How to section

[Kodiak450r]

I'm making this post for people to post write ups on how to modify your vehicle. when you post a new how to change the headline to describe what your doing.

[Kodiak450r]

I've built my own on board air compressor for my dodge and so far it works very well. this is what i used and how i did it.
First the parts list
a late 80's GM radial style compressor
NPT 1/4 air fittings
high pressure air line(i used a water hose rated for 2500PSI)
air tank i have a 7 gallon tank bought at walmart
pressure gauge
quick disconnect fitting to hook up air tools and such

first thing i did is drilled and tapped the output of the compressor so that a standard 1/4 npt fitting can be screwed into it. i decided to get a short 3 foot hose thats actually for water useage but can handle 2500 psi. would be simpler to cut a regular air hose down to size and put  a new fitting on that that simply screws right into the tank. once i did that. i took the air tank and found a suitable place to mount it. on my truck that happens to be in the passenger side wheel well. the tank had a gauge already mounted onto it. i unscrewed the air chuck for filling tire from it, and proceded to install a t-fitting, one side comes from the compressor, the other side is the output to the air hose. i have yet ti install an inline air/water sererator but when i do i'll put another picture of that. mount the compressor to the engine any way you can. i used existing brackets and bolted it in place. next comes wiring. very simple wiring on this compressor, next to the pulley is a 2 prong connector. one side goes to a ground, the other goes to a switched battery source. mount the switch under the hood so you can monitor the pressure while the compressor is on. also you'll need to make an air filter for the compressor intake side. i'll be doing this shortly you want the intake an exhaust of the compressor on the top so that oil will stay inside the compressor. which btw you can use standard 10W30. i've found about 4 oz works well. you can see how the system is set up from the picture below. you can also modify it by locating the air tank in the bed, or whereever you have room. if you need better pictures pm me for them.

[Eroq]

glad this post was sticky'd. i wrote this up a bit ago, only got a reply or two from it. so i'll post it in here so a few more people will be able to set it up

Recently i've had a few people ask me on how to setup full hydraulic steering, so i figgured i would do a "short" writeup on it.

This is just a quick write-up as a starter for some of you. I will be updating it and adding pictures soon. My rig isnt at my house right now.
Some common misconceptions about hydrosteer:

- No steering while engine is off. This is not 100% true, it depends on the setup of the system. Most steering valves(also called orbital valves) have a built in pump inside them. It will be hard to steer but it will still steer.

- Can i run it on a stock power steering pump?  Yes you can, you wont be running a high enough pressure to run a larger pump. Some people choose to run electric over hydraulic setups. These are 12v pumps with an attached resivour that is remotely located so the engine does not have to be running to use the steering.

You will need a few components to get rolling with hydro steer.

Pump - this can be a stock power steering pump. or an aftermarket type pump. Both work well. PUMPS DO NOT CREATE PRESSURE, THEY PROVIDE FLOW. Pressure is created by resistance to flow. Flow determines the speed of actuator movement.  Pump output flow is DIRECTLY related to RPM. at 500 rpm, it may only pump 1gpm, causing very hard steering. but at 2000rpm it will be putting out much more flow. To fix this, simply pop yer rig in neutral, rev it up to around 1500 rpm, and it'll steer like butter.

Steering valve - most commonly used off of forklifts. Look for an "open center" valve. Open center means when the steering valve is not being rotates, pressurized oil flows directly back to the resivour. This keeps the oil cooler and will extend the life of the pump.

Relif valve - This is a saftey valve built into a stock power steering pump, when you turn lock to lock you will hear it squeal, this is opening up and keeping the line pressure at a safe level. EVERY SYSTEM NEEDS A RELIF VALVE. Last thing you want is to blow a line or fitting in your system and have a fire start.

