Sometimes these ideas get in my head and just won't leave. Wondering if a master-slave approach to hydro steering would be feasible. Let's say your pitman arm pushed a master cylinder with a slave cylinder at the axle. Corresponding sizes should mean little change in effort or travel with some loss of efficiency factored just because. Heck, you could use a slightly larger slave to compensate for the losses at the expense of some turning radius.

Same safety issues as full hydro, of course. But it would mean no orbital valve, might mitigate return-to-center issues, and could eliminate bump steer altogether.

Kept staring at the pushme-pullyou steering while stripping the front clip of the toy, thinking hmmmm.....northern online beckons.....What am I missing, other than some brain cells and a functioning trail rig?

cool, but too complicated. basically what you have descrived is a butch orbital valve. why not just rip out the weak steering box in favor of an orbital? you will spend just as much on figuring out this method than buying a used Charlynn for $75.

I remember seeing a buggy in one of the rags a few years ago with a setup sorta like this. It had a short steering column attached to a steering box under the dash. The pitman was attached to a hydro cylinder with its opposite end mounted to the frame and the hydro lines run from that cylinder to a second cylinder mounted to the steering linkage and axle housing. No hydro pump involved. The idea seems sound enough on paper, but I would think it would be a bitch to bleed. Any one tried it besided the dude in the mag? If I remember right the buggy was also using hydro cylinders off of some kind of airplane as suspension struts, no springs, and like 3 transfer cases.

Where can I pick up a used orbital valve for $75?

Originally posted by big78bronco
Where can I pick up a used orbital valve for $75?

junkyard- off of forklifts and such. thats what im going to do and there are a few on the board who have done the same.

yup it would work but it would be hell to bleed, plus why bother? if you are keeping the steering box just go high steer.

A friend of mine tried it, didn't work. I think the cylinder kept the steering box from returning to center, or something like that.

I call that a hydraulic tierod. we have done that before and yes it does work but it is very hard to make work right. Mainly because you have to get every bit of air out of the sytem and they have to be a completely sealed unit. Once youve got all the system bled it drives like a dream no matter howm much lift.