The Continuing Adventures of Duke Winch

[Duke Winch]

I CAN"T STEER!!!

After fighting under powered, busting and replacing steering boxes I decided to install full hydro steering. I ordered a double ended ram kit from PCS Motor Sports. It included everything you need for a vehicle specific install down to all the bolts, brackets, and hoses. The installation instructions requires you to go to their web site. There a bit thin though and requires some cyphering to figure out what will work best on your vehicle. The one item that is left to your own devices is how to mount the ram to the axle, hence my trip to Will's Power Wagon Garage and Tube Bending Facility to make a hoop for that purpose.

The first piece I installed was the reservoir. It has to be above the intake to the pump. PSC sends you a nifty mounting bracket that attaches to the mounting bolts on the master cylinder, which was a simple install, but there was no room to install the reservoir as the cruse control unit and the black box it was attached to were in the way. You don't need no stinking cruse, so out it came. There was no room to move the black box because the windshield washer fluid tank was in the way. You don't need no stinking windshield washer fluid, so out it came. Then after tweaking the black box mounting bracket, I mounted it over some and ... TA! DA! ... room for the reservoir. (Never did figured out if you need a stinking black box, but it has vacuum hoses, doodads, and wires attached to it so I supposed yes. What is that black box anyway?) Below is what the reservoir looks like installed.

The pump was a simple swap out of the stock unit so I won't bother you with that. Next installment we will answer the question, what exactly is the "Orbital Valve" orbiting anyway?

From IPhone 003.jpg (2.35 MiB) Viewed 17684 times

From IPhone 002.jpg (2.37 MiB) Viewed 17684 times

[Fraser]

If you're talking about the black box on the left in the second pic, I believe that's the charcoal canister that captures fuel vapors from the fuel tank when the engine is not runnimg, then allows them to be pulled into the intake when it is running. If it's disconnected or missing, your check engine light will most likely come on.

[Duke Winch]

Next came the installation of the orbital valve, which should be called the "Narcissist Valve" as the only thing it's orbiting is itself.

The kit included a weld on mounting bracket and adapter which has the same input shaft as a standard TJ steering box. That would suggest you pull the old steering box and put the narcissist valve in it's place. However that would put the valve out in harms way, just like the stock box, and would cause plumbing issues. (Turns out plumbing issues are coming anyway, you just don't know it yet.) So I pulled out the steering box and shaft to see if I could put the valve up under the hood and cobble a way, with the parts I had, to attach the steering column to it.

There were a lot of options, more than I wish to discuss here, but all required some serious knuckle busting in tight quarters to pull off. So I hit the "Easy Button" and welded the mount on the inside of the frame further up from where the stock box was. The steering shaft is constructed in a male to female sleeve arrangement. After drilling out a plastic pin and pounding them apart, I cut out 5", which turns out to be the max you can shorten it without a major redo. (Got lucky here, as I already welded on the mounting bracket prior to figuring out how much to shorten the shaft.)

Turns out my instincts were dead on. The fittings to the narcissist valve are stupid easy to get to. The supply and return lines were a breeze to install. It took me several hours to figure out how to run the cylinder lines so they wouldn't poke up into the engine pulleys at full stuff, but once it dawned on me to run them down the trac bar, the valve was in the perfect place to make that happen. I left the lines a bit on the long side for now, but the hose end fittings are reusable and can shorten later if need be.

The only plumbing issue I have left is the lower radiator hose. The steering shaft was rubbing on it. So I modify the hose so it doesn't rub on the steering shaft anymore. Instead it now rubs on the AC pulley. I'll get a new hose on Monday and stick with the steering shaft rub and somehow protect the hose.

Next time ... Will's handy work.

Orbital valve 003.jpg (1.85 MiB) Viewed 17663 times

[TSEJEEPERS]

Does your set up use the stock pump or are going to have to get a high volume pump?
Nice write up!

[Duke Winch]

Does your set up use the stock pump or are going to have to get a high volume pump?
Nice write up!

The kit included a new 1500 PSI pump that was a direct replacement of the stock unit. It looks really small as there is no reservoir attached to it. Just a s a note, it took 3/4 of a gallon of power steering fluid to fill the system and sure it will take a bit more to top it off once I take it on a shake down cruse.

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[TSEJEEPERS]

Does your set up use the stock pump or are going to have to get a high volume pump?
Nice write up!

The kit included a new 1500 PSI pump that was a direct replacement of the stock unit. It looks really small as there is no reservoir attached to it. Just a s a note, it took 3/4 of a gallon of power steering fluid to fill the system and sure it will take a bit more to top it off once I take it on a shake down cruse.

Hydro Pump.jpg

oops sorry I see you have that in your first post.