Ram - Most commonly used is a 2" bore 8" stroke single rod ram. These are relitively cheap (around $80 at TSC) and easy to come by. Some systems use a tandem rod ram, this provides equal steering in both directions, typically used on rock crawlers and on hydro assisted systems. On a single rod ram, the cap end (larger end) of the cylinder has a larger surface area than the annulus area (rod end) and provides more force one way than the other. They also retract faster than they extend. Single rod rams work great for mud trucks where you are almost always going straight.

Hoses - One thing to NOT go cheap on. Spend the money and get good high pressure hoses (up to around 3000psi is more than enough for hydraulic steering). Get the PROPER fittings for you componets. If possible and compatable with your componets get the fittings with the Orings on them. Unlike pipe thread, they require no thread sealer and have less tendency to leak. There are alot of places that can make the hoses for you. Usually around $4/crimp on the hoses. Dont try to save money and use hose clamps on pressurized hoses. You will be running the risk of fire if they blow off, and injury to yourself due to loss of steering, or being sprayed by hot pressurized oil! A stream of oil at around 1000Psi can easily penetrate the skin and cause serious damage. Most common is 3/8" SAE100R1 hose. With a working pressure of 2,250 PSI and a burst rating of around 9,000PSI.

Oil - A range of oils can be used. From ATF, to synthetic oils, to even distilled water. All have their pros and cons. But to list them all would take WAY too long. I'm using 10W-20 tractor hydraulic/trans fluid from TSC. Sold in 5gallon buckets for about $25-30~.  Good from about -20*F up to around 200*F

Hoses need to be routed away from headers or any sharp edges. If they are twisted it will reduce the life dramatically. They need to be tied back BUT with some room for movement. Upon pressure spikes the hose WILL move.

OK. So you have your steering torn apart and you have all your componets ready to install.

Ram mounting. Center the tires, pull the ram HALF WAY OUT. For mounts i used simple Reese hitch ball mounts. Found two i had laying around cut them off, made big bevels on the edges and tack welded the mount on. Then stick on the ram, and then attached the tie rod side mount to the ram. Tack weld this to the tierod. Remove the ram. Run a small bead on each mount. Jack up the front end and manually move the tires side to side to make sure it gets full movement. If you are satisfied with it. Remove the ram, and weld it GOOD. These are under high stress, if you dont feel confident with your own welding ability ask someone to do it for you.

Pump setup


Ram Mounting


Before my solid 1" tierod with heim joints


Tie rod with ram mount and heims joints (granted they are 5/8" and undersized, soon to be upgraded to 3/4" or 1")


Hose routing. Notice they are AWAY from the motor and heat. You can see them running into the firewall, and back out going down. with PLENTY of room for them to move.


through the firewall


Valve mount. 1/4" plate with 3/8" grade 8 bolts holding it in

[Bo Duke]

How to.....Sticky note a truck........


First you will need about 2000 sticky notes, assorted colors.
Second you will need about an hour......


Make shure the truck is dry, and its not to windy outside, then place sticky notes as close together as possible, covering the entire vehicle...

[montecarlo33]

  Nice stickys!

[mike]

might want to add some protection on the whole in the fire wall. it would suck for the hose to rub through and spray hot fluid into the cab.

[Eroq]

might want to add some protection on the whole in the fire wall. it would suck for the hose to rub through and spray hot fluid into the cab.

yup its all getting re done this winter

[mtu4x4ry]

Is there a drawback to mounting the orbital valve right where the steering gear box used to be?  Instead of running the hoses inside the truck I just got the whole setup off of an old combine and am about to install it.

[mike]

not erally much of a drawback, just have to modify the steering coluumn alittle but it should be hard. thats how most folk run em.

[Eroq]

Is there a drawback to mounting the orbital valve right where the steering gear box used to be?  Instead of running the hoses inside the truck I just got the whole setup off of an old combine and am about to install it.

yup, keeps it dry and clean. Dirt and water are the enemy of ANY hydraulic system. they will destroy the valve in NO TIME if they get in the system.

[MORGZILLA!]

How to.....Sticky note a truck........


