PSC Hydro Assist

[ScoutVet19D]

It’s been a while since I sold my Rubihara LJ but when I went to 37’s I put a PSC/redneck ram assist on it. Great companies to work with. I emailed them several times with noob questions since it was my first time going to ram steering and got really helpful responses. It was a huge improvement in on road and off road steering feel. I wound up going with a rebuilt gear box from redneck ram due to budget as they were about 2/3 the cost of a new PSC gear box at the time. I added the kit cylinder assist, reservoir, and radiator mount fluid cooler from PSC.

I noticed the same that you commented about that if sitting at idle it was a bit stiff but bump the throttle and it was luxury car steering with the heavy tires compared to stock steering. I lived in NV at the time so I was paranoid about it overheating but never had any issues with it.

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[JTGuy]

I have 37s but don't really feel like I need a ram. I don't do big rocks . Around town and BDR type trails I have not had an issue. My front end is all set for it though.

 

[DarthAWM]

I have 37s but don't really feel like I need a ram. I don't do big rocks . Around town and BDR type trails I have not had an issue. My front end is all set for it though.

Yeah in town, no so much, trying to get 7" sideways when you can back up 14" it can feel like a necessity

 

[fourfa]

I pulled a tendon in my shoulder a couple of weeks ago on Black Bear Pass in CO, trying to muscle my aired-down tires around tight downhill switchbacks on stock power steering. Consequences of missing the turn are fairly high there.

 

[JTGuy]

You pulled a tendon but you didn't die. lol.

 

[fourfa]

I mean, I enjoy the "but did you die" retort as much as anyone. But it utterly sucked and I'm planning to do something about it. Perhaps PSC, perhaps Redneck Ram but I would like to try out someone's truck with the Apex boost kit

 

[aFatBird]

I mean, I enjoy the "but did you die" retort as much as anyone. But it utterly sucked and I'm planning to do something about it. Perhaps PSC, perhaps Redneck Ram but I would like to try out someone's truck with the Apex boost kit

You can just get the psc kit or similar and just use it as an excuse to work towards bigger tires

Supposedly the psc ram for the dana44 axles amd the one tons are the same with the exception of a spacer inside the ram. Good excuse to work towards dana 60s too

 

[Billyj7175]

I pulled a tendon in my shoulder a couple of weeks ago on Black Bear Pass in CO, trying to muscle my aired-down tires around tight downhill switchbacks on stock power steering. Consequences of missing the turn are fairly high there.

Exactly the reason I went with the ram assist.
Black Bear was closed when we were up there this year so I've yet to run it, but I still had numerous situations that required a 4-6 pt turn, simply because I had to be rolling to turn and then could only roll so far at a time.

And...as also posted, I've got my eye on a set of 38's on beadlocks. Lol

 

[Stinggrey 21 Rubi]

I have had hydro in the past on other jeeps but not a jt
The biggest plus I found was the force needed to move the knuckles is generated at the axle housing. It system takes loading out of the trackbar. Saves a bunch of stress and wear on track bar and tierod as I recall.
I might try one on my current jt

 

[Stinggrey 21 Rubi]

I just looked at the price of the kit, 3700 yikes

 

[ScoutVet19D]

I just looked at the price of the kit, 3700 yikes

Thats why the redneck ram kits are popular.


For anybody who is interested I dug into the two companies years ago trying to decide. I am not a steering gearbox expert but here is what I learned when I got into it about ten years ago on my LJ. I’ve used the redneck ram rebuilt ZF gearbox in my LJ paired with the PSC cooler and reservoir. Recently I got the ported PSC big bore gearbox in my JTR.

I had the shitty aluminum gearbox in my JTR and needed to upgrade. So I opted to go with the PSC and IMO it is much better. I got the ported model so if I ever opt to add a hydraulic ram assist cylinder, cooler, and reservoir I can. Running the almost 37’s I have atm adding the ram is not necessary but if I opt to go bigger later I can add the ram.

The OEM is fine until you up the strain on the gearbox going to significantly bigger tires or are getting into really challenging offroad where the strain might be too much for the stock gearbox. It’s a general consensus that it’s not necessary for 37’s or smaller. On my LJ I felt that the 37’s I was running made it really difficult to turn when aired down crawling up and over rock obstacles around Reno. They were fat heavy tires and I got tired of strong arming the stock power steering.

PSC uses their in house design steering gear box and ram assist components. Their gearbox is not an OEM gearbox that has been upgraded. It is a new gearbox designed by them improving on the factory design to handle much larger heavier tires. PSC has parts to use welded ram assist cylinder attachment points or clamp on. So their kit can be used in a lot of different applications only requiring vehicle specific gearboxes. They sell the fluid reservoir, cooler, lines, pretty much everything needed for a competition grade hydraulic steering ram assist system you can build in stages or all at once. Great company with years of supporting several racing sports.

Redneck ram deals with OEM gearbox units they tweak and add hydraulic ports to and then run their in house ram kit with it. Last I heard they sourced their ram kits from a tractor supply outfit. Another great company that figured out they could make a kit that appeals to the budget builder leaning on their years of experience rebuilding reman gearboxes. Buying just a new gearbox from them is $1300 but if you opt to send yours to them as a core it gets knocked down to $465. So you can get their kit setup for under $2000 or less if you have adequate welding skills.

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