New hydro assist system issues

kidkrawler · 05-07-2007, 10:00 PM

I recently rebuilt my own 3" box and installed a 1.5" surplus center ram. It all worked perfectly but after safari I began to notice that even on the road with the front end open it was getting harder to turn to the left. It has gotten progressively harder to turn it left. I thought it was a bent ram but it all looks straight. We wheeled nine mile this weekend and it would not turn left at all when the front was locked in, I could be on something and turn right but no left almost at all. After the wheeling on the way home I went through a round-about and went to turn left and I had no steering at all, almost hit a curb.

So, if it is a issue turning one direction only wouldnt that point to the box? I would not think a pump would be one direction or the other. The ram looks ok unless it is internal. My box rebuild went fine, I know I did a good job but it is stumping me that it worked so well at first. Should I tear into the box?

heepr · 05-07-2007, 11:44 PM

Plug the ports on your box and remove the ram temporarily before you tear anything apart and figure out where the problem really is. You can make a spanner wrench to get inside of the surplus center rams in about 15 minutes and have it all apart. Then roll the shaft on a table to see if it is bent or not. My surplus center ram developed some pitting on the shaft after about a year, which I think may have been caused by very minor binding due to its lack of heims.

05-07-2007, 10:00 PM	#1
kidkrawler Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Member # 79762 Posts: 674	New hydro assist system issues I recently rebuilt my own 3" box and installed a 1.5" surplus center ram. It all worked perfectly but after safari I began to notice that even on the road with the front end open it was getting harder to turn to the left. It has gotten progressively harder to turn it left. I thought it was a bent ram but it all looks straight. We wheeled nine mile this weekend and it would not turn left at all when the front was locked in, I could be on something and turn right but no left almost at all. After the wheeling on the way home I went through a round-about and went to turn left and I had no steering at all, almost hit a curb. So, if it is a issue turning one direction only wouldnt that point to the box? I would not think a pump would be one direction or the other. The ram looks ok unless it is internal. My box rebuild went fine, I know I did a good job but it is stumping me that it worked so well at first. Should I tear into the box? __________________ 98 ZJ bringing the bling UA 2009 survivor

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05-07-2007, 11:44 PM	#2
heepr Granite Guru Join Date: Jan 2004 Member # 26806 Location: atlanta Posts: 646	Plug the ports on your box and remove the ram temporarily before you tear anything apart and figure out where the problem really is. You can make a spanner wrench to get inside of the surplus center rams in about 15 minutes and have it all apart. Then roll the shaft on a table to see if it is bent or not. My surplus center ram developed some pitting on the shaft after about a year, which I think may have been caused by very minor binding due to its lack of heims.