Client complains of steering is intermittently hard, jerky. Tested it. When moving slowly or stopped, the steering gets hard, locks up and requires lots of force to get it to move, like the power steering is intermittent, on and off. It's not so bad on the highway, but there, most steering motions are mild and gradual. All web based forums so far have pointed to power steering pump. It's NOT a hydroboost, it has a regular vacuum booster.

Replaced and flushed the power steering pump and system. Fluid wan't too bad. R&R pump was a Rusty cramped B***CH. No change.

Now at the point where if he has to swerve and avoid collision, he's going to have a real problem. Like, he might DIE!
The more I work with this, I almost suspect something in the steering column. There seems to be a sense of general binding up somewhere, but hard to diagnose where.

Do the steering columns go bad? What would cause binding there?

I'd think dis-associating the steering column from the box would prove this.... Also taking off the pitman arm. One steering box bolt is loose, but minor movement there.
These checks would be easier if this truck wasn't so rusted and scaley. New England Roads just rots everything steel.

 

It's a bad sector shaft in the box. The u joints in the steering column do go bad and should be changed if rusted also.

 

OH NEVER MIND! New England ROT strikes again.

I wasn't able to both turn the steering wheel and view the steering box, but finally discovered there's one steering box bolt that has rotted off inside the chassis...or the nut plate inside has rotted, and the steering box slightly twisted every time I turned it to the left...and that pushed the input end of the steering box toward the frame, and the flex joint and flange caught against the chassis and bound it up. By jamming a screwdriver to pry the steering box away from the frame, it eliminated ALL THE PROBLEM!!!

That's why it was worse turning it to the left, and worse when going slow....more twisting power...

So what do I tell the client? Yep, new pump, steers fine.... or

Ya know DUDE if you keep buying these rotted crusty trucks, they just cost a lot of my time and ingenuity to fix. Most guys just shake their heads when they see you coming. I'll work with ya, but every problem you have with these sleds requires entirely different solutions, not in the book, not on Youtube, and not at the dealership.

 

So NOW WHAT? Can't get the rotted interior nut out of the frame thus can't unscrew the screw that's rusted into that nut plate....wish it was a thru-bolted fastener. Could cut it off with a hacksawblade slipped between the box and frame..... but there's 2 other fasteners on the box and they are crap too..otherwise the box wouldn't be drifting. OK DUDE this is going to take a bit of MY TIME/YOUR MONEY!

 

Wish it was that simple..... R&R box.

Actual problem is funkier than that......

 

SOLVED. Cut the bottom bolt with a hacksaw in the gap between the steering box and the frame. WORKED the bolt piece out of the box. Remember, this truck is so Friggin' crusty that everything is a formidable task. Took a drill and ran through the box and frame...a piece of rotted off bolt came out the opposite side.
So it IS thru bolted...and what I thought was a loose nut plate was a rotted off bolt that was spinning in the frame.

I'm going to replace that bottom bolt, using a piece of 3/8-16 B-7 threaded rod (that's about grade 8, 4140 alloy class), some grade 8 locknuts and call it good. I have no intention of touching the other 2 bolts. They're crusty, and impossible to get out easily, and because they are not on the bottom of the frame where water tended to linger, I'll bet they are not rotted through.

DUDE, I'm done on this truck. If you have any other problems, I'm no longer in this business.

Thanks guys for letting me talk this one out.....