I am new to