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I searched on this topic before my recent 3" body lift and came up empty handed, minus one persons solution on another forum that I don't care for.
Stock power steering lines are of sufficient length for body lifts up to 2". Beyond that they will most certainly be stretched too long and will cause damage now or later. If you have hydroboost the last thing you need is the power steering to fail when you're driving.
I came up with four basic solutions for extended power steering lines:
1. You could cut the steel portion of the line in half and use a 3" long steel hydraulic compression tube fitting for 3/8" diameter tube. I found they typically cost about $100 in this length and you would need TWO. This is a very expensive option. On another forum a guy used a copper air/water line compression fitting to accomplish this task. Those are neither rated for high pressure nor does the chemistry mix (copper and steel touching will experience dielectric corrosion).
2. You can cut the steel portion of the line in half and braze weld a steel union sleeve of 1/2 OD and 3/8" ID. I think this is rather doable if you have good brazing skills and a decent torch. If not, forget it. The key is to heat up the joint in as short of time as possible to keep the line from getting too hot and meting the rubber hose attached to the end of it. Even if you're a pro there will have to be some sort of heatsink in place along the pipe before it reaches the crimped ferrule and rubber hose underneath. This may be achievable with a wet cloth wrapped around the pipe, putting the pipe in a large steel vise or submerging the line in a bucket of water. Like I said, you need to have mad brazing skills and a good torch to overcome the heatsink and get it done before the hose melts.
3. You can cut the crimped steel ferrules off the lines and remove the HIGH PRESSURE, STEEL BRAID REINFORCED rubber hydraulic hose. In caps so you realize THIS IS SPECIAL HOSE! It is NOT POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE! Power steering systems have both low and high pressure lines. The high pressure lines are between the pump and the hydroboost, and the hydroboost and the steering box.
Low pressure lines are found between the reservoir and the pump (the larger feed hose), the steering box and the steel cooler line in AWD vans and between the steering box and pump return inlet pipe. There is also a short low pressure line between the hydroboost on the brake master cylinder and the reservoir. Anyway, the point I am trying to make is that the high pressure hose is just that...HIGH pressure. We're talking 2500+PSI. Power steering return hose is rated at 400PSI max. YOU MUST NEVER USE POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE IN PLACE OF A HIGH PRESSURE HYDRAULIC HOSE.
It may be possible to remove the high pressure hose and replace it with a longer section. Start by removing the crimped ferrule:
![]()
You will find that the tube is neither barbed nor flared. The ferrule crimps applied enough pressure on the hose to retain it on the smooth tube. That's a hell of a lot of pressure!
![]()
For a DIY jobber (for those who don't have access to a $4K hydraulic crimping tool) I think it is imperative to use a tubing flare tool to flare the ends of the line like this:
![]()
This will aid in keeping the line from shooting off. There is no way any type of hose clamp will be able to exert enough force on the hose to reproduce the pressure of the crimped steel ferrule that was once there. You will need to use a bolt style hose clamp to hold the hose on. You absolutely cannot use a worm drive hose clamp. The bolt style clamp will look something like this:
![bolt clamp.png]()
The size will depend on the hydraulic hose used. These style clamps typically range in diameters limited to about 3mm of adjustment range within the hose OD spec. So if your hose is 21mm you would need a clamp with a range of 20-23mm in diameter. They are VERY precise and therefore hard to purchase in the correct size. They cost about $3 each.
Hydraulic hose for power steering can be ordered online since almost no autoparts store will stock it. You can purchase SAE hydraulic hose from someplace like McMasterCarr. McMaster sells Parker brand hydraulic hose. I would recommend one of these two options:
Part no: 9459K341 Sae Hydraulic Hose, 3/8"id, .68"od, 2600 Psi ($3.20/ft.)
Part no: 8646T12 Sae Hydraulic Hose, 3/8" Id, .75" Od, 4750 Psi ($5/ft.)
I purchased those hoses but I do not have a finished product to show you because I did not trust the ability of the hose clamps. The above were my backup plans B, C and D in case option 4 failed. I ended up being successful with option 4.
4. You can use longer power steering hoses from another GM vehicle! This is the easiest and most cost/time effective option.
The required hoses are from a GMC Savana 1500 (probably the whole line of this van, 2500, 3500 etc). I have hydroboost so I order lines for this van with hydroboost. If you do not have hydroboost in your van order the lines that are for a Savana without hydroboost.
