PSC Motorsports Hydraulic Ram Assist Steering System

When it comes to bulletproof steering there are only few companies that stand out in our off-road realm. Newcomer PSC Motorsports happens to be one of them, and their top-shelf products can make your rig twice as capable and steer better on and off the road. PSC Motorsports can equip your rig with high pressure and high volume pumps, custom steering boxes, remote reservoirs, hydraulic assist steering rams, full hydraulic steering system components, complete kits and even those hard to find hoses and fittings. But PSC doesn’t stop there either – you can find chassis components, performance brakes, suspension systems, seats and harnesses, trail armor and so much more. These products are regularly seen in, and take the abuse from, road racers, off-road trail rigs and dedicated rock crawlers.

When the EKCO racing, 4x4review.com sponsored, UROC extreme east buggy needed an extra edge over the competition they chose a PSC hydraulic assist and steering pump upgrade. The system they were looking for had to be Herculean strong and offer quick steering too. PSC delivered in a huge way with a kit that came with everything they needed to gain the edge they were looking for. This kit is almost a complete replacement system, which contains a beautifully engineered hydraulic ram, a high performance power steering pump, pulley assembly, mounting brackets, overflow reservoir and mounting system and all of the hydraulic lines and fittings you need. The kit does utilize the OE pressure line fitting to the steering gearbox though.

PSC Motorsports Hydraulic Ram Assist Kit The entire PSC Motorsports kit The gearbox Lines   fittings Mounting tabs and heim joints Power steering reservoir and mounting bracket Power sttering pump Hydraulic ram

Installation

The install, while not too difficult for the advanced do-it your-selfer, does require some minor fabrication work and came to us with minimal printed directions, which required a phone call to their tech support line. Their technicians were courteous, knowledgeable and were able to answer each question we had as well as give us some good direction.

The first step in the installation was to remove the OE power steering pump and replace it with the PSC Motorsports high performance unit. Installation was pretty straight forward and the supplied brackets fit well. With that complete, we installed the power steering pump reservoir with the supplied brackets, which also was easy to work with. We are quiet impressed with the quality of the components.

Next on the list was to remove and replace our OE steering gear box. You’ll need to remove the existing steering lines (and drain them), the steering shaft and the bolts that retain the steering box. Installing the new gear box was a snap as it installed in the same fashion as the new one. This gear box is also nicely engineered and has a really slick look to it too.

With the pump, reservoir and gear box installed, it was now time to tackle the hydraulic ram. The first step in this process was to measure the ram’s travel and mark where it would mount on the front axle. Once this was set we were able to weld the tabs to the axle housing and the tie rod, and then bolt the hydraulic ram in place.

The last steps were to route and install the power steering lines, then bleed the system, which was very easy to do.

PSC Motorsports Hydraulic Ram Assist Kit Installing the PSC power steering pump Note the quality of the pump and the brackets Removing the steering gearbox hydraulic lines Removing the steering shaft and steering gearbox Removing the pitman arm Installing the new PSC steering gearbox Measuring and fitting the ram mounting tabs Welding the ram mounting tabs in place A shot of the tabs fully welded The hydraulic ram tabs mounted to the tie rod Installing the hydraulic ram A shot of the hydraulic ram full installed

The Test and Review

That evening EKCO Racing had to load up their rig to head out to the UROC event in Portland Indiana, which meant there was no time for any off-road testing or even a quick ride around the block. With fingers crossed and hopes that everything would function perfectly the EKCO Racing Jeep proceeded to compete.

The large, sticky BFGoodrich Krawler tires coupled with the supreme traction at the Portland, IN off-road course can take its toll on a lesser steering system, but it was no match for the PSC Motorsports kit. Our old hydraulic assist system couldn’t hold a candle to the new one and the difference was unbelievable. The system is so strong that many times EKCO racing would use their new hydraulic steering to push their rig from one side to another to help clear an obstacle – a trick that can typically only be accomplished on a full hydraulic steering system.

From walking the rig up the narrow cracks, to gaining the steering strength to muscle the vehicle through even the tightest of gates, this system never stopped impressing us and some of the other competitors too. The steering travel and the stability of the system are perfectly matched for the Jeep, and turning the steering wheel even when the tires are pinched between rocks are effortless. When driving the rig on pavement, the system self-centers nicely – an added bonus.

For those who are in the market for a hydraulic ram assist or full hydraulic steering, be sure check out PSC Motorsports and take your rig to the next level like the EKCO Racing guys did. Again I would like to stress that this is not for the lightly mechanically inclined and does require some welding and overall mechanics ability, however the payoff is way better in the end once its complete.

Putting the PSM Motorsports Hydraulic Ram Assist to the  Ultimate Test