HYDRAULIC STEERING FAQ'S

Hydraulic Steering FAQ

Here is a list of important items when building and/or trouble shooting a full hydraulic kit for large tire trucks

Hoses, Fittings and Location

Feed Line

  • -12 minimum line from reservoir to pump
  • Reservoir needs to be mounted higher than the pump
  • Make sure there are no kinks or funny loops in feed line

Pump to Orbital

  • -8 high pressure line and fittings from pump to orbital
  • Minimum working pressure of 3000PSI

Orbital to Steering Cylinder

  • -8 high pressure line from orbital to steering cylinder
  • Minimum working pressure of 3000PSI

Return

  • -8 low pressure line return to reservoir


High Volume Pump
Too low of flow or pressure will cause the steering to be stiff or slow

Cooler + Filter
Only mounted on the return side of the system

Orbital
Make sure is not a closed center unit from forklift or tractor, check for proper volume by calculating your rams surface area. Information and Calculations Here

Reservoir
Bigger is better, the more fluid in the system the better it will cool, also make sure the oil isn't foaming

Troubleshooting
When trouble shooting, the first thing to check is for pressure, ideally the pump should be making 1500-1700 psi no less than 1200psi.
Gauge adapters are available Here