The lines I purchased were:
QTY 1:
Gates 365456 Steering Pressure Hose
Notes: w/HYDRA BOOST, PRESSURE LINE ASSEMBLY - HYDROBOOST TO GEAR
Amazon.com cost $23
QTY 1:
Gates 365458 Steering Pressure Hose
Notes: w/HYDRA BOOST, PRESSURE LINE ASSEMBLY - HYDROBOOST TO PUMP
Amazon.com cost $28
I ordered lines for a 1997 Savana. My Safari is a 1997. I have no way of knowing if they will be compatible with every year Astro/Safari van. So purchase these at your own risk. I'm just sharing my experience here. My expectation was that GM would probably adhere to similar designs and fitting sizes from one vehicle to the next. I got lucky and was right. All of the fittings matched up perfectly. The only issue was the direction of the pipe bends.
Here are a few comparison shots. The shorter line in the pix is the stock hose. The longer line is from the Savana.
Got lucky on this one, they pretty much match:
![]()
Not so lucky on these ends:
![]()
![]()
I found those inconsistencies were easily overcome. Either the bend didn't matter too much or it could be reshaped:
![]()
![]()
Note: I used a vise to keep the tube from collapsing.
![]()
All good here!
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Note: This is the config for an AWD van with a cooler line. 2WD vans will have a hose going from the steering box back to the pump.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Those shots were taken with my 2" body lift blocks in place. The lines extended a bit further with the 3" blocks. I'd say these new lines could handle a body lift of up to and possibly beyond 6".
Not pictured is my extended feed hose leading from the reservoir to the pump. I used 5/8" heater hose for that line and extended it 3" longer than stock.
See my other topics for the extended steering shaft and boot:
http://www.astrosafari.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=30673
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
Now moving on to the power steering cooler installation. If you're running huge meaty rubber tires the power steering will be working extremely hard. This is compounded if you have a steering stabilizer installed and are offroading. Heat is your enemy. It will cause premature pump failure. Moving around large tires will create excess heat in a stock system. Remember the stock tires are like 26" in diameter! Tiny! I'm running 35x12.5" tires with a steering stabilizer that creates even more work for the system. Additional cooling power is essential for this application. I would strongly recommend a cooler to anyone running 30" or larger tires.
In my research I discovered that AWD vans have a power steering cooler pipe mounted below the radiator. 2WD vans DO NOT have any cooler at all!!!! WTF?! My van is 2WD so I decided to add the stock AWD cooler AND an additional secondary cooler.
2WD van owners simply need to purchase the AWD van cooler line.
I recommend:
QTY1
Gates 365509 Steering Return Hose
Amazon.com cost $23
This pipe simply takes place of the hose coming out of the steering gear housing to the return inlet on the pump. Attachment may be tricky since chances are as a 2WD van owner you are lacking the plastic shield below the radiator with clips for this line to attach. It's rather easily attached however with some zip ties.
Not only did I add this cooler but also a Hayden Automotive 1011 Power Steering Oil Cooler, Size 3/4 inch X 5 inch X 9-1/4 inch. I added this cooler between the a/c condenser and the radiator:
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
The AWD cooler lines looks like this in stock form:
![]()
I wanted to reroute the end of the return line upwards toward my secondary cooler. I slid a tubing bending coil over the outside to keep it from deforming too much and then popped it in the vise for reshaping:
![]()
![]()
Now the installed line would aim upwards toward my cooler:
![]()
Lines attached, before mounting:
![]()
Looking from the bottom of the van up:
![]()
I highly recommend Lucas Power Steering fluid. It smells better when it's all over you, soaked into your clothing and hair:
![]()
Like $9 for a 16oz. bottle.
Don't forget to properly bleed the system after installation. Double the wheel revolutions recommended for bleeding a stock capacity system.
You should also fully flush the system after installing these hoses. The FSM has a TWO MAN procedure for flushing the system. IT IS A TWO MAN OPERATION!!!!! Trust me. I had power steering fluid dripping from my balcony 20ft away from the van because I tried to do it by myself. The end of the flush hose will act like an unattended fire hose if not secured and the reservoir empties at an astonishing rate. I honestly don't even see how another person could possibly fill it fast enough to keep it full while another person cycles the steering wheel left to right. I got her flushed out though, the hard way as usual.
