Is typical hydro-assist steering somehow weaker than full hydro? My main question is this: Why not just disconnect the drag link and go full hydro using a hydro-assist setup? Avoid the cost of orbital valves?

J. J.

Full hydro doesn't return to center and has no road feel to it, it's kinda spookey at higher speeds.

Full Hydro also doesn't limit your steering at max articulation. So why can't you just run the drag link on road and disconnect it off?

J. J.

You can't just remove it because it doesn't work the same as an orbital valve. A regular power steering box has a spool valve that reverses only when a certain amount of pressure is applied (about 7ftlb)in which ever direction that you want to turn.
To do what you are wanting, you will have to turn the steering all the way to the right before the spool valve will engage which will then move the ram. Then you will have to go back all the way to the left before it will even start to move left. Or, some how lock the pitman arm solid so that it can't move at all but then your steering wheel will only be able to move about 2 inches either way.
Either way you will still have less power than you started with because you are loosing the extra power of the box.
In other words the only way to get more power from hydro assist other than turning up the pressure on your pump or using a larger ream is to go with full hydro assist.

In theory there is a way to run hydro assist without a draglink but that wasn't your question. Plus It's a royal PITA.

Hmm. Interresting. Thanks for the info!

J. J.