Steering Box Help. What would you do?

N

NomadJeep

Administrator
The steering box on the YJ is shot I think.  Here is the story,

Rebuilt box 2 years ago.  Used to over heat after an hour or so on the trail. Pump would wine, put in a cooler and new pump just in case.  However the steering ability has not been the same for a long time.  And in the last year, it has barely worked once you get the tires off the road.

Pump does not wine anymore, and there is no foaming over heating but I think the box is just had it. It does not leak,but it also acts like a manual steering car when you try and turn the wheel while not moving.

So do I try and see what is up with my box?  Anything that can be tested?

or I can try and get a Wagoneer box, or better yet a Durnango.

I have about $200 to spend on an attempt to solve it.  So that rules out ARG or PSC as much as I would love them.

So do you think I should try the Durnago route?

Junk yard:  $120.
Rebuilt at Napa: $211.

Here is a thread on the durnago set up.

http://65.42.106.152/forums/showthread.php?t=636551&highlight=Saginaw
 
Get a turkey baster to get the old fluid out of the reservoir. Put Lucas power steering fluid in, and repeat a few times after driving it for a while.
It made a big difference in my jeep.
 
Thanks for the reply Mark, I did the lucas already..  Then I completely drained after that did nothing to improve the lack of steering.  So right now it has full synthetic power steering fluid in it.  Special order.... :rotflmao:


what else do you think I should do?
 
Bullet said:
I would put up with it for another couple of months the way it is and save your money to get the box you want. You might as well go BIG since you really, really want the ARG or PSC  :wink:
Click to expand...
x2
Replace the pump, and flush the lines when you buy the new steering box.  :wink:
No sense in contaminating the new components.
 
How would you test the pump and eliminate that from your problem? Like Mark said, maybe replace both. PS pumps are cheap.
 
The  WWW.car-part.com shows a couple boxes for wranglers for $50 at east coast auto salvage.  They are pretty good.  Whenever I call for a part I've found.  They always go by the price on the web.
 
My thoughts, we can rebuild your existing box for $50.  Then call PSC, they will rebuild your existing pump to their high flow rates for less then $100.  My history of steering wows were similar to what you are going threw.  I had no steering abilities, even with 32" and 34's.  Then I rebuilt my box and replaced my pump with a junk yard one.  Had great steering all the time.  Then my pump started to act up, leak, whine.  Then at Paragon it pissed fluid all weekend and I had no steering.  I just put a PSC pump in (not rebuilt, new - it was a time thing, no tiime to ship things back in forth.)  My steering was 100 % better.  Now I'm putting a ram on to assit the job (that is why I'm typing now and not wheeling at the NEA meeting :sad:).  My thoughts is that alot of our issues arive from not getting the flow we need at the low RPM.  Call me if you want 203-623--6282.
 
my stock box has a lot of play. 160k on it. the adjustment end is rusted round. i'm ready to try an upgrade. 
 
thanks guys.

Alright, the pump that is in there right now is about a year old.  The box is about 2 years old.  So they are pretty new already.


I have read a lot about Wrangler pumps and I would not want to keep that one going.  They work for a while, but everyone says that no matter what, they just cant keep up with 35's and a locker.

as I said, I would love a ARG, or PSC however I really only "plan" on keeping the YJ for a little bit longer.  Then if I can get the motivation sell it, build the ruby.  (then spend the money on PSC)

So my current pump, that is about a year old I got from Acme, do you think there is something wrong with that?  It does not over heat and it does not make hardly any noise.  That is why I think it is the box becuase I did the pump, hopeing it would help, and it gave me nothing.

Everyone says that Wagoneer and Durango boxes have larger interals, (pistons or something) and that they can handle bigger tires.  (and they bolt right in)

Is there any way to test the pressure in the system,  see if a pump is "good enough"?
 
You can test the pressure by putting a tee and gauge.  Going to cost few buck for the parts but not hard.  Is your resivoir on the pump?  If you feel that your pump is good then keep it and replace the box.  Rebuilding one isn't hard.  Also can't hurt to call the guys at PSC and explain your problem, you don't have to buy anything.  If you invest in the PSC stuff now can't you transfer it over the Rubi? 
 
If you change to the Durango box are you keeping your original steering colunm or can you upgrade that too?
 
Finished my install last night.  Setup includes PSC high displacement pump (PS-1405), their resevoir (nice unit), hydraulic ram (1.5" bore x 8" stroke, .75" rod), additional cooler.  And I can turn my 36's with one finger at 5 psi.  And the response is great, quick, unnoticeable on the street.  I've read that people complain about the response being delayed or slow, but they are usually not upgrading the pump.  The more I mess with this stuff the more I think having the proper flow and pressure at the lower RPM's is critical..  Know don't fooled by my setup, I wasn't cheap, but less then you would expect a complete setup would cost.  Outside of the pump and resevoir I bought everything outside the offroad market, big savings.  Not including the pump or resevoir I have less than $175 in the setup and that includes the rebuild kit for the gearbox.  Did you call anywhere and ask any questions? 
 
sean_cj7 said:
Finished my install last night.  Setup includes PSC high displacement pump (PS-1405), their resevoir (nice unit), hydraulic ram (1.5" bore x 8" stroke, .75" rod), additional cooler.  And I can turn my 36's with one finger at 5 psi.  And the response is great, quick, unnoticeable on the street.  I've read that people complain about the response being delayed or slow, but they are usually not upgrading the pump.  The more I mess with this stuff the more I think having the proper flow and pressure at the lower RPM's is critical..  Know don't fooled by my setup, I wasn't cheap, but less then you would expect a complete setup would cost.  Outside of the pump and resevoir I bought everything outside the offroad market, big savings.  Not including the pump or resevoir I have less than $175 in the setup and that includes the rebuild kit for the gearbox.  Did you call anywhere and ask any questions? 
Click to expand...

Sean where did you get your ram?

Jon
 
I'm having the same issues with my ZJ.

It's been whining for about a month now and I'm about to go to 32" tires.  Is your fix something I can use on the ZJ or is it a totally different setup?
 
If it's whinning, check the fluid level.  As for 32's.  A stock pump and steering box work fine.  I've been running 32's (narrow ones) for years on stock pumps and boxes.
 
I've been watching the fluid level - it's fine. Yesterday she went from whining to grinding. Sounds like a bearing noise.

I'd better replace it before Fall Crawl or I maybe sorry.
 
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