Went hydro assist and steering still feels sloppy. Why?

Hydro-assist isn't a magical fix for a bad setup. A lot of people throw on a hydro-assist set up and realize once they hit the trail that it doesn't feel right. It might be easier to turn the wheel, but it’s sloppy, inconsistent, or still fights you in certain situations.

This isn't an uncommon issue, it's usually due to weak or worn out supporting components. If you're still running stock tie rods, cheap heim joints (often misspelled 'hiem') or single shear mounts, the hydraulic ram is just putting extra force on weak components. This extra force leads to quicker wear, bent parts and ultimately a failure.

If your components are solid but the steering still just doesn't feel right after throwing on a hydro assist kit, you could have a geometry issue. If your drag link and track bar angles aren't matching up, or your ram is mounted incorrectly, the steering will never feel correct. These issues usually appear with a presence of something like bump steer, excessive feedback or your wheels not returning to center properly. You can eyeball a lot of things when fabricating but steering geometry shouldn't be one of them. 

At the end of the day, hydro assist is only as good as the components around it. It is an amazing must have upgrade, but it needs to be installed correctly with supporting mods to make it work properly. If you still fight the steering wheel even after checking all of the previously mentioned issues, it may be time to upgrade to full hydro, especially if you are running bigger tires. 

Fix your steering the right way → Shop Hydro Assist Components