Hydro assist for the JL is here!

[Kevin8086]

Would you need a top mount draglink for this to work correctly?

No. You only need a top mount if you have a 3.5” lift or more. Redneck ram is making a bolt on kit for the stock steering assembly.

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[Kevin8086]

Looks like you have a raised track bar mount. Just saw this in the death wobble video, who makes this?

Steersmarts.com

 

[Kevin8086]

How is it compared to to the new stock steering on the jl? It was always a mod I wanted to do on the jk. I'm still on stock tires and suspension and just got my jl so no experience with it offroad yet.

It’s a must if you plan on doing any moderate wheeling or go to larger tires

 

[Kevin8086]

Steering on my JL and many others is downright scary. White knuckle shit. I'm looking into this to fix it and make my JL at least driveable.

The steersmarts system along with this ram makes the JL drive like dream. I would suggest you drive a vehicle with hydro assist before making any changes. It is a great mod though

 

[Kevin8086]

Hydro assist makes turning your wheels a breeze on the trail but it removes all road feel from the steering wheel.
You more guide the jeep than steer it.

That’s true with a mechanical box but with this electric box the steering is quite amazing. You need to drive mine or someone’s to understand. There’s 0 lag and it makes the wheel heavy like a sports car feel. It feels nothing like a jk with hydro

 

[Kevin8086]

@Kevin8086, what size ram did you end up using?

I believe it’s the 1.5”

 

[Kevin8086]

I agree. Other than being stuck against a rock the JL has no problem handing my 40's even at 8psi offroad. My JK's would struggle with 37's at lower pressures without the hydraulic assist.

Wow that’s awesome. I have no issue driving when aired down but when I get onto an obstacle it often times gets impossible to turn when bound up and trying to turn to change my line. I’m a dirt road I’ve bever had an issue.

 

[TTEChris]

That’s true with a mechanical box but with this electric box the steering is quite amazing. You need to drive mine or someone’s to understand. There’s 0 lag and it makes the wheel heavy like a sports car feel. It feels nothing like a jk with hydro

I had the same experience on my JK's. Other than the at idle turning it was amazing on road. It made it feel much more like a car than a lifted Jeep. Like you mentioned wind on the highway no longer required constant correction and the more direct/firm steering just made it feel like it should have came that way from the factory.

Hands down one of my favorite mods for the JK. I didn't purchase it for improved road manners, but ended up loving it the most for that reason.

I only used a PSC ram, but ported my own box, added a cooler and had my lines made at a local hydraulic shop. This time around I want WTO to check my box, and do all the hard work for me for not much more money that doing it myself

(I ended up switching the tie rod clamp to a double shear mount shortly after I installed it)

 

[19JL]

I talked to WTO and this is still in “Prototype” stages right now. I’m excited for it but it sounds like it’s hit or miss if it works at this point. I know others have had pressure sensor issues with the new electric pump after adding the ram. I’m interested to watch this over time and see how the pumps hold up. The other thing is I’m not a fan or the smaller 1.5” ram. I ran this WTO ram on my JK with 37s for 1 trip to the rubicon and by the time I got home the small heims on the 1.5” ram were shot and had quite a bit of play in them. I used that ram to help with the steering lag the factory jk pump had with hydro but then had to move to a 1.75” ram to get the larger heims so they would hold up but that caused a lot of lag when you’d need it the most like high speed runs at the end of Pritchett Canyon while drifting in the corners and the steering wheel would basically lock up trying to correct the drift. Not a fun experience. I hope this proves to be solid because I’m not a fan of all the PSC issues that come along with a $2000 price tag.

