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INFORMATION CENTER
Tech Articles
Big Tires, Low Pressure, and an Old, Weak Power Steering Unit
How to Avoid Trouble
By Rick Péwé
Photography: Rick Péwé
Published in JP magazine
www.jpmagazine.com
Power steering is one of life’s great inventions—especially if you’re
running big tires on your Jeep, or trying to negotiate a rocky trail.
Just try driving the Rubicon trail sometime with low-pressured 35-inch
meats and a manual system, and your tired hands and arms will tell you
the truth.
However, not all power setups are the same. Factory units are designed
for stock tires that are ready to explode at 35 psi. If that’s what you
run, you probably don’t even need an upgrade. But combine big tires, low
pressure, and an old, weak power unit and you’re just asking for trouble.
That’s where the AGR Super Box and Super Pump come into their own, since
they’re specifically designed for this scenario, and the performance they
deliver is, well, super. But even more important is these units are basically
stock in form and function—meaning they bolt right in and can be replaced
anywhere should the unlikely need arise. We visited the AGR plant in Texas
and got the grand tour as well as the details on why these components
work so well.
AGR starts with a stock-type
Saginaw steering box, the same basic type that came factory on
Jeeps as far back as 1966 and are still in use today. The CJ
series used the box starting in 1972, and most earlier Jeep
conversions use the same unit or a variation of it. The same
goes for the pump, which is a standard Saginaw vane-style that
was used in roughly the same years and vehicles as were the
boxes.
The major difference is the
amount of flow and pressure these two components work with.
The Super Box is a bit larger with a bigger piston for more
force, and the Super Pump features more pressure and volume.
Also, special attention is paid to blueprinting all of the
pieces and matching them to serious rockcrawlers’ needs. The
box features custom porting and valve work and other details
that are proprietary in nature.
We decided to swap out a leaking, squealing, binding combo
that had worked well in its early days, but had seen too many
trails. While the Jeep is not a box-stock rig, the way the new
AGR pieces mount is basically the same, and your CJ, YJ, TJ,
or FSJ can just as easily benefit from the upgrade.
Follow along as we mount the
new parts and relieve the frustration of worn-out components,
arms, and hands.
Article Archives
Goodmark Chevelle Project Car-Part 5
The Chevelle's chassis is prepped for its hot body
By Jason Walker
Photography: Barbara Hillick
Published in Super Chevy magazine
www.superchevy-web.com
It's pretty safe to say that we have
passed the "dirty" part of the restoration process and are finally on
our way to the re-assembly portion of the Goodmark Project Chevelle.
But before we get too far into the
finishing touches of our mega-cool giveaway ride, let's take a look at
what went on to upgrade the stock underpinnings. First, the chassis
was media-blasted and painted by the boys at Metal Finish USA before
it received a fresh coat of PPG's DP90 black primer. After the
framerails were dry, the next steps involved bolting all the new or
newly restored parts of the chassis and suspension in place. Talk
about new parts, the front and rear of the Goodmark Chevelle will be
riding and relying on a bevy of Hotchkis Performance parts, including,
adjustable upper rear control arms, lower trailing arms and trailing
arm mount braces, 1-inch lowered coil springs, and a 1-inch sway bar,
linking the Nationwide Performance Parts 9-inch rearend to the
Chevelle's chassis. Up front, Hotchkis supplied its tubular upper
A-arms, 1-inch dropped coil springs, and a 1 3/8-inch sway bar. QA1
adjustable shocks will keep all four tires stuck firmly to the ground,
and Master Power Brakes will make sure the rubber stops as good as it
rolls with a four-wheel disc brake conversion kit. Also on the list of
suspension parts are the 2-inch drop spindles from Superior Spindles,
Performance Suspension Technology's Polygraphite frontend rebuild kit,
and AGR's 21:1 ratio steering box. Is it just us, or does this car
sound more and more like a full-fledged Pro-built pavement cooker? One
thing is for sure: This Chevelle is going to drive as good as it
looks.
Our Policies
& Installation Instructions
Warranty & Return Information
Return Information
Within 90 days of delivery of your
order, you may return any unused and non-special order parts. You must
call us for a Return Goods Authorization number and include that
number on the original packaging for proper credit. Be sure to include
your name, address and telephone number for proper handling. Used
parts will not be refunded. All returns will be fully refunded minus
shipping (actual shipping charges in the case of free shipping) and
minus a 20% restocking fee. Refunds take approximately two
weeks and are refunded in the same manner as payment.
Warranty Information
All coded components have a 90-day limited
warranty. If you believe that you have a defective part, please call our
Technical Support Department at 817-626-9006. We
will issue you a Return Goods Authorization (RGA) number and obtain other
necessary information to assist us in determining the nature of the defect. Be sure to include your RGA
#, name, address and telephone number for proper handling. Write the
RGA number prominently on the outside of the shipping carton. If upon
performing a complete analysis of the part it is determined that the
unit contains a manufacturing defect, AGR reserves the right to repair
the unit or replace the unit with a comparable unit.
WARRANTY WILL BE VOID IF:
- Any other fluids are used other than power
steering fluid. (Do not use transmission fluid or any type of red hydraulic
fluids.) Running ATF in the power steering system will damage the high
temp viton seals and does not contain enough lubrication qualities to
perform with optimum performance.
- The fluid is contaminated (gray or black
in color). The system should be completely purged and flushed with new
fluid when installed.
- The steering unit has been disassembled
or adjusted outside of the factory. This includes painted, cracked or
damaged cases and broken sector shafts.
- The threads where the hydraulic lines
screw in are stripped, cross-threaded, or cracked. Threads are checked
and tested at the factory.
- Unit has been abused and as a
consequence the unit has been damaged.
Installation Instructions
AGR
Performance , Inc.
4920 Rondo
Fort Worth, TX 76106
Phone: 817.626.9006 Fax: 817.626.9758
info@agrperformance.com |
