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

[Ramsey]

Well I've only bled it so far, but it seems to have more power than the agr box (ram with both) and missing the ball hasnt caused any immediate problems.

 

[markw]

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

Not to bag on you or anything, but you are messing with a critical component of your jeep. I'd find a ball or two or 3. There's gotta be a shop in your area that has that stuff. Or just get it out of another saginaw box. There are 24 balls, and they form a continuous loop end to end, so I'd fear the gap of the worm gear and the gap from the missing ball lining up, and your steering jamming. Not sure if it could happen or not, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. You don't want to find out at the wrong moment.

 

[Kevin3151]

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

I can mail you one, I have some. what color black or silver?

KH

 

[markw]

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

Just send both.

 

[turbophein]

just finished my setup, and my wheel has a ton of play...

i can turn my steering wheel about 1/3 of a turn before it starts moving my wheels????

FYI, just installed d44 front and rear, rebuilt the entire front assembly, bearings, gears, ball joints, tie rods, hydro ram assist and a steering box rebuild.

there was some play before but now its not driveable, i tried adjusting the steering box screw in and out all the way with no difference, just made it tighter or looser to turn. me and my cousin rebuilt the box, it was our first time but it went smoothly, everything worked and turned fine, no binding nothing, all the balls were in place. i just don't understand is there something me missed in the rebuild that would cause that much play, i am just frustrated, i thought i was done with this build for now, after 5 months of alot of money and work. i'm lost as what to do now except remove the steering box again, maybe it has air in the system, i raised my front end and turned the wheel left to right a bunch of times and added fluid as needed, is that right??? i have not lost any fluid yet.

any help would be great thanks!!!

 

[markw]

just finished my setup, and my wheel has a ton of play...

i can turn my steering wheel about 1/3 of a turn before it starts moving my wheels????

FYI, just installed d44 front and rear, rebuilt the entire front assembly, bearings, gears, ball joints, tie rods, hydro ram assist and a steering box rebuild.

there was some play before but now its not driveable, i tried adjusting the steering box screw in and out all the way with no difference, just made it tighter or looser to turn. me and my cousin rebuilt the box, it was our first time but it went smoothly, everything worked and turned fine, no binding nothing, all the balls were in place. i just don't understand is there something me missed in the rebuild that would cause that much play, i am just frustrated, i thought i was done with this build for now, after 5 months of alot of money and work. i'm lost as what to do now except remove the steering box again, maybe it has air in the system, i raised my front end and turned the wheel left to right a bunch of times and added fluid as needed, is that right??? i have not lost any fluid yet.

any help would be great thanks!!!

Watch the linkage while someone rotates the wheel. It might be something other than the box creating the slop. Unless you marked the start point on your backlash adjustment, you'll need to pull the box and set it up with an inch lb torque wrench. Center the box, back the adjuster out all the way, then start threading it in, while turning the input back and forth with the torque wrench. You're looking for a 6-10 inch lb increase in torque required to turn it. Of course, this is all provided your box is put back together right, you did alternate the balls and get all 24 in right?

 

[turbophein]

i am 99% sure we had 22 balls, all the same, no big and small, i did tons of reading before we did it, and found others had the same setup, without the alternating ball size.

i removed the drag link from the pitman arm, and checked it myself as i turned the wheel, with my stock steering wheel, it moves about 10 inches (OD) before the pitman arm will move in either direction, i think i am going to install my block off plugs i bought for the steering box, and remove the ram and see what happens.

as for how we rebuilt it, we used this link for everything, its been about 2 months since we did it, i just got the ram welded up a couple days ago, i don't remember every detail anymore.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarticles/drivetrain/129_0801_saginaw_steering_box_rebuild/index.html

thanks for the reply

 

[turbophein]

could air in the system cause this problem?

 

[turbophein]

i removed the box, it has just as much play on the bench with no fluid, something is wrong with the rebuild, anyone have any thoughts of what i might have done wrong?

 

[turbophein]

anyone?

 

[C85D4x4]

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

Open it up and turn the input shaft and tell us were the play looks to be coming from.

 

[Nuke Proof]

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

Not to resurrect an old thread (not like anyone should care this is a great thread), but what about mounting the ram on the pitman arm and to a bracket somewhere on the passenger uniframe rail? That would place all of the load across the entire steering system, however it would also place a fair amount of the load on the steering box mount.

Just an idea to throw around.

 

[cal]

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

Not to resurrect an old thread (not like anyone should care this is a great thread), but what about mounting the ram on the pitman arm and to a bracket somewhere on the passenger uniframe rail? That would place all of the load across the entire steering system, however it would also place a fair amount of the load on the steering box mount.

Just an idea to throw around.

Part of the idea is to take stress off of the pitman arm and mount, as those are a weak link..

 

[Nuke Proof]

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

Thanks

 

[markw]

i am 99% sure we had 22 balls, all the same, no big and small, i did tons of reading before we did it, and found others had the same setup, without the alternating ball size.

i removed the drag link from the pitman arm, and checked it myself as i turned the wheel, with my stock steering wheel, it moves about 10 inches (OD) before the pitman arm will move in either direction, i think i am going to install my block off plugs i bought for the steering box, and remove the ram and see what happens.

as for how we rebuilt it, we used this link for everything, its been about 2 months since we did it, i just got the ram welded up a couple days ago, i don't remember every detail anymore.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarticles/drivetrain/129_0801_saginaw_steering_box_rebuild/index.html

thanks for the reply

There's 24 balls in the box. Those guys can't count. If you clean them up and look at them, 12 are silver/shiny, and 12 are dark. Install them by alternating them. If you moved that allen bolt on the cover, you'll need to adjust that, you're looking for about 6-14 more inch lbs of torque at center than at something like 45 degrees off center. Check the manual, there's saginaw rebuild guides online, and in the FSM.

 

[Ramsey]

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

Well that one missing ball did cause problems, or just my crappy rebuild, it got to where it would barely turn left past center, fine the other way. Picked up a new that will be tapped by west texas.