First you will need about 2000 sticky notes, assorted colors.
Second you will need about an hour......


Make shure the truck is dry, and its not to windy outside, then place sticky notes as close together as possible, covering the entire vehicle...

hahah this made my day!

[Bo Duke]

How to.....Sticky note a truck........


First you will need about 2000 sticky notes, assorted colors.
Second you will need about an hour......


Make shure the truck is dry, and its not to windy outside, then place sticky notes as close together as possible, covering the entire vehicle...

hahah this made my day!

Glad i could help, did'nt make my buddies day tho....he was kinda mad....

[Kodiak450r]

courtesy of pirate 4x4 http://pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/14b_disc_brakes/

[MORGZILLA!]

How to.....Sticky note a truck........


First you will need about 2000 sticky notes, assorted colors.
Second you will need about an hour......


Make shure the truck is dry, and its not to windy outside, then place sticky notes as close together as possible, covering the entire vehicle...

hahah this made my day!

Glad i could help, did'nt make my buddies day tho....he was kinda mad....

im going to do that some day. hah. i bet he was kinda mad, but its still pretty funny.

[Norm Henderson]

mac was nick really mad when you did that....and did he take em off or just drive down the road really fast?

[2-tall]

how do you connect the steering  wheel to the orbital valve?? its not too hard is it
?

[3+3]

how do you connect the steering  wheel to the orbital valve?? its not too hard is it
?

No, it's not hard. Depends on the orbital valve you choose. If you get one from a fork truck they usually have some kind of linkage on them already, mount the valve anywhere your existing shaft will reach and just connect the dots.

[Remo]

I've built my own on board air compressor for my dodge and so far it works very well. this is what i used and how i did it.
First the parts list
a late 80's GM radial style compressor
NPT 1/4 air fittings
high pressure air line(i used a water hose rated for 2500PSI)
air tank i have a 7 gallon tank bought at walmart
pressure gauge
quick disconnect fitting to hook up air tools and such

first thing i did is drilled and tapped the output of the compressor so that a standard 1/4 npt fitting can be screwed into it. i decided to get a short 3 foot hose thats actually for water useage but can handle 2500 psi. would be simpler to cut a regular air hose down to size and put  a new fitting on that that simply screws right into the tank. once i did that. i took the air tank and found a suitable place to mount it. on my truck that happens to be in the passenger side wheel well. the tank had a gauge already mounted onto it. i unscrewed the air chuck for filling tire from it, and proceded to install a t-fitting, one side comes from the compressor, the other side is the output to the air hose. i have yet ti install an inline air/water sererator but when i do i'll put another picture of that. mount the compressor to the engine any way you can. i used existing brackets and bolted it in place. next comes wiring. very simple wiring on this compressor, next to the pulley is a 2 prong connector. one side goes to a ground, the other goes to a switched battery source. mount the switch under the hood so you can monitor the pressure while the compressor is on. also you'll need to make an air filter for the compressor intake side. i'll be doing this shortly you want the intake an exhaust of the compressor on the top so that oil will stay inside the compressor. which btw you can use standard 10W30. i've found about 4 oz works well. you can see how the system is set up from the picture below. you can also modify it by locating the air tank in the bed, or whereever you have room. if you need better pictures pm me for them.

Nice work.  How long will it take to pump up the tank??

[BigFrank]

thanks for the post  lots of good reference

[marshall]

Im goin to show how to rig up a GM starter like a Ford to get the wiring away from the exhaust and also make it tons easier to R&R, its kind of a no brainer.. I hate fightin the little wires while that thing is hangin there tryin to fall down and hit me in the face. This mod requires a Ford starter solenoid, a long battery cable with large ring terminals on each end, and a couple ring terminals, dont cost much and it sure makes life alot easier when dealin with any starter issues.. Pics to follow soon 

i run a ford solenoid on my figure 8 car, so there isnt juice running to the starter when not needed. my starter guy says im trying to re-invent the wheel, whatever.