Additional fin cooler for steering

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H

Hendlerj

Joined
Aug 26, 2020
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Has anyone successfully added an additional fin cooler for the power steering system?

If yes, where did you fit it?

I bought one and brought it to a local mechanic who says he can't figure out where to fit it, given the winch occupying real estate, etc.

My power steering always fails on hot days, especially when wheeling at slow speeds, because the ARB bumper blocks the airflow to the stock cooler.

Thank you,
Jared
 
Are you sure you need that and that is the issue?

I drive my 200 slow wheeling in the Mojave and it's 107.
With my ARB bumper and winch, it has no steering heating issues.

Where are you wheeling where it's so hot?
 
Fisher23 said:
Are you sure you need that and that is the issue?

I drive my 200 slow wheeling in the Mojave and it's 107.
With my ARB bumper and winch, it has no steering heating issues.

Where are you wheeling where it's so hot?
Click to expand...
I think it's an issue of heat, but I don't know for sure. It doesn't happen on cool days or when the vehicle is driving fast and there is plenty of ram air. But when it's 90 degrees out and, and the vehicle is going a few miles an hour or is stationary, it becomes very difficult to turn the wheels. I think the fluid is boiling.

Mine is a 2014. What year is yours?
 
Hendlerj said:
I think it's an issue of heat, but I don't know for sure. It doesn't happen on cool days or when the vehicle is driving fast and there is plenty of ram air. But when it's 90 degrees out and, and the vehicle is going a few miles an hour or is stationary, it becomes very difficult to turn the wheels. I think the fluid is boiling.

Mine is a 2014. What year is yours?
Click to expand...
You have something else going on. 90° is almost pleasant out, and the fluid should not be "boiling". Mine is a 2015 in Dallas, TX with an ARB bumper and have no issues in the Costco parking lot cruising for a spot. Start with a fluid flush and see if it improves or breaks it. If it breaks it, it was going to break regardless, and should identify the issue.
 
Linking your other thread.
H

Thread 'Wheeling is cooking power steering fluid'

I had my 2014 LC200 built about a year ago. Steering used to be perfect. Since the build, once the car gets hot, if I am going slow or not moving, the power steering seems to go away. Steering the car can be almost impossible while not moving. The shop just keeps flushing the fluid telling me it looks burnt. Does anyone have a more sustainable fix for running big tires on a 200? Is there a pump upgrade? Is there a power steering cooler upgrade?
 
Thank you for linking the other thread. It is a year later and I am trying to execute the advice from that thread, to add a fin cooler. Now I need to figure out where it has fit successfully for someone else.
 
Have you taken measurements of PS fluid temp?
 
Does the ARB bumper not have cooling holes below for the power steering cooler? That's too bad as I expect better from them being in the game as long as they have. The Dissent bumpers definitely do. Which could point to a potential solution which is to drill some ports for airflow.

Pics stolen from @radman
1761102973164.webp


Here's a pic of the substantial OEM cooler - which suggests just how much heat the system will put out and definitely needs cooling airflow. The radiator (and integrated tranny cooler) behind that could equally be suffering. Back in my autox days, with the amount of steering and high rpm on a short track, upgrading the factory power steering cooler was a thing. In certain uses in rocks on hot days at low speed, I can see it stressing the system and putting out a lot of heat.
1761102764456.webp


There could also be other contributors. Aggressive offsets and more tire scrub combined large tires and overlanding weight - that will tax the steering pump more. It's also worthwhile to mention if you aren't already using low range for more engine RPM and fan cooling, to support more hydraulic pressure.

The hydraulic pump point has probably been burned up enough that it needs to be replace. Very likely the seals and/or bypass circuit are compromised and not putting out enough hydraulic pressure. I would recommend replacing it.

Though that still only a bandaid to the original cooling issue that led to this. Consider drilling holes. Or you'll need to relocate the factory cooler higher up so it receives more airflow.

If you need another cooler format to relocate, you could possibly use my tranny aux cooler mod but for the power steering circuit. Any cooler at the current position won't do any good.
TeCKis300

Thread 'DIY Aux Transmission Cooler'

As the stock 200-series already has an aux tranny cooler, perhaps this is better described as installing an aux aux cooler. The stock cooler is solid. I imagine this is niche for the heaviest of rigs or those that do more aggressive off-road running that really loads up the torque converter. From my monitoring, continuous high engine outputs is what largely drives heat into the tranny.

This is a follow-on to this planning thread:

forum.ih8mud.com

Tranny Cooler Upgrade Planning

Also PWR make a twin cooler kit, it’s pricey and I’m searching for pics, but the details are here: https://shop.pwr.com.au/extreme-transmission-oil-cooler-kit-toyota-landcru Of course if the transmission was designed properly the torque converter would be locked much earlier, eliminating the...
forum.ih8mud.com forum.ih8mud.com

I've gone the path of adding an additional tranny cooler inline and...
 
I don't think it's an ARB bumper issue. Thousands of land cruisers use arb bumpers without this issue.

I would suggest replacing the fluid if you have not done so. Could easily be just a fluid problem, or some restriction in the flow (like the pump).
 
Last edited:
TeCKis300 said:
Does the ARB bumper not have cooling holes below for the power steering cooler? That's too bad as I expect better from them being in the game as long as they have. The Dissent bumpers definitely do. Which could point to a potential solution which is to drill some ports for airflow.

Pics stolen from @radman
View attachment 4015615

Here's a pic of the substantial OEM cooler - which suggests just how much heat the system will put out and definitely needs cooling airflow. The radiator (and integrated tranny cooler) behind that could equally be suffering. Back in my autox days, with the amount of steering and high rpm on a short track, upgrading the factory power steering cooler was a thing. In certain uses in rocks on hot days at low speed, I can see it stressing the system and putting out a lot of heat.
View attachment 4015611

There could also be other contributors. Aggressive offsets and more tire scrub combined large tires and overlanding weight - that will tax the steering pump more. It's also worthwhile to mention if you aren't already using low range for more engine RPM and fan cooling, to support more hydraulic pressure.

The hydraulic pump point has probably been burned up enough that it needs to be replace. Very likely the seals and/or bypass circuit are compromised and not putting out enough hydraulic pressure. I would recommend replacing it.

Though that still only a bandaid to the original cooling issue that led to this. Consider drilling holes. Or you'll need to relocate the factory cooler higher up so it receives more airflow.

If you need another cooler format to relocate, you could possibly use my tranny aux cooler mod but for the power steering circuit. Any cooler at the current position won't do any good.
TeCKis300

Thread 'DIY Aux Transmission Cooler'

As the stock 200-series already has an aux tranny cooler, perhaps this is better described as installing an aux aux cooler. The stock cooler is solid. I imagine this is niche for the heaviest of rigs or those that do more aggressive off-road running that really loads up the torque converter. From my monitoring, continuous high engine outputs is what largely drives heat into the tranny.

This is a follow-on to this planning thread:

forum.ih8mud.com

Tranny Cooler Upgrade Planning

Also PWR make a twin cooler kit, it’s pricey and I’m searching for pics, but the details are here: https://shop.pwr.com.au/extreme-transmission-oil-cooler-kit-toyota-landcru Of course if the transmission was designed properly the torque converter would be locked much earlier, eliminating the...
forum.ih8mud.com forum.ih8mud.com

I've gone the path of adding an additional tranny cooler inline and...
Click to expand...
Teckis300,

Thank you for this amazing and thorough reply. There is a lot here for me to digest. I appreciate you taking the time to put it together.

Best regards,
Jared
 
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