bad power steering?
 

Hi-
A while a go I posted about my steering acting funny. i.e. not wanting
to turn all the way to the left and pulling to the right occasionally.
It seems it is getting more frequent now. It seems that it happens
after a tight corner, like the steering does not want to return all the
way to center. After a while down the road the jeep will quit pulling
and will drive straight as an arrow. And sometimes when I go to turn
the wheel it feels like I don't have power steering. A buddy and I
checked out the front end again and could not find any play or slop.

My buddy said I probably just need to replace the steering box, what do
you all think? Anything else I should do/check before spending the $180
for a rebuilt box? Could it be a bad pump?
--
Aaron Graham
http://homepage.mac.com/aarongraham
1948 Willys & 1979 CJ7
o_o_o_o
/| ,[_____],
|¯¯¯L --O|||||||O-
()_)¯()_) ¯¯¯¯¯ )_)

Re: bad power steering?
 

I also have a slight PS leak, could the leak be the problem?

In article <aarons48willys-9160E6.14441201072003@news2.localnet.com>,
Aaron Graham <aarons48willys@NOSPAM.mac.com> wrote:

> Hi-
> A while a go I posted about my steering acting funny. i.e. not wanting
> to turn all the way to the left and pulling to the right occasionally.
> It seems it is getting more frequent now. It seems that it happens
> after a tight corner, like the steering does not want to return all the
> way to center. After a while down the road the jeep will quit pulling
> and will drive straight as an arrow. And sometimes when I go to turn
> the wheel it feels like I don't have power steering. A buddy and I
> checked out the front end again and could not find any play or slop.
>
> My buddy said I probably just need to replace the steering box, what do
> you all think? Anything else I should do/check before spending the $180
> for a rebuilt box? Could it be a bad pump?
--
Aaron Graham
http://homepage.mac.com/aarongraham
1948 Willys & 1979 CJ7
o_o_o_o
/| ,[_____],
|¯¯¯L --O|||||||O-
()_)¯()_) ¯¯¯¯¯ )_)

Re: bad power steering?
 

I think you have issues with ball joints and other stuff like that, not the
steering box. You need an inspection by somebody that knows what they are
looking at. It is difficult to tell from here what your real trouble is.

Put the vehicle in the air with no weight on the front end. Lift it by the
frame or with a floor jack under the axle. Do not lift it by those drive-on
racks that keep the weight on the tires.

Push and pull the front tires with your hands placed at the 12:00 and 6:00
positions. The tires should not move, if they do then the trouble is worn
ball joints. Push and pull with your hands at 3:00 and 9:00, the steering
system should move accordingly. You should be able to feel problems with the
steering box if there are any.

If the steering is the trouble, you should be able to spot it by finding a
way to bind the front tires -- wedge them against a curb or something -- and
gently turn the steering wheel and look to see what moves and what doesn't
move. (This test will take two people.)





"Aaron Graham" <aarons48willys@NOSPAM.mac.com> wrote in message
news:aarons48willys-9160E6.14441201072003@news2.localnet.com...
> Hi-
> A while a go I posted about my steering acting funny. i.e. not wanting
> to turn all the way to the left and pulling to the right occasionally.
> It seems it is getting more frequent now. It seems that it happens
> after a tight corner, like the steering does not want to return all the
> way to center. After a while down the road the jeep will quit pulling
> and will drive straight as an arrow. And sometimes when I go to turn
> the wheel it feels like I don't have power steering. A buddy and I
> checked out the front end again and could not find any play or slop.
>
> My buddy said I probably just need to replace the steering box, what do
> you all think? Anything else I should do/check before spending the $180
> for a rebuilt box? Could it be a bad pump?
> --
> Aaron Graham
> http://homepage.mac.com/aarongraham
> 1948 Willys & 1979 CJ7
> o_o_o_o
> /| ,[_____],
> |¯¯¯L --O|||||||O-
> ()_)¯()_) ¯¯¯¯¯ )_)

Re: bad power steering?
 

"Aaron Graham" <aarons48willys@NOSPAM.mac.com> wrote in message
news:aarons48willys-B14EFC.14455501072003@news2.localnet.com...
> I also have a slight PS leak, could the leak be the problem?
>

The leak is not the problem, it could be related though. My power steering
has been leaking for a couple of years, and I don't have the issues you are
describing.