Stock power steering lines are of sufficient length for body lifts up to 2". Beyond that they will most certainly be stretched too long and will cause damage now or later. If you have hydroboost the last thing you need is the power steering to fail when you're driving.
I came up with four basic solutions for extended power steering lines:
1. You could cut the steel portion of the line in half and use a 3" long steel hydraulic compression tube fitting for 3/8" diameter tube. I found they typically cost about $100 in this length and you would need TWO. This is a very expensive option. On another forum a guy used a copper air/water line compression fitting to accomplish this task. Those are neither rated for high pressure nor does the chemistry mix (copper and steel touching will experience dielectric corrosion).
2. You can cut the steel portion of the line in half and braze weld a steel union sleeve of 1/2 OD and 3/8" ID. I think this is rather doable if you have good brazing skills and a decent torch. If not, forget it. The key is to heat up the joint in as short of time as possible to keep the line from getting too hot and meting the rubber hose attached to the end of it. Even if you're a pro there will have to be some sort of heatsink in place along the pipe before it reaches the crimped ferrule and rubber hose underneath. This may be achievable with a wet cloth wrapped around the pipe, putting the pipe in a large steel vise or submerging the line in a bucket of water. Like I said, you need to have mad brazing skills and a good torch to overcome the heatsink and get it done before the hose melts.
3. You can cut the crimped steel ferrules off the lines and remove the HIGH PRESSURE, STEEL BRAID REINFORCED rubber hydraulic hose. In caps so you realize THIS IS SPECIAL HOSE! It is NOT POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE! Power steering systems have both low and high pressure lines. The high pressure lines are between the pump and the hydroboost, and the hydroboost and the steering box.
Low pressure lines are found between the reservoir and the pump (the larger feed hose), the steering box and the steel cooler line in AWD vans and between the steering box and pump return inlet pipe. There is also a short low pressure line between the hydroboost on the brake master cylinder and the reservoir. Anyway, the point I am trying to make is that the high pressure hose is just that...HIGH pressure. We're talking 2500+PSI. Power steering return hose is rated at 400PSI max. YOU MUST NEVER USE POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE IN PLACE OF A HIGH PRESSURE HYDRAULIC HOSE.
It may be possible to remove the high pressure hose and replace it with a longer section. Start by removing the crimped ferrule:
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
You will find that the tube is neither barbed nor flared. The ferrule crimps applied enough pressure on the hose to retain it on the smooth tube. That's a hell of a lot of pressure!
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
For a DIY jobber (for those who don't have access to a $4K hydraulic crimping tool) I think it is imperative to use a tubing flare tool to flare the ends of the line like this:
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
This will aid in keeping the line from shooting off. There is no way any type of hose clamp will be able to exert enough force on the hose to reproduce the pressure of the crimped steel ferrule that was once there. You will need to use a bolt style hose clamp to hold the hose on. You absolutely cannot use a worm drive hose clamp. The bolt style clamp will look something like this:
The size will depend on the hydraulic hose used. These style clamps typically range in diameters limited to about 3mm of adjustment range within the hose OD spec. So if your hose is 21mm you would need a clamp with a range of 20-23mm in diameter. They are VERY precise and therefore hard to purchase in the correct size. They cost about $3 each.
Hydraulic hose for power steering can be ordered online since almost no autoparts store will stock it. You can purchase SAE hydraulic hose from someplace like McMasterCarr. McMaster sells Parker brand hydraulic hose. I would recommend one of these two options:
Part no: 9459K341 Sae Hydraulic Hose, 3/8"id, .68"od, 2600 Psi ($3.20/ft.)
Part no: 8646T12 Sae Hydraulic Hose, 3/8" Id, .75" Od, 4750 Psi ($5/ft.)
I purchased those hoses but I do not have a finished product to show you because I did not trust the ability of the hose clamps. The above were my backup plans B, C and D in case option 4 failed. I ended up being successful with option 4.
4. You can use longer power steering hoses from another GM vehicle! This is the easiest and most cost/time effective option.
The required hoses are from a GMC Savana 1500 (probably the whole line of this van, 2500, 3500 etc). I have hydroboost so I order lines for this van with hydroboost. If you do not have hydroboost in your van order the lines that are for a Savana without hydroboost.
