Hydro boost question

[df2x4]

The steering gear boxes are also different between the 96 non-evo gears and the 98-99 evo equiped gears. I believe some 97 might gave had evo too but no 96s. If you bypass the evo, you will have very assisted steering. This is how I have been running mine until i get a new box from companies like redhead that can set whatever assist you like.

Well crap. This is not what I was hoping. RockAuto does indeed show different steering gear part numbers for a '96 and '97 respectively.

FWIW both of my '97s are pretty early production and both have EVO.

 

[kennythewelder]

The steering gear boxes are also different between the 96 non-evo gears and the 98-99 evo equiped gears. I believe some 97 might gave had evo too but no 96s. If you bypass the evo, you will have very assisted steering. This is how I have been running mine until i get a new box from companies like redhead that can set whatever assist you like.

Mine is a 97 and it had EVO. I was unsure about 96 though.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

This is a good diagnostic tool, but it puts the system in full boost at all times which creates very light steering. To the point that the steering doesn't even want to return to center at slower speeds. FWIU removing the EVO properly feels much better than just unplugging it. I'm having a bypass kit installed in the red truck on Monday so I'll be able to compare it directly to my Suburban, which still has functioning EVO.



I will never understand how this feels OK to some people. It must be something to do with the fact that you have a van. Both of my trucks feel awful with the EVO in full boost.

The EVO is great when it works, unfortunately it eventually stops doing so reliably.

Has always felt like a normal power steering system in my 99 Tahoe too with it unplugged. When they were still functioning normally with the connector plugged in it felt like you have manual steering at highway speeds. Unplugged it feels just like both my 83 G20 and my 88 Fleetwood did. Both of mine re-center perfectly even at say 5 mph and you can take your hands off the wheel and it will run straight down the road with a good alignment.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

The steering gear boxes are also different between the 96 non-evo gears and the 98-99 evo equiped gears. I believe some 97 might gave had evo too but no 96s. If you bypass the evo, you will have very assisted steering. This is how I have been running mine until i get a new box from companies like redhead that can set whatever assist you like.

Box for my 99 Tahoe shows to fit some 96 through 2000 applications. The box on my Express shows to fit 96-02 Express vans as well as 96-2005 Astro vans.

If by very assisted you mean normal assist, i can agree with that. The evo system is what I consider dangerous. Especially in heavy crosswind. I am sure I would have head on collided with a barricade wall in the Express had evo been functioning on it once when I got hit by a 40-50 mph crosswind gust. Tried to shove me into a barricade separating the regular lanes from the HOV lanes right as I was approaching it. At 70 mph it took a very quick 180° steering input to keep me from being pushed sideways into it.

My buddy has a 2001 or 2002 NBS tahoe that feels normal with the EVO unplugged as well.

Personally that 68 Bonneville or 78 Fleetwood feel is what I like my power steering systems to feel like. Guide it down the road with 1 finger kind of feel.