Hydro assist vs full hydro

livetorun

livetorun

Mammary Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 20, 2008
Location
Louisburg, NC
I'm in the middle of putting tons and 40s on my TJ. Im at the point where I need to start making some decisions on steering setup. So hydro assist or full hydro? Full hydro would allow me to move the axle without having to worry about pitman arms, draglinks, etc. But hydro assist would be more street friendly, I think. It wont be a daily driver but may see the occasional 25 mile trip and possibly get driven to work once or twice a week (only 8 miles). What have you guys gone with and why?
 
I've only got experience with my rig and with full-hydro its sketchy on the road. Steering is really really quick on pavement and you have to be extremely careful or you'll full turn yourself out of the lane and off road pavement. I took a couple of 10 mile runs up at harlan at this past fall crawl event and you really could not relax behind the wheel. white knuckling the wheel the whole time trying not to make a mistake. again...just because the slightest turn of the wheel results in a good bit of steering turn. my setup...too quick for the street.

not sure how others are set up, but thats my 2cents.
 
Full hydro. You'll be the only one driving it right? Make sure your orbital valve is a self centering type. I believe most of the kits offered by the big manufacturers have this.
 
my 2 cents

My buddy has a full hydro setup from psc on a sami buggy with 105" wheelbase the combo of short wb and full hydro is flat terrifying on the road at 50mph another friend has full hydro 4 wheel steer on a zj with an extended wb and it is just twitchy and unpredictable also if the engine dies they don't steer very well me and another guy in our group run matching hydro assist setups with saginaw junkyard pumps and tapped stock steering boxes on late 70s f150s with tons and 42s and at a dead stop aired down to 11psi just above idle we can steer lock to lock with one finger.also we were climbing a long hill headed to trail in mt.city and busted a fitting at about 30mph if hadn't have been for the mechanical steering link we would have crashed off the side is the mountain to our deaths also driving on the street is like having great power steering ,stable,predictable long story short I like hydro assist
 
You can't compare peoples Full hydro = XYZ descriptions vs assit, without knowing exactly what components they are using. The size, length etc of the ram combined with the orbital specs have a HUGE affect on how quick it is. Then combined with the length of the steering arms can impact how twitchy it is.

The same 2 turn lock to lock, cool factor offroad = scary on road..

It is very possible to assemble the right components to make the vehicle drivable on the street.
 
yager said:
You can't compare peoples Full hydro = XYZ descriptions vs assit, without knowing exactly what components they are using. The size, length etc of the ram combined with the orbital specs have a HUGE affect on how quick it is. Then combined with the length of the steering arms can impact how twitchy it is.

The same 2 turn lock to lock, cool factor offroad = scary on road..

It is very possible to assemble the right components to make the vehicle drivable on the street.
Click to expand...

X2 it's in the design.
 
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