Reliable hydraulic lift upgrade made easy

[BearCare]

Finally finished a custom hydraulic lift project to replace the OEM gas shock on my dump bed after a whole month! Used online hydraulic calculators to design everything as precise as possible, avoiding a crazy $999 linear actuator thats slow, non repairable, and offer less lift. It cost $620 in total and includes a remote control, better lift, and easily replaceable parts. I matched a 1" ID hydraulic cylinder with the exact stroke and pin specs of the original shock, confirmed it would fit, and paired it with a low GPM 12V pump and flow control valves to manage speed.. Very smooth, powerful, and way more practical! Anyone else tackled a similar DIY hydraulic setup, or have tips on fine tuning flow control for smoother operation?

 

[X-hamlet]

Wow, hats off to you on that hydraulic conversion. It is a really slick setup for your Ranger's dump bed. I have thought about doing something better for myself after wrestling with heavy loads, but I have not tried my hand at hydraulics yet.

 

[Dumb3lls]

I think you nailed the specs and kept it practical, which is key. Definitely play around with valve settings bit by bit. Also, make sure the reservoir is sized right to avoid overheating the pump on longer runs. Would love to hear how it holds up after some use for sure

 

[carebear21]

Good job! Ive done a similar setup, tweaking the needle valve helped smoothen things out. Also, pls double check your mounting angle, it can really affect how it lifts.

 

[Whiskey]

Finally finished a custom hydraulic lift project to replace the OEM gas shock on my dump bed after a whole month! Used online hydraulic calculators to design everything as precise as possible, avoiding a crazy $999 linear actuator thats slow, non repairable, and offer less lift. It cost $620 in total and includes a remote control, better lift, and easily replaceable parts. I matched a 1" ID hydraulic cylinder with the exact stroke and pin specs of the original shock, confirmed it would fit, and paired it with a low GPM 12V pump and flow control valves to manage speed.. Very smooth, powerful, and way more practical! Anyone else tackled a similar DIY hydraulic setup, or have tips on fine tuning flow control for smoother operation?

Ooh, I'm taking down notes. That's a nice and affordable way to get more lift coz you're not spending on a one-piece unit. Do post some updates here I'm following you coz I'm a little curious to hear how it holds up after a few dumps with a full load.

 

[frozenyogurt]

Finally finished a custom hydraulic lift project to replace the OEM gas shock on my dump bed after a whole month! Used online hydraulic calculators to design everything as precise as possible, avoiding a crazy $999 linear actuator thats slow, non repairable, and offer less lift. It cost $620 in total and includes a remote control, better lift, and easily replaceable parts. I matched a 1" ID hydraulic cylinder with the exact stroke and pin specs of the original shock, confirmed it would fit, and paired it with a low GPM 12V pump and flow control valves to manage speed.. Very smooth, powerful, and way more practical! Anyone else tackled a similar DIY hydraulic setup, or have tips on fine tuning flow control for smoother operation?

Well that setup sounds like it came out real clean! I'm veeery curious how it handles under heavy use. Definitely keep the updates coming! Following this thread now