[Duke Winch]

Installation of the ram was the most challenging part of the conversion. The mount is about the only thing PSC kit doesn’t include. The mount they have, or any other aftermarket ones I looked at, all seem to be for buggies, or Sherman tanks that incorporate the mount into full width trusses. So I started reading install & tech articles, BillaVista on Pirate is a good one, for thoughts and ideas.
As a result I compiled a list or ram mounting “Truths” …

1. Above all else, protect the ram from damage. A bent tie rod will throw your steering wheel off, but a bent ram and you will join the ranks of NASCAR and always be turning left, (or right if you’re in England?).
2. Keeping with Truth #1, mount the ram as high up as possible out of harm’s way.
3. The ram should be mounted dead center in the axle from left to right.
4. The ram should be mounted on the same plane as the steering tie rods. The cylinder should be pushing side to side, not up or down.
5. The ram should be mounted on the center-line difference between the max and minimum tie-rod mounting hole distance from the axle front to back. (I know, it hurts my brain too.)
6. The ram should be mounted so you can get your dif cover off without cutting the mounting bracket back off.
7. The ram should be mounted so you can remove the carrier without cutting the mounting bracket back off.
8. At full droop or stuff, nothing should smash into anything else on the Jeep.
9. Last but not least … there is no known universe where the Laws of Physics allow Truth #1 through #8 to all be true at the same time.

Next time … how I violated the Law of Physics. (Sorry Einstein )

[Duke Winch]

Turns out the Laws of Physics are a lot harder violate than I imagined. As a result, you have to make some compromises with the "Truths".

The hoop, made from 1 3/4" x .120" wall DOM, that Will bent for me went from spring perch to spring perch. I could suggest there was some grand design in mind, but in reality I thought it would look prettier that way. But in retrospect the design protects the ram shaft better from damage. I never thought about how far out the shaft would protrude at full lock. I tacked a mounting plate to the hoop and started playing around with ram placement trying the best I could to meet the "Truths" above. I made a an adjustable jig, okay they were blocks of wood and shims, using a hydraulic motorcycle jack to hold the hoop and ram that allowed me to move the assembly up and down and turn it about the axle.

The starting point for the front-to-back and side-to-side were pretty easy to determine but the height was a different issue. To figure it out, I pulled out the front springs and let the frame settle on the bump stops which is a worse case scenario. As suspected, the max height is limited by the ram smashing into the bottom of the radiator. The kit included some 3/4" blocks that you weld to your mounting plate and then bolt the ram mounting clamps to. I ditched those to gain the clearance and drilled and tapped the 5/16" thick mounting plate instead. I also had to adjust the front-to-back out a bit to prevent the ram from smashing into the frame mount for the trac bar. (You can see the mount in the second picture below.)

Now the height and front-to-back were set it was time for the side-to-side. Right from the get go the mounting plate and dif cover were trying to occupy the same space, another violation of the Laws of Physics. But since the ram has four reliefs for the mounting clamps, I could use the inside one on the drivers side to gain some room, (you can see it in the third picture below). But removing the dif cover would be problematic at best, and good luck getting the carrier out. So the ram was offset an 1 1/2" to the passengers side to gain more clearance. Now the dif cover is no problem and I'm not taking any bets on the carrier but it's about a 50/50 chance.

From there it was just a matter of welding the whole thing together, along with a center support back to the axle under the mounting plate, and cutting and assembling the tie rod links. The ram is about 1/2" forward and 1 1/2" off center from where it should be but the links don't bind and "I can Steer!".

I invested around 40 hours of time in this project, most of which was wasted waiting for the Time Builders to add the tool I just laid down to the next frame, (ask Fraser).

Note the hydraulic lines, which are more like limp pipe than hose, coming down the trac bar

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The ram just sneaks between the old steering box mount and trac bar mount at full stuff.

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Though difficult to tell from this picture, the hoop is tilted up slightly and the top of the hoop is even with the top of the axle. At full lock the end of the ram shaft will be even with, or slightly beyond the outside edge of the hoop. Note the driver's side mounting clamp is offset to the inside.

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[Duke Winch]

A couple of closing items ...

The hydraulic system requires a cooler in the return line to the reservoir which is not included in my PSC kit, but can be purchased separately. Since I already had a cooler mounted in front of the main radiator from the old system I just reused it. Again the orbital valve was in the sweet spot and required a short 6" hose to the cooler.

Truth #4, "The ram should be mounted on the same plane as the steering tie rods...", was not an issue in my case. The double captured tie rod mounting bolt on my Jeep allowed for a lot of flexibility up and down. Trying to hit a fixed height tie rod mounting point would require compromises to the "Truths" that could be a candidate for the "Scary Steering" picture collection.

I rotated the ram so the fittings that were on top of the cylinder, see pictures above, are now tucked safely behind the ram, see the picture below. Not only did it make the install look a lot cleaner, the limp pipes have more flexibility to travel with the suspension.

And yes you can steer with the engine off. No worse that the stock armstrong system.

