is much easier and less complicated than I thought.

Here's my question though; the little balls, I have something like 20 of them, but only about 10 fit in that little tube... where do the rest go?

also, half of the balls are real shiny and the other half are a dull dark grey, they look to be the same size (haven't checked with calipers), did you notice a difference with any of your's?
Click to expand...

[:angel: on shoulder mode=ON]OK, Max. Put down the "punch lines" and slowly walk away ... [:angel: on shoulder mode=OFF]
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

BrettM said:
ashman, thanks again for the writeup. I got a spare box (bent input shaft) that I'm tearing apart so that I know what's going on when I get into my good one. It is much easier and less complicated than I thought.

Here's my question though; the little balls, I have something like 20 of them, but only about 10 fit in that little tube... where do the rest go?

also, half of the balls are real shiny and the other half are a dull dark grey, they look to be the same size (haven't checked with calipers), did you notice a difference with any of your's?
Click to expand...

Half should be chrome and half are black - they should be put in alternating black and chrome, black, chrome, ect - there is a clearence difference (a few tenths - .0001")

You need to assemble the piston onto the worm gear and add the balls into the piston as you advance the worm gear home - the balls that do not fit into the piston go into the re-circ tube - some grease or steady hands can sneak the rest of the balls into the re-circ tube halves and then clamp it to the piston with out experiancing "loss of containment"

They make a cool plastic tool that you can avoid the whole ball thing all together - it is advanced into the piston as the steel worm gear is withdrawn and all the balls stay in the channels and re-circ tube supported by the plastic worm gear - I never used one... just an FYI

HTH

Matt

PS - pay attention when dissassembling the spool valve motor - it can go back a in couple of ways but only one is correct...
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

Matt said:
PS - pay attention when dissassembling the spool valve motor - it can go back a in couple of ways but only one is correct...
Click to expand...

which one is the spool valve? i'm not down with all the technical lingo ;) there didn't seem to be anything that could go back together more than one way besides the ball bearings.
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

The spool valve is attacheted to the splined input shaft that the steering shaft connects to (if your input was bent you may not have torn into the box that far) It is all the stuff that resides behind the large lock ring and column side adjuster nuts

basically it is a shaft with a spring (torsion bar) that opens the flow of fluid to the piston as you tug the wheel one way or the other...

There is the inner shaft, intermediary ring with scallops cut in it (the metering ring which lets discrete amounts of fluid into the piston chamber), and the outer shell that seals the whole deal and supports it in the bore of the casting... It also has a drive tang which engages the top of the worm gear to drive the piston in manual mode

The inner shaft has a tab that takes some persuasion to align with the scalloped ring while the outer shell is being assembled - most of the instructions and manuals I have seen say not to open the spool unless you have a reason to replace the orings or teflon seals in it...

HTH

Matt
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

Its been awhile since I did mine. I dont remember having different balls, I think all mine were the same. I used some stickey wheel bearing grease to help hold all the balls in place while I screwed it back in.

You probibly have it all done by now?
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

ashmanjeepxj said:
Its been awhile since I did mine. I dont remember having different balls, I think all mine were the same. I used some stickey wheel bearing grease to help hold all the balls in place while I screwed it back in.

You probibly have it all done by now?
Click to expand...
the ram is now mounted, same ram you used Ashman, but I rotated the one mount so that the fittings point up. My tie-rod is 1.31" SOLID :D using a solid tie-rod from a Chevy and sleeving it with 1"schd 40. tomorrow I tear into the box :D I should have pics and results posted in the next day or two.
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

BrettM said:
the ram is now mounted, same ram you used Ashman, but I rotated the one mount so that the fittings point up. My tie-rod is 1.31" SOLID :D using a solid tie-rod from a Chevy and sleeving it with 1"schd 40. tomorrow I tear into the box :D I should have pics and results posted in the next day or two.
Click to expand...

Cool.

I need to remember to pickup a spare 3/4in bolt incase I sheer one.

I also cary 1/4in NPT plugs incase I seriously bash my ram on a rock, or rip a hose, I can take the hoses off and plug them, then get off the trail with just PS.
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

I'm using 1/2" bolts (reducer bushings) and I will definitely carry extras. I also have 1 extra 3ft line and 2 plugs for the steering box. Also a ReadyWelder. So I should be pretty well prepared for any complications.
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

I got it all finished! WOW this is nice! I'm posting pics in my buildup thread (link in sig). The re-circulating balls was a little bit of a pain to get reassembled, but the hardest part was definitely finding the cap from the pump resevoir after it blew off during the bleeding process (only had it on a 1/2 thread) :laugh3:
 
Re: PICS: DIY Hydraulic Assist, Box Modifications, Ram selection, Saginaw Rebuild kit....

ashmanjeepxj said:
Cool.

I need to remember to pickup a spare 3/4in bolt incase I sheer one.

I also cary 1/4in NPT plugs incase I seriously bash my ram on a rock, or rip a hose, I can take the hoses off and plug them, then get off the trail with just PS.
Click to expand...

I used to carry a section of hose that will go between the two -6 JIC ports on the ram (makes a burly steering damper) or you have to take the ram off because if it is capped it will not allow the rod to move in or out...

You can just cap the lines since they just deadhead with no piston to drive and then the box is a standard p/s gear box...

Also if you use field servicable fittings you can repair hoses on the trail - a air power die grinder with a ziz wheel make cutting hydro hose simple and keeps the mangle factor down...

Some spare fluid, hose and a few fittings make up my full hydro spares kit - no worries, we can fix that!

Matt
 
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