Power steering broke or to weak for offroad tires?

[Pinger]

My 1999 Suburban C2500 with EVO has loads of assistance when stationary. Get the feeling that if the tyres were somehow fixed/clamped/stuck to the ground, the whole truck would swing around them.
Then it weighs up to quite heavy on the move - all of which I like and wouldn't change.

Looks like it might be the best set-up for the OP's slow speed needs?

 

[thegawd]

I wonder what actual rock crawlers use. they turn the tires effortlessly, while perched up on a bunch of rocks.

 

[someotherguy]

I wonder what actual rock crawlers use. they turn the tires effortlessly, while perfehed up on a bunch of rocks.

Hydraulic rams on the steering.

I don't see OP retrofitting EVO to his '96 model without a whole lot of items brought over from a donor truck.. but I dunno; maybe it's simpler than I am imagining.

Richard

 

[Osteoblast]

No Evo wanted. Just a newer PS pump '99 or so, eliminating the EVO. Already checked rockauto. You can get PS pumps with the EVO bypass installed...
Plan is to change the maybe broken PS Pump to a newer upgraded version.

 

[someotherguy]

No Evo wanted. Just a newer PS pump '99 or so, eliminating the EVO. Already checked rockauto. You can get PS pumps with the EVO bypass installed...
Plan is to change the maybe broken PS Pump to a newer upgraded version.

I don't think that's going to net you any better result than would simply installing a new pump.

The EVO system is designed to give more assist at low speed, less assist at high speed. If you delete EVO the pump is going to give the normal amount of assist at all times. If it were to remain "boosted" in any way after the delete, it would be a handful at highway speeds.

Richard

 

[Osteoblast]

I run LT 275/70 16's and try not to make turns unless moving, reduce wear and tear, feel the pump working harder going into a u turn at idle rpm. U may need a higher output pressure for offroad offcamber high angle steer turns. When suburbans started becoming the soccermoms go to driver. The feedback about being hard to turn ( it's a truck..). They made some pump changes and my freinds 98 burb, wife could steer with one finger. A gm tech ****** said they just upped the minimum operating pressure. I never confirmed what he said. But the burb had a lighter steering resistance.

 

[Supercharged111]

Your pump is weak. My dually is iffy at a stop with 225/75/16 tires and my 1500 is effortless at a stop with 285/75/16. Parts store garbage won't do any better. The 1500 has a virgin pump from a 99 dually, box too. I'm not sure about the dually, it feels like my parts store reman pump did from day 1 that I got rid of on the 1500.

 

[df2x4]

I don't think that's going to net you any better result than would simply installing a new pump.

The EVO system is designed to give more assist at low speed, less assist at high speed. If you delete EVO the pump is going to give the normal amount of assist at all times. If it were to remain "boosted" in any way after the delete, it would be a handful at highway speeds.

Richard

Agreed for the most part, although I will say that I just did the EVO delete on my red truck and it definitely has more assist at highway speed now than it did with the EVO intact. Not a ton, but it is noticeable. Nothing like unplugging the EVO and putting the system in full boost though. To clarify I'm using the stock '97 pump with the GM EVO delete kit.

 

[Osteoblast]

Can I swap the '96 pump with a'98 Evo bypass pump?

 

[GoToGuy]

Pump bodies the same it's the hardware on the back for EVO.