Do you have a fullsize truck that has giant tires, and steers like crap? So did we, until we in-stalled a Rock Ram from AGR. Our magazine's rig, the Ultimate Super Duty (see the buildup Aug. through Nov. '02), was a bit unusual because its giant tires were indeed giant 46-inch Michelins. The USD was really a handful when equipped with just the stock power steering, worse than driving a heard of turtles over greased linoleum to be exact. The response from steering wheel to tire was downright scary and made weaving in and out of traffic more like pinball than anything else. In fact, the word Jeff Nasi--our advertising director--used to describe the stock steering with the big tires while off road in Moab is not even PG-rated. The stock power-steering system is fine for a stock truck, but once you go big and actually use the vehicle on crazy off-road trails that make well-built rigs cringe, then you have problems, and broken sector shafts are big problems (read about that in Nov. '02).
Now you might have noticed that in the Super Duty buildup we didn't have time to install the AGR kit before the Ultimate Adventure, but since then we finally got it done. To get our kit set up we went to the shop of legendary off-road racer Curt Leduc. He does not usually just install Rock Ram's since the majority of his time is spent building high-end prerunners and race trucks, but he does use the product on the rigs he builds. We also agreed to mention the amazing trophy collection he has amassed if he would put the kit on our giant Ford. The install went easily and except for a slight leak issue that was easily remedied, it made the USD a luxury to drive. We can cruise street and trail and easily spin the wheel with one hand. The hydraulic ram assist makes pushing the big meats around comfortable and safe, not to mention the quicker response time.
Little Things Count
When you install the high-pressure line on the back of the pump be sure to replace the white Teflon ring with the new one included in the kit. This simple step was overlooked and ended up causing major problems. When the joint leaked initially we thought it was just loose, so we cranked down the fitting harder. This, however, did not seem to tighten the hose and was exactly opposite of what the new instructions say to do. The leak subsided a bit, but we believe the damage was already done as the pump was not working quite right. The pump was soon not giving enough pressure and leaking again. We finally got one of the current pumps instead of the prototype we started with, replaced the Teflon ring and the entire hose for safe measure, and now we have real power steering again. Don't forget the little things.
Before you install the AGR Rock Ram System with Super Pump you have to remove the old stuff. On our Super Duty the air inlet for the Turbo was in the way so we pulled that out first. Then the belt, pulley, pressure line, and old pump were removed. When our original steering box broke on the Ultimate Adventure, it was replaced with the AGR box on the trail. This involved removing the original hydraulic lines, mounting bolts, and pitman arm, replacing the box, and then bolting everything back together. | 
On the right is the new Super Pump, which is a Saginaw-style pump modified for the Rock Ram kit. The pump on the left is the original pump. Our first AGR pump was a prototype that we needed to assemble, but the current kit has the pump assembled and ready to install. |
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The stock mounting bracket for the Ford pump must be modified to fit the Super Pump. The bracket is shown before it was cut (top) and after (above). The instructions clearly show where to drill the bracket and then how much material to remove. Because the bracket is aluminum, a rechargeable drill and a hacksaw or Sawzall make easy work of this step. Upon installation of the pump it is time to replace the pulley, belts, turbo parts, and high-pressure line. |
Before the final installation of the ram, we mocked up the position so that it would be protected behind the tie rod. The strongest use of the ram will have it using as short a stroke as possible in as straight a line as possible. Be sure the front tires are off the ground so that you can turn the wheels back and forth to determine proper placement. For best results we needed to notch the included brackets before tack-welding everything in place. | 
Once final placement was determined the tabs were welded into the axletube and the tie rod. We found it was easier to remove the tie rod after taking it and welding it on a workbench. Our tie rod is a heavy-duty version from Dynatrac; however, we replaced the steering stabilizers since the Rock Ram should eliminate part of their duties. |
With the pump back in place, the box installed, and the ram located, all that's left is hooking up the lines to the ram. Then be sure to fill the reservoir and bleed the system, which is done with the front wheels off the ground. Cycle the steering and ram back and forth over 40 times while an assistant checks to make sure the reservoir doesn't drop below the required level. Then lower the truck and enjoy the benefits of the easy living...or at least easy steering. | |