The lines I purchased were:
QTY 1:
Gates 365456 Steering Pressure Hose
Notes: w/HYDRA BOOST, PRESSURE LINE ASSEMBLY - HYDROBOOST TO GEAR
Amazon.com cost $23
QTY 1:
Gates 365458 Steering Pressure Hose
Notes: w/HYDRA BOOST, PRESSURE LINE ASSEMBLY - HYDROBOOST TO PUMP
Amazon.com cost $28
I ordered lines for a 1997 Savana. My Safari is a 1997. I have no way of knowing if they will be compatible with every year Astro/Safari van. So purchase these at your own risk. I'm just sharing my experience here. My expectation was that GM would probably adhere to similar designs and fitting sizes from one vehicle to the next. I got lucky and was right. All of the fittings matched up perfectly. The only issue was the direction of the pipe bends.
Here are a few comparison shots. The shorter line in the pix is the stock hose. The longer line is from the Savana.
Got lucky on this one, they pretty much match:
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Not so lucky on these ends:
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
I found those inconsistencies were easily overcome. Either the bend didn't matter too much or it could be reshaped:
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Note: I used a vise to keep the tube from collapsing.
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
All good here!
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Note: This is the config for an AWD van with a cooler line. 2WD vans will have a hose going from the steering box back to the pump.
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Those shots were taken with my 2" body lift blocks in place. The lines extended a bit further with the 3" blocks. I'd say these new lines could handle a body lift of up to and possibly beyond 6".
Not pictured is my extended feed hose leading from the reservoir to the pump. I used 5/8" heater hose for that line and extended it 3" longer than stock.
See my other topics for the extended steering shaft and boot:
http://www.astrosafari.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=30673
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
Now moving on to the power steering cooler installation. If you're running huge meaty rubber tires the power steering will be working extremely hard. This is compounded if you have a steering stabilizer installed and are offroading. Heat is your enemy. It will cause premature pump failure. Moving around large tires will create excess heat in a stock system. Remember the stock tires are like 26" in diameter! Tiny! I'm running 35x12.5" tires with a steering stabilizer that creates even more work for the system. Additional cooling power is essential for this application. I would strongly recommend a cooler to anyone running 30" or larger tires.
In my research I discovered that AWD vans have a power steering cooler pipe mounted below the radiator. 2WD vans DO NOT have any cooler at all!!!! WTF?! My van is 2WD so I decided to add the stock AWD cooler AND an additional secondary cooler.
2WD van owners simply need to purchase the AWD van cooler line.
I recommend:
QTY1
Gates 365509 Steering Return Hose
Amazon.com cost $23
This pipe simply takes place of the hose coming out of the steering gear housing to the return inlet on the pump. Attachment may be tricky since chances are as a 2WD van owner you are lacking the plastic shield below the radiator with clips for this line to attach. It's rather easily attached however with some zip ties.
Not only did I add this cooler but also a Hayden Automotive 1011 Power Steering Oil Cooler, Size 3/4 inch X 5 inch X 9-1/4 inch. I added this cooler between the a/c condenser and the radiator:
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
The AWD cooler lines looks like this in stock form:
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
I wanted to reroute the end of the return line upwards toward my secondary cooler. I slid a tubing bending coil over the outside to keep it from deforming too much and then popped it in the vise for reshaping:
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Now the installed line would aim upwards toward my cooler:
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Lines attached, before mounting:
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Looking from the bottom of the van up:
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
I highly recommend Lucas Power Steering fluid. It smells better when it's all over you, soaked into your clothing and hair:
Image uploading. Refresh page to view
Like $9 for a 16oz. bottle.
Don't forget to properly bleed the system after installation. Double the wheel revolutions recommended for bleeding a stock capacity system.
You should also fully flush the system after installing these hoses. The FSM has a TWO MAN procedure for flushing the system. IT IS A TWO MAN OPERATION!!!!! Trust me. I had power steering fluid dripping from my balcony 20ft away from the van because I tried to do it by myself. The end of the flush hose will act like an unattended fire hose if not secured and the reservoir empties at an astonishing rate. I honestly don't even see how another person could possibly fill it fast enough to keep it full while another person cycles the steering wheel left to right. I got her flushed out though, the hard way as usual.
