Ram Assist...

[06 H3]

Alright, Im a noob when it comes to Ram assist and even with doing some research I am still a bit confused. How tough would it be to adapt this to an H3. All this steering failure talk and the fact that my steering rack has way too much play in it I want to upgrade it. Tie rods arent a concern. Those are easy to beef up and changing a tie rod in the field doesnt worry me one bit. Its just losing the rack is what I fear. So, I have thought of taking my current rack thats sitting in the garage and beefing it up. flexible tube lines to help with movement but my main goal is to prevent movement. Getting rid of the rubber mounts on the rack and putting in a dense type of bushing, some hunner mounts too. My main question is what can I do to relieve stress off the rack. Putting in a new one and retrofitting a new one/stronger one to the stock mounting location is a PITA and may interefere with the diff, all I wanna do is relieve the stress on the rack and make the rack handle some abuse. I havent broken one yet and thats probably because I try to avoid turning into boulders or forcing the steering where it doesnt wanna go. Will ram assist pull stress off the rack?

This is not going to be something I jump into right away but the sooner I understand it the better off I will be, I researched and feared of a spring over for a year but finally did it. Now I am moving to the front but I gotta learn a bit first While I still believe the H3 is capable in stock form it has its flaws, like every other rig, and I wanna start ditching the flaws and coming up with some solutions.

http://www.4wheeloffroad.com/ultima..._2011_ford_f150_ecoboost_part_4/photo_10.html

I saw this for an IFS steering solution but its all hydraulic so if it fails going down the road your ****ed....

Lets stir up some conversation.

 

[atvspeed4]

I can't picture how this would work with the stock rack and pinion. I have seen aftermarket ram assist rack units but it would be completely custom. I have a feeling the steering ideas are all heading in the right direction though hang in there!

 

[06 H3]

I will...I was happy that I finally got rid of the flaws in the rear end of the truck now I wanna move to the front. Steering first, then diff. How is the H1 rock ram setup? Its IFS so we are somewhat similar?

 

[4speedfunk]

The ram assist basically works by attaching one end of the ram to something solid (usually the axle housing)...and the other end to the tie rod. You then tap into the pressure ports of the steering box and divert some of the fluid to the ram. This allows the ram to push and pull the tie rod left & right by using hydraulic pressure. This direct pushing and pulling relieves quite a bit of mechanical stress from the steering box, and also from the frame rail and drag link. The ram itself is "dumb" and it needs something to control the fluid flow to each side of its piston...so you still need the mechanical input shaft and valving inside the box, to control the fluid movement to the ram.

The stock rack & pinion unit is in essence...already a self-contained ram-assist. That it is...it uses hydraulic pressure on each side of a piston to assist the mechanical motion of the rack & pinion teeth. So...I don't see much point in adding another one. Plus the piece that you would need to connect to (the rack gear) is sealed-up inside the unit.

 

[backcountryislife]

So couldn't we though, swap the stock one out with something that's just more durable?

My buddy just got done putting this on his toy... now it bothers me even more that I'm stuck with this darn rack.

 

[Hunner]

I was told at a couple of shops here that a pure hydraulic system was illegal on the highway. Is that true in all states?
Like has been mentioned if that fails, no mechanical backup steering.
I have looked at several other racks and they all seem to be hybrid aluminum and a metal tube connected not in a real good way.
I think some of us have exceeded the design parameters of the use of this rack in our H3's with the mods we have made.
I do think though from the looks of the aluminum casting inside the metal tube that some other form of tube would be better for our use.
Not everybody wants or can fabricate mounting of another rack of slightly different design and maybe larger, as if they would solve the problem if it was made the same way and subject to the same stresses in an otherwise basically stock H3.
Securing the one we have in a better way for now will work for most of us.

 

[4speedfunk]

I believe full-hydro steering is not street legal anywhere. Plus...its just feels creepy to know you have only "fluid" between you and the steering.

I cannot speak for others but, I was always very satisfied with the performance of the stock Mando unit. I can honestly say that I think its perfectly fine in terms of turning ability. Its small, light-weight, cheap, precise, easy to change, and it does a great job at turning big low-pressure rubber. However, like so many other components on the H3....it breaks! It breaks consistently, and predictably...which tells us that something is not quite right. I don't think adding a ram assist will do anything to keep it from breaking. I also don't think bolting on a bigger R&P unit is a real practical fix...especially since the stock one seems to do a good job (until it breaks). I think the majority of rack failures are due to sloppy bushings, rather than impacts. I also think that increased tie-rod angle (from over-cranking T-bars) adds significant stress to the rack itself, and the passenger-side clamp. Given the cheap cost of a stock unit, and the lack of other options...a Hunner clamp, and a spare rack unit in the back sounds like a good solution!

When I broke my rack...it came from a side-impact to the front wheel. I slid sideways down a snow-covered ravine and stuffed the left front wheel into a dirt bank. This was a very hard hit, and my wife flopped around like a crash dummy. My rack bushings were rock-solid but, sure enough when I got back on the pavement...the steering wheel was crooked and I had the tell-tale gap where the housing had broke. Lucky for me...it was not leaking and I was able to drive it home and change it in the comfort of my shop the following week. I don't think any sort of mod could ever make a rack survive this type of impact damage. Without question...I broke it. It was totally my fault, and I just chalked up the experience and learned to avoid that situation in the future.

 

[abearden]

The main issue with full-hydro is if your engine dies you lose steering. Not safe.

 

[tfm-Neil]

As far as i'm aware full-hydro setups aren't street legal anywhere. Most of the guys I know that run setups like that trailer their rigs to the trail. The thought of full-hydro steering at highway speeds scares the crap outa me. :eek