Power steering issues

[Tony Trak]

Power steering problem. Power assist is sometimes intermittent on right turn only. So… Pitman arm bearing was bad. Not too bad, but bad. I replaced it. Checked everything else and it looked good. While truck was jacked up, I grabbed the tire and could turn the tires pin to pin with no binding or restriction. Went out for a test drive. No problems for the first 5 minutes. Then it started again. Loss of power steering only while making right turns. No binding, just loss of power assist. If I turn wheel to left a little then back to the right it seems to get power back. Don’t know how power steering works, but is there a spool valve of some kind that could be binding? Only right turns. Truck is a 1992 M998. 6.5NA. Steering was fine for 2 years with aftermarket tires and wheels.

 

[Action]

What is this in, your VW? Telling us what model HMMWV is a good start.
What is a “pitman rod”? I could only find something about a sewing machine or big machinery.
Sector shafts have an upper and lower bearing.
My guess is just that you need to bleed the air out of the system.

 

[Action]

And, you forgot to mention that you have aftermarket wheels / tires that stick out a couple inches past the body. Possibly putting strain on things.

 

[Tony Trak]

What is this in, your VW? Telling us what model HMMWV is a good start.
What is a “pitman rod”? I could only find something about a sewing machine or big machinery.
Sector shafts have an upper and lower bearing.
My guess is just that you need to bleed the air out of the system.

Fixed the original post with truck info. If it was air in the system, wouldn’t the problem be intermittent in both directions? This is only in right turns.

 

[Mogman]

If it had been working fine and you did not run it out of fluid then it is probably a bad steering gear (box) that is the only component that could work in one direction and not the other.

 

[Action]

Did you have to take the gearbox apart and out of the truck to replace the bearing?

 

[Mogman]

I would think he is talking about the idler not the pitman, just my guess as you cannot change that bearing by simply jacking the truck up.
It sounds like maybe some trash in the steering gear valve

 

[Tony Trak]

First, thanks for all the help. It did not run out of fluid. I replaced the whole pitman arm with bearing. I did not take the gearbox apart. Is the gearbox an easy swap? Is it repairable?

 

[Mogman]

That is not a bearing, it is a ball joint, the pitman shaft in the steering gear has a bearing, not too much work to change, maybe a 3-4 out of 10
Yes they can be repaired IF you can find someone qualified, otherwise see if you can find a NOS unit.

 

[DUCE FARM BOY]

dont ou just love weard problems like this . so much fun trouble shooting