Hydro-Assist

  • So heres the situation; I am running a Durango box, HP60 with full-length high-steer, and 37s. In order to get more throw out of my box, I put a flat CJ pitman arm on and moved my panhard bar back a bit to make room for the longer arm. Now about 3 hours into our ride this week I turned said flat CJ arm into a limp noodle. I pretty much just steered right the hell through it and bent it to shit. The hydro-assist will keep this from happening and take approx 70% of the pressure off of the pitman arm and box. No here is my problem, on a Coiled TJ with High-steer, space is retardedly limited. I am trying to figure out a way to get this ram mounted without having any interferences with anything else. Have looked at going off of the diff cover, the truss I have over the front diff, and off of the track bar mount. Obviously, the ram would work idealy at a paralell axis in relation to the tie-rod, but that may not be 100% possible. Think there is a limit to the angle at which the ram pusshes into the TR? Anyone have any pictures of a Coiled TJ with high-steer and hydro-assist? Ed (2000Sahara), you're set-up like that arent ya?

    Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.<br />-Frederic Bastiat

  • Dont think i have any pics right right now.....However, My ram is mounted to the polyperformance lower track bar mount, just below the tie rod. and the other end is mounted directly to the underside of the tierod. I have a tube clamp from ballistic that will allow me to adjust my steering without diconnecting both ends. I just havent installed yet. I have absolutely no issues with mine. BTW...I am able to run a waggy arm. I also have an article at home that says cj arms are week and known to bend. Supposively early 80 gm vehicles have flat pitman arms that are rather beefy.

    2000 Sahara, All custom...
    2000 Cherokee Police package, Beater....


    I may be slowest and the stupidest

  • Well this Hydro-assist is def happening. Doesn't having it mounted that low cause some nervousness about hitting it? I suppose I could always build something around it like the full-hydro guys do. Would mind posting up a pic of it for me when you get the chance?


    I got both a waggy arm and the CJ arm, the CJ arm just put the DL right on angle-wise.

    Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.<br />-Frederic Bastiat

  • With my tie rod above the highsteer arms, it sits almost 2 1/2 feet from the ground. Even so, the ram only cost me about $100 bucks from the wholesale warehouse place that Ian posted a while back. I carry some plugs for the hoses just in case I do damage it. It probobly wouldnt be too hard to make some type of protection for it though. Ill get some pics when I get home tonight.

    2000 Sahara, All custom...
    2000 Cherokee Police package, Beater....


    I may be slowest and the stupidest

  • Oh yeah, I found some specs on the taper of the stock waggy arm. It looks like there is plenty of material on the arm to taper it from the top down and run my tre over top. I have a spare pitman arm and the reamer, but again I just havent gotten around to it yet. I forgot though that you are running the steering box in the factory location, so the waggy may or may not work for you....

    2000 Sahara, All custom...
    2000 Cherokee Police package, Beater....


    I may be slowest and the stupidest

  • Well I have a waggy and I am sure it will fit. I have a 1" BL so it pushes the radiator up and gives me the little extra cleance I need. Running the CJ arm was great and I have about 1/2" between the castle nut and lower radiator hose. We will see, though i already tapered the waggy arm for the DL end to be under it. They are cheap and a dime a dozen so I could always get one and just try it. My tie-rod is under the high-steer arm and the drag link is on top of it. I used 7/8" heims on the ends. I can more then likely get away with putting the TR on top of the high steer arm also though. I was thinking about putting it to the stock knuckle locations. I already taped them for the 3/4" bolts and all. Would just have to make a longer TR. I guess that we shall see. I don't even have the ram in hand yet to start checking all of the clearances. I just really don't want to bend anymore pitman arms.

    Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.<br />-Frederic Bastiat


  • did you remove the stops from the inside box? some Durango boxs had stops inside some did not.


    If your links are set-up right, you will not notice the internal stops. That's a mute point. But since you asked, the regular 98 Durango boxes have internal stops and the Durango w/ snow plow package box does not have stops. I do not hit them now. With a stock steering set-up you will hit them. If you put on a CJ or Waggy arm on a stock set-up your knuckle steer stops will hit right about the same time the box stops do. The throw of the dodge arm is longer then that of a TJ, so the TJs steering gets limited from it.

    Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.<br />-Frederic Bastiat

  • Well I am pretty sure I know how I am going o be mounting the ram and all. Now just to find a place for my cooler. I have a 7 row tranny cooler from my old race car that i am going to use, but finding a good spot for it that is not in the back of the Jeep seems to be a bit of a pain. Will not fin in the engine bay anywhere. Not too many flat enough spots. I could always take out/loosen the radiator to make room and then mount it in the grill.


    I just sent my box and pump away to get worked over and the holes drilled and taped. Weighed 50 pounds and cost me 45 bucks. Not too bad. Now it is just sit and wait time.

    Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.<br />-Frederic Bastiat

  • I tried... Didn't work out so well. Whatever. Will make it work. A little extra work isn't a big deal as long as the benefits are worth it. I am thinking of getting an additional little fan to push air through it. I know the fins and all will disipate the heat well, but a little fan could make it go even better since all its all at slow still air speeds. We shall see.

    Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.<br />-Frederic Bastiat


  • I tried... Didn't work out so well. Whatever. Will make it work. A little extra work isn't a big deal as long as the benefits are worth it. I am thinking of getting an additional little fan to push air through it. I know the fins and all will disipate the heat well, but a little fan could make it go even better since all its all at slow still air speeds. We shall see.


    I dont have a cooler, but I should. And like Turtle said it there is plenty of room mount the cooler right to the front of the radiator, Then run those zippy tie downs right through the fins. That way the fan should suck air right past the cooler, eliminating the need for an extra fan.

    2000 Sahara, All custom...
    2000 Cherokee Police package, Beater....


    I may be slowest and the stupidest

  • Maybe I will just mount it on the outside of the grill for now. Would work for a temporary thing to get it ready for a shake down before Big Dogs. If I have the time I will do it right.

    Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.<br />-Frederic Bastiat

  • Not quite worked out as I would have liked, but with the 60 in the front of a TJ the room is so limited to run everything. I got all of the hydro mocked up, changed it since the pictures, never took more but this is the jist of it. I will be making a skid to protect it a little bit since it is pretty low. Didn't have much of a choice. I think I am going to work out the suspension a bit and see if I can get rid of the front trackbar. Would save me a lot of room. If I did a dog leg triangulation on the front it would work. Heres two pics of the hydro-assist mock...



    Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.<br />-Frederic Bastiat

  • Full hydro my ass. Pointless unless you don't have room for the steering linkage and you are a solo seat buggy. You would get hydro fade after a while of wheeling. Not worth the money unless you run the rig for 10 minutes at a time and that's it.


    Well mike, its good that you did break those tacks, at least we know it works well. Haha. I had to move those brackets anyway.

    Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.<br />-Frederic Bastiat

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