 

[Kevin8086]

I talked to WTO and this is still in “Prototype” stages right now. I’m excited for it but it sounds like it’s hit or miss if it works at this point. I know others have had pressure sensor issues with the new electric pump after adding the ram. I’m interested to watch this over time and see how the pumps hold up. The other thing is I’m not a fan or the smaller 1.5” ram. I ran this WTO ram on my JK with 37s for 1 trip to the rubicon and by the time I got home the small heims on the 1.5” ram were shot and had quite a bit of play in them. I used that ram to help with the steering lag the factory jk pump had with hydro but then had to move to a 1.75” ram to get the larger heims so they would hold up but that caused a lot of lag when you’d need it the most like high speed runs at the end of Pritchett Canyon while drifting in the corners and the steering wheel would basically lock up trying to correct the drift. Not a fun experience. I hope this proves to be solid because I’m not a fan of all the PSC issues that come along with a $2000 price tag.

It’s doing great but you will still not be able to do high speed runs in drift. The wheel will fight you if you have any quick maneuvers to do. This is for street and rock really. I got into some ice drifting and found out that slower is faster. The pump I don’t think can keep up with the wheel speed. It’s a tradeoff I guess but one I’m willing to deal with. I will make a update video showing the pros and cons I have found with the hydro assist.

 

[19JL]

It’s doing great but you will still not be able to do high speed runs in drift. The wheel will fight you if you have any quick maneuvers to do. This is for street and rock really. I got into some ice drifting and found out that slower is faster. The pump I don’t think can keep up with the wheel speed. It’s a tradeoff I guess but one I’m willing to deal with. I will make a update video showing the pros and cons I have found with the hydro assist.

This is exactly what I love, a true and honest answer from someone running it. Thanks for that info. I’m really excited to hear how things go over time for you guys with this setup. I’m wanting to go the same route. I agree slower is faster with the stock pump. It’s just sometimes it creates a picker factor when the wheel won’t turn. enjoy the easy steering on the rocks!

 

[vavaroutsos]

This is exactly what I love, a true and honest answer from someone running it. Thanks for that info. I’m really excited to hear how things go over time for you guys with this setup. I’m wanting to go the same route. I agree slower is faster with the stock pump. It’s just sometimes it creates a picker factor when the wheel won’t turn. enjoy the easy steering on the rocks!

I think the stock pump is programmed to not provide that much assist at higher speeds. This is intended to give better road feel. If you're drifting off road I would imagine the higher rear wheel speed would trigger the pump to provide less assist. This seems like something a tuner/programmer could provide an option for. Maybe an off road drift mode on the TazerJL (@joe@zauto).

 

[19JL]

I think the stock pump is programmed to not provide that much assist at higher speeds. This is intended to give better road feel. If you're drifting off road I would imagine the higher rear wheel speed would trigger the pump to provide less assist. This seems like something a tuner/programmer could provide an option for. Maybe an off road drift mode on the TazerJL (@joe@zauto).

You might be on to something.

 

[Kevin8086]

I think the stock pump is programmed to not provide that much assist at higher speeds. This is intended to give better road feel. If you're drifting off road I would imagine the higher rear wheel speed would trigger the pump to provide less assist. This seems like something a tuner/programmer could provide an option for. Maybe an off road drift mode on the TazerJL (@joe@zauto).

Ya that would be great if we could get into the output of the electric ps pump to up the assist where we want it. Especially with the ram setup. @Joe @zauto

 

[offcamber]

Sorry for the late reply, but that's the problem with the new electric assist in the JL....it doesn't actually do anything from what I can tell. It doesn't perform any better in the rocks than a traditional, non-assisted hydro power steering set up. When you're locked and need to change lines when bound up....it's completely unresponsive. I'm not sure why Jeep decided to add the extra complexity of the electronic assist in the first place. I'm betting that's why PSC just ditched the electronics and the aluminum box altogether when going to the ram assist.

Maybe something is wrong with yours? I ran 35's on my JK and the stock power steering was difficult on the rocks even if it wasn't bound up by a rock. My JL, I've yet to ever feel it get difficult. I have yet to bind it up hard like my JK did all the time and most of the time it's one hand easy.

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