steering ram failure

[chris demartini]

Yesterday I was on the stair steps at Raucsh Creek and near the top I lost steering. It wouldnt steer right and kinda steered left. I got back to camp and called Otter, he said take apart the ram. We get the ram apart and find 2 peices broken off the piston.

This ram is a 2x8 single end and was brand new when installed less than two months ago. It has 1 1/2 days of wheelin, and about 3 combined hours of street driving. There was no scoring on the piston, the broken peices, or the inside of the cylinder. None of the seals were damaged even slightly. The steering system did not bind at all.




Anyone know what could cause this? Was there just a defect in this ram or something else?

[ditchpig]

Thats a cheap ass farm implement ram , get a steering cylinder .

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by chris demartini

Yesterday I was on the stair steps at Raucsh Creek and near the top I lost steering. It wouldnt steer right and kinda steered left. I got back to camp and called Otter, he said take apart the ram. We get the ram apart and find 2 peices broken off the piston.

This ram is a 2x8 single end and was brand new when installed less than two months ago. It has 1 1/2 days of wheelin, and about 3 combined hours of street driving. There was no scoring on the piston, the broken peices, or the inside of the cylinder. None of the seals were damaged even slightly. The steering system did not bind at all.




Anyone know what could cause this? Was there just a defect in this ram or something else?

Looks like just a defect. The fact that it's single ended makes it real hard to side load the shaft and even if that did happen, the broken parts are in between two other areas that would hit the inner wall of the cylinder first.

I'd expect to see broken chunks from the bottom area first.

[chris demartini]

Originally Posted by ditchpig

Thats a cheap ass farm implement ram , get a steering cylinder .

Going to a different style ram is absolutely out of the question right now. I lost my work space last month. My fab stuff is in a storage container and I work on this thing in the street in front of my parent's house with basic tools and a few air tools.

It's getting another 2x8 single end steering cylinder with 1" pins, regardless.

[lwg]

Who's Ram is it?

[Madzooki]

Originally Posted by ditchpig

Thats a cheap ass farm implement ram , get a steering cylinder .

Wow great tech! Just because it is an inexpensive ram doesnt make it crap. Its not the perfect ram for our type of steering situations, but it does get the job done. Ive beat the crap out of my rig, and that style ram hasnt failed me yet.

If it didnt show any signs of binding or scoring in the cylinder than I would say that it is just a defect in that particular ram. Get another one. Lots of people run that style ram and dont have any problems with them.

Paul

[chris demartini]

Originally Posted by lwg

Who's Ram is it?

Lion 2500, same as in the hydraulic catologs. I got it from Underground Offroad in Alabama.

[ditchpig]

Originally Posted by Madzooki

Wow great tech! Just because it is an inexpensive ram doesnt make it crap. Its not the perfect ram for our type of steering situations, but it does get the job done. Ive beat the crap out of my rig, and that style ram hasnt failed me yet.

If it didnt show any signs of binding or scoring in the cylinder than I would say that it is just a defect in that particular ram. Get another one. Lots of people run that style ram and dont have any problems with them.

Paul

Inexpensive means you paid for it , my was free just went dumpster diving behind big truck shops , they use hydro assist , found one with worn TRE's cut them off and made rod end adaptors , I'd show you pics but I'm a cheap basterd and wont buy a red star . The piston material between seals is thinner than a steering cylinder by 1/2 or you have exceeded the max pressure for the ram as older farm cylinders are rated for lower pressures .

[Madzooki]

Originally Posted by ditchpig

I'm a cheap basterd

Obviously, if 70 dollars is out of your price range.

Paul

[DUG]

Originally Posted by Madzooki

Wow great tech! Just because it is an inexpensive ram doesnt make it crap. Its not the perfect ram for our type of steering situations, but it does get the job done. Ive beat the crap out of my rig, and that style ram hasnt failed me yet.

If it didnt show any signs of binding or scoring in the cylinder than I would say that it is just a defect in that particular ram. Get another one. Lots of people run that style ram and dont have any problems with them.

Paul

Well said, very well said.

The ram in question does look to be a farm impliment type but will stil work just fine for the aplication it is being used in. Cheap is not always bad.

I also agree it is a defect. If you see no bad scoring or any other dmage to the cylinder and it has not had a signifigant over pressure (and even then I woudl expect it to extrude the o-ring instead of cracking the piston) get a new cylinder and run with it.

[chris demartini]

Anyone else?

[rcurrier44]

I would say its a defect also...even old farm hyd systems run 2500 psi...a power steering pump only puts out 1400-1600 depending on the setup.

There is nothing wrong with a farm equiptment cylinder. I would see if the guys you bought it from will warranty it...and in your situation I would get another one.

[bronko]

Rob looks like a manufacturing defect to me or just bad luck. See if you can get it warrantied. If ya need tools or a place to work your more than welcome to use my garage. It's not much but I've got a mm175, hypertherm plasma and enough tools to get the job done.