Hock Edition
New member
I'm thinking about getting the hydro redneck ram kit from westtexasoffroad.com, does anyone now much about them or has it that likes it?
Redneck ram
- Thread starter Hock Edition
- Start date
Tcdawg
New member
I don't use their ram, I was able to find a used AGR Rock Ram for a good price. I did have WTO rebuild and port my steering box and bought mounting tabs and hoses from them.
They are easy to talk to on the phone, I believe I talked to Matt, answered all my questions and he was very knowledgeable about the subject, at least to the questions I was asking. I was very pleased with the work they did on my steering box and happy with how my steering is working. I use the stock pump with a 1.5' diameter ram and added a cooler. Very pleased with how mine works for having under $600 in everything and that included a new sector shaft as mine was found to be bent during the rebuild.
They are easy to talk to on the phone, I believe I talked to Matt, answered all my questions and he was very knowledgeable about the subject, at least to the questions I was asking. I was very pleased with the work they did on my steering box and happy with how my steering is working. I use the stock pump with a 1.5' diameter ram and added a cooler. Very pleased with how mine works for having under $600 in everything and that included a new sector shaft as mine was found to be bent during the rebuild.
Jtmw
New member
Awesome I appreciate it!
David1tontj
New member
bump
A few of the guys in the southern Oregon jeep klub have it. Jandsjk bein one of them. He Is on wal.
They all had such great things to say about the redneck ram, and west Texas offroad, that this is the route I will be going when I get some extra coin.
Yeppers I did....
I've been keeping this thread in mind, but wanted to do a little more road and trail diving before I commented.
Here is what I can say so far:
WTO was easy enough to talk to on the phone and their turnaround time was what they promised. (I sent my gear to them.) I lost 9 days to shipping and they had it for 4. I assume a half day on the front and back was still part of the shipping process. So, if you go this way plan to be a Jeep down for roughly two weeks.
I was surprised when the parts arrived that the ram is bare steel. No big deal, but plan on some painting time before your install.
They will have you measure your tie rod travel to properly shim the ram. Mine came out to 6.75" so they reduced an 8" ram. Installation is very easy and bleeding went better than expected. Their directions state that you "can" use ATF but it may cause the seals to harden sooner. Since the majority of my system is still stock I opted to stay with the ATF4. Time will tell if this is/was a bad decision.
Now the bad news... Remember that measurement earlier? Well, after I got the whole thing installed and during the bleeding process I found I didn't actually have the 6.75" travel I needed and my Ram was the steering stop. Not knowing if this was their intension I centered everything and left it this way. I called the following day to ask about the travel. This was, and is a point of concern as my local trails are very tight and I didn't/don't want to lose turning. The improper steering was a mistake and they said I should still be using the knuckle stops. They offered to take the ram back and correct the issue, but I will likely just open the ram and remove shims myself. (I really don't want to lose another week and a half to shipping for an easy job.)
As far as performance goes, it really is too early to tell. My steering is a touch slower (I knew this would happen) but I haven't driven the Jeep enough to know if this will be a big enough issue to push me toward a higher volume pump.
I will update when I have more info.
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JK_Dave
Caught the Bug
They wouldn't take a core replacement on your stock steering pump? Seems like that would save a ton of time and you wouldn't be down for two weeks while you're waiting.
I was only offered buying one of their already done gears, or having mine reworked. I didn't ask about a core swap as I preferred my gear back. My Jeep isn't a DD and it rarely leaves the barn in the winter so the delay wasn't really an issue for me.
JK_Dave
Caught the Bug
Fair enough. I'm just picturing that this may be the next mod I tackle after the 37" tire upgrade and mine is a DD. The stock steering box breaking scares me a lot more than my stock D44 axles.
I can't recall at the moment, but wasn't there some talk about the pump manufacturer? Maybe multiple vendors were used over time, but one was preferential over the other for reliability sake? I thought GCM2 was talking about that and I may have to search for it. Just wasn't sure if it was something you were aware of or took into consideration.
cozdude
Guy with a Red 2-Door
the old Delphi boxes used in the earlier JK models (07-09 i believe) is superior to the chinese ones in the later years.
^^^This, They also have a replaceable sector shaft. It is my understanding that the later China made gear does not.
The PSC gear has a replaceable shaft, but with hydraulic assist the need is much less likely.
JK_Dave
Caught the Bug
SFNick
New member
Hey guys I got my ram in today & I was wondering if anyone was using this tierod clamp with the ram assist? I had it on a steering stabilizer but Synergy said I need to buy the one specifically made for the hydraulic assist. Just checking before I line everything up straight & weld the tabs on the track bar bracket. Thanks
I used the one from polyperfromance PPM-3112-A. I welded the tabs from WTO to the threaded side of the clamp and it has done great so far, has not moved at all. The one you have look to be a bit shorter, I dont think that will be an issue, the tab just wont be as long to spread the load from the ram out. I say just keep an eye on it and it should work.
jkur77
Member
I would get the one made for Hydro assist. I've seen the bolt ripped right out of the clamp (that is in the picture). They make a clamp that is similar but has an extra sleeve welded on top for extra strength so the bolt will have more support.
^^^ This
PSC makes one and it is pretty cheap -> http://www.pscmotorsports.com/motor...d-clamps/1-375-tie-rod-clamp-for-jeep-jk.html
I have a Carolina Metal Masters clamp. It is WAY overpriced but is a really nice piece. I did have to grind some on my Poison Spyder diff cover to clear it at hard driver turn.
Tcdawg
New member
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