I have yet to drive it. Still waiting on the caliper bracket which will be here Thursday to install the drivers side hub.

[Duke Winch]

That thought did cross my mind, but that's as far as it got. I could tie a gusset into the spring perch and may do just that.

On Edit .... You got me thinking. Even though the hoop is only 2 1/2" further out than the old tie rod there still would be a lot of leverage if I did slide off a rock and hit the hoop. Heck, that happen to the tie rod all the time which bent it. So I decided to try jacking up the Jeep with the jack on the hoop. Even though the hoop is attached to the axle in three places, it deflected a bunch and I chickened out before actually getting the Jeep off the ground. So gussets are going to be installed and I already figured out how to do it. I'll post up with some more humungous pictures when I'm done. (Actually I'll re-size em for those still using dial up.)

Damn, thought I was done and already stored away the tools and welder.

Duke

[W_A_Watson_II]

Steve,

Looking good!

Will

[Duke Winch]

Okay ... Here are the gussets/supports made out of 1 1/2" x .250 wall DOM tubing. Now is there anything else anybody want's me to do before I put my tools away ... again.

Note the more forum friendly 140KB picture size.

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Cutting and fitting this piece took longer than the rest of the entire project. The two tubes join in a Double Compound Reverse Mitered Mobius Joint.

Gusset 004.jpg (134.26 KiB) Viewed 17504 times

[Duke Winch]

Took the Jeep to town to fill er up on a shake down cruse. The steering is firm but smooth as silk and effort is the same throughout it's travel. It seems like it can't decide which tire to steer on at death wobble speed, I think I have too much toe in. Could use some help this weekend taking some measurements and adjusting. At higher speeds, 55 MPH, it's fine. Takes very little steering input to adjust for wander as you go down the road. At first I was always over correcting. The system is suppose to have a "return to center" functionality but it will keep turning in the direction your headed without some driver input, but getting use to it came quickly and seemed very natural. With the toe in adjusted it may improve.

As for centering the steering wheel forget it. Just like the hydraulic steering on my tractor, it slowly drifts towards the direction you are turning over time. The wheel started out 90* off center to the right, but due to the high crown of the country roads down here that requires a constant left bias to the wheel, by the time I got home it was 90* to the left. Oh well, I'll live with it. It would be nice to have a symmetrical steering wheel that has no apparent top or bottom.

We'll try it out on the trails at the Badlands this weekend. See ya there.

Duke

[wdln]

When it uncenters itself like that, do you then end up with less steering in that direction because it hits the end-of-travel? Or does the lock drift too?

[Duke Winch]

It doesn't seem to lock drift but I really haven't held it on the lock long enough to notice. I'll go out and try It. And no you don't run out of steering due to the drift.

Yes it lock drifts too, just like the tractor does. The drift is real slow and and is not bothersome other than the fact the steering wheel always being off center. At first I though it was due to air in the system, which could still be the case, but I've driven enough now I would think all the air would be out of the system and I don't see any bubbles or foaming in the reservoir.

I played about with the valve when I first got the kit and it will rotate forever in any given direction. At first I thought perhaps I some how messed it up playing with it, but am sure that s how it was designed. Oddly enough if the steering wheel is disconnected from the shaft it will do the same thing. I imagined wires endlessly warping themselves about the column, but no sparks yet.

Duke

[Duke Winch]

Final Impressions ...

Well the shake down cruse to the Badlands went without incident ... almost. I had a pop in the steering wheel at the Badlands. The air bag light came on and the horn no longer works. So my comment, "I imagined wires endlessly warping themselves about the column, but no sparks yet", was correct. (If you consider an "Idiot Light" sparks)

Steering input effort is the same regardless of the situation, though you need to rev the engine just a wee bit at low RPMs when the wheels get "pinched" in tight quarters to get the fluid going.

I now have the ability to laser align the wheels off the rims which corrected the searching feeling around death wobble speeds.

The sensitivity of steering input to adjust for wander as you go down the road has lessened some, though you have to remain more attentive while "texting" than you did with the stock system. I'm sure the alignment helped and the system clearances loosening up a tad.

The "return to center" feel is slight but just a non issue.

You can run down the highway at 65+ MPH, (Okay ... my Jeep really doesn't have "+" except down hills), with no problems, and in fact, if you were behind the wheel and unaware of the hydro steering, about the only thing you would notice is the steering input is silky smooth.

I love this steering! ... well worth the time, money and effort and would never go back to the old system. I recommend it to anyone considering such an upgrade.

Duke

[Fraser]

I now have the ability to laser align the wheels

More info please...

[Duke Winch]

Well I have had the laser for awhile. Just never thought about using it to align the jeep. So playing about with it I figured out how to measure off the rims It's pretty accurate within a 1/32" from rim to rim.

On Edit ... Explaining the process here would be wordy and probably confusing. I can show you how to do it it a a few minutes.