The Skinny
New from Unisteer Performance Products is an electric power steering unit for the Yamaha Rhino. This unit fits 2004-2008 models and reduces the overall steering effort. They also have units for the Polaris Ranger and RZR, Kawasaki Teryx and Mule, John Deere Gator and Cub Cadet Volunteer. These units have a small compact electric power steering motor that is built for those of us with larger tires, suspension modifications or anyone that drives with heavy payloads. Also available for the Rhino, RZR and Ranger is “RackZilla” a heavy-duty factory replacement rack and pinion.
The Bottom Line
Since UTVs do not come with power steering, we were excited to see the difference the new Unisteer unit would make. We installed the unit on our 2006 Project Rhino that has a six-inch over long travel kit and an aftermarket tilt steering wheel. We set aside an hour for installation but overall took about 1-1/2 hours to install partly due to our tilt wheel and removing an amp where the power steering unit resides.
Once the unit was installed, we were ready to test it out. Simply turn the key and the power steering unit power on after about 5 seconds. Immediately turning the wheel on the concrete floor, we could notice the difference after shutting the vehicle off and turning the wheel again. We did a short test out in some soft dirt to see how effective the unit performed under some resistance. We first did the test with the power steering on, and then we disconnected the power from the battery and ran it, as it would be in stock form. We could definitely feel the difference in the steering effort with the Unisteer unit. We did a similar test with the Rhino 4wd engaged,
as well as the diff lock engaged. We could only feel a slight increase in ease of steering, but fortunately, for most of us, we don’t need to run in 4wd or diff lock for that long.
Overall, this unit works well. Driving on pavement and trails, this unit gives the Rhino a Cadillac type feel. We feel that this unit is best suited for people without much upper body strength, people that get tired after driving on long trail rides, and we could see a big improvement of those running larger tires. The Unisteer operates off of an electric motor and has no noise at all. It is a well-built unit and comes with straightforward instructions with color photos. While we didn’t think power steering was needed, we could see its benefits. This is a great addition to our Rhino, and it won’t be coming off anytime soon! Our only negative would be the price. It may seem a little high, but if you suffer from the above-mentioned situations, then it is worth it.
Review By: UTV Off-Road Magazine
