[DirtyDan]

I live and drive in the Himalayas. The roads here, and the goat paths here, are full of switchbacks. Roads into the deep Himalayas are dangerously narrow and confronting trucks on the edges of steep drops is commonplace. Towns and market place roads here are often narrow and congested. Going with larger tyres, say 235/75/r15s or larger is likely. All this makes power steering highly desirable on any mm5** jeep. Since I am contemplating modding an mm550, I wish to add power steering. There is no room for error, here especially but on the flatlands as well.

I am wondering if anyone who has done it or tried it can tell me the "ins and outs" of it. They do this at Moga routinely. I do not know if they get good results on their "pimped out" stylized stuff. They install Pajero pumps with Toyota tilt steering columns, for example. I have no idea how they make the link to the wheels.

Please do not reply that I do not need PS. I want it. That is enough. This is an inquiry on how to get it done safely and correctly.

[4x4addict]

DD,

I am interested in installing PS in my MM540 as well. The only person I know who in this forum who has retrofitted a PS to a jeep is Madbullram on his CJ500. It will be great if somone could post some details about how this is done.

The chap who sold me the 5-Speed gear box said that he has a conversion kit which includes everything but he was asking 30K for the kit. I would rahter source the individual components in the second hand market rather than install a 30K kit.

You can see the Power Steering unit in the last picture in this post:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-of...tml#post950404

I am not sure why but I have heard from more than one person that the pump has to be installed on the front bumper where you normally install a winch. I want to add a winch later so I would rather keep that place free. Not sure if it can be installed in any other place.

[headers]

You could also fix the PS at an alternate location behind the firewall in the engine bay. BUt depends on which type of steering unit one is having in the jeep. Will try and get some pics for you guys.

@ DD - I understand that you want PS. Whatever the install, please dont expect it to be anywhere as close to a cars PS.

[sreerajunnithan]

A friend of mine has got the entire assembly from Mumbai for 12-13k. It was around one year back. He got Armada PS kit and installed it on MM540. The PS unit will be behind the front bumper. You can still fix a winch.

Thanks
--Sree--

[DirtyDan]

Originally Posted by headers

@ DD - I understand that you want PS. Whatever the install, please dont expect it to be anywhere as close to a cars PS.

Hi Headers, you may be right....but why are you right ???? But I intend to take a shot at it, maybe. I do not expect an mm5** to handle like a car in any case. Around here the roads are not good enough or not straight enough to be too concerned about high speed handling. 70kph is flat flying in my neighborhood. Lower speeds than that, crawling, backing, sharp low speed turns are what I am mostly concerned with. But it has to NOT FAIL. And be adequate and safe at all speeds. I know they charge 10-15 thousand in Moga for installs with used parts they claim are from newer wrecks. This is one area I would rather stay away from used parts.

[sreerajunnithan]

DD you can contact JEEPGEORGE from Jeepthrills. He has the first hand experience installing it on MM5**. Please let me know if you want his email id/Ph number. Even heh as some contacts in Mumbai from where he sourced the parts.

Thanks
--Sree--

[Sudipto-S-Team]

DD
I drive an Esteem with PS and as such am used to a very light steering that turns effortlessly. And I am also very bad with adjusting to any other vehicle. It takes me time to understand any other vehicle (even if it is another Esteem).
Now, someone like me found a friend's MM540 steering extremely user friendly. It is unusually light for a vehicle like that. I really wonder if you need a PS on MM 5x0. Have you driven it personally?

[whitemm550]

Originally Posted by sreerajunnithan

DD you can contact JEEPGEORGE from Jeepthrills. He has the first hand experience installing it on MM5**. Please let me know if you want his email id/Ph number. Even heh as some contacts in Mumbai from where he sourced the parts.

Thanks
--Sree--

hey shree, i would love it if you can provide me with the details, i wanna put P/s on my MM550

[1100D]

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

DD
I drive an Esteem with PS and as such am used to a very light steering that turns effortlessly. And I am also very bad with adjusting to any other vehicle. It takes me time to understand any other vehicle (even if it is another Esteem).
Now, someone like me found a friend's MM540 steering extremely user friendly. It is unusually light for a vehicle like that. I really wonder if you need a PS on MM 5x0. Have you driven it personally?

I second that. Unless there is a problem in the linkages steering isn't very heavy.

However speaking of the Armada unit on the MM540, did the Armada 4x4 come with a PS?

[Sudipto-S-Team]

My impression from driving an MM540 for a few hundred kilometers is that while the steering is pretty light it is fairly imprecise but consistently so. I mean the steering turns more than the vehicle does. I think technically they call it understeering (please correct me if I am wrong). However, since it is consistently inconsistent (meaning it will behave similarly all the time, unlike in old ill maintained Ambassadors where you are never too sure how much turn in the steering translates into how much turn in the vehicle), you get used to the imprecise response pretty soon.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

DD
Now, someone like me found a friend's MM540 steering extremely user friendly. It is unusually light for a vehicle like that. I really wonder if you need a PS on MM 5x0. Have you driven it personally?

I drove my MM540 as my daily commute car in Bangalore and you are right. For the most part it works fine without PS with the stock/OEM width tires except when you are struggling to get the car into a tight turning parking spot.

However, I want to install 31x10.5 tires and there is no way I can use the MM540 as a city commuter without PS. In my opinion if you want to go for bigger tires and plan to use the Jeep as your daily driver, it's worth springing for the PS unit.

[DirtyDan]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

However, I want to install 31x10.5 tires and there is no way I can use the MM540 as a city commuter without PS. In my opinion if you want to go for bigger tires and plan to use the Jeep as your daily driver, it's worth springing for the PS unit.

Exactly. What we are looking for are good ways to do it, and the ramifications, not so much whether someone thinks it's necessary. In my situation I have already decided it is desirable and I gave my reasons in the thread's opening post.

[Kandisa]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

DD,

The only person I know who in this forum who has retrofitted a PS to a jeep is Madbullram on his CJ500. It will be great if somone could post some details about how this is done.

I guess Desertking has also fitted a PS in his MM 5x0. Armada grand or older Bolero's PS will probably be a good fit for 540/550. In Moga also they do it regularly (the steering looks crappy though), but reliability is huge issue.
One query, is it that only the hydraulic kind of PS may be fitted in MM 5x0s? In that case, won't the maintenance thing get bothersome?

[girish_8086]

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

Exactly. What we are looking for are good ways to do it, and the ramifications, not so much whether someone thinks it's necessary. In my situation I have already decided it is desirable and I gave my reasons in the thread's opening post.

hi DirtyDan,

I've done PS convertion to my MM540. Its working fine.

[ex670c]

Hi Guys,

There are 2 possible setups which are identical in construction and fitting on a JEEP.

1) Bolero 2WD or 4WD power Steering they use a Hydraulically Assisted Re-Circulating Ball System. Cost -- Rs50K

2) Manual Maxx-Pikup/Marshal/Bolero Re-Circulating Ball Steering Setup.
Cost -- Rs10K.

I am currently fitting the Manual Recirculating Ball system on my MM540XD with a Maxx-Pikup Front Axle with Open Knuckles.

The Advantage of the Re-Circulating Types Setup is

1) Eliminates the Idler Arm Assy (which converts pull & push to Left-Right)
i.e removes 3 Ball-Joints from the system = Lesser Slack/wobble/play.
2) Better Steering ratio
3) Better Steering Control & Feed Back

Regards,

Arka