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It sounds like the steering box is broken inside with the valving from the pump. Jacked up you should not have the pump growl or the stiff spots turning left. When was the last time you changed the power steering fluid, do you have a in line filter in the to return line that is restricting power steering fluid flow? If your not having issues turning both ways it's not the pump, if your not having brake assist, it's not the booster. These systems are integrated so I think this is my conclusion. What happens without the power steering pump on, can you turn the wheel both ways jacked up? This might corroborate the issue is the steering box.
Now, I am assuming your tie rod ends, ball joints and front u joints are good. Again, u joints or ball joints binding on that left turn could still be an issue. One bad front u joint even with unlocked up hubs can really mess things up, so have a look at those u joints before you buy and replace the steering box.
Hope this helps.
Mike
Jacked up i have no hard spots, BUT the pump does growl when turning left for sure. That points to the gear? (This is with truck running)
While running down the highway i never have hard spots when stopping to make a left at an intersection shall we say, its always when trying to return to center.
Power steering fluid was replaced 2 years or 40,000km ago when i bought the truck.
No In-line filter on the lines to restrict flow.
I can turn the wheel both directions fine with the truck off no binding noticed.
I assume all tie-rods and balljoints are good too, balljoints are 2 years old ford OEM and tie-rods are moog almost brand new with 1500km on them.
No stopping issues noticed either, maybe a bit of surging with light braking but its time for rotors soon as i had a caliper lock up on the back and didn't have the money to replace the rotor at the time.
The u-joints are pretty beat up in the front for sure. If i could replace them myself i would but i've never been that far in for pulling axles out and personally i don't really want to.
EDIT: the truck makes the same growling when turned off. Steering gear issue?
Hmmm. I would worry about the u joints if they are stiff. But if they are done, the power steering box is the only problem, do you know how to adjust it, has it ever been tightened up? If so, it can be too tight. I am surprised the u joints were not done the same time as the ball joints, that's unusual when it's all apart..
My money is on a bad axle u joint. Mine did that, till I replaced them. It is either that, or they squeezed a Ball Joint, and it is binding/tight. Heck, If they (the Ball joints) were torqued down to tight, they are shot, start over.
My money is on a bad axle u joint. Mine did that, till I replaced them. It is either that, or they squeezed a Ball Joint, and it is binding/tight. Heck, If they (the Ball joints) were torqued down to tight, they are shot, start over.
The balljoints have been fine for just over 40,000km so i don't know that they would lock up now.
I'll see about tackling the u-joints though, not sure why they werent done.. probably because i guess i didn't ask for them to be done but you would think if they seen they were bad they would have done them. Not sure
How about putting the front end off the ground, pop the tierod on the pitman arm and seeing how the entire steering linkage moves left to right.
Growling left means that it's straining when moving in that direction. Once you check the wheel/linkage movement, restart the truck and with the box and only the pitman arm attached and see if the growl is still there.
If the issue is there only under weight load then this won't tell anything.
How about putting the front end off the ground, pop the tierod on the pitman arm and seeing how the entire steering linkage moves left to right.
Growling left means that it's straining when moving in that direction. Once you check the wheel/linkage movement, restart the truck and with the box and only the pitman arm attached and see if the growl is still there.
If the issue is there only under weight load then this won't tell anything.
Good idea, thanks. Need some better weather.
For what its worth when the truck is off and jacked up, its the same resistance turning both left and right but i will have to see what it does when the tierod is knocked out.
That will tell me if it's gear? If it's still making noise ?
As Mike noted above, I too think the issue in the reaction valve of the steering gear, which if so requires a full box replacement.
Does the symptom fit the reaction valve? Can you explain what that does? Just for my and others knowledge later down the road.
With the pitman arm free from the steering components, it makes the same growling only when turning left. Why only left, i don't know. Steering components themselves have no binding that i can see
Thanks for posting that Sean. I just spend 45 minutes looking for a good video or pdf and the one you just posted is the only one I found that I was willing to post; it's as good as it gets. I'm amazed about the lack of literature on the web for this.
It's a good move to disconnect at the pitman and move by hand side to side. The thing is the steering box can be bad on one side, it sounds like she is plumb wore out. If it's still stiff off the pitman, then you still have a bad u joint or bad ball joints. I don't envy the OP, this is $1000 bucks either way.
06-16-2016, 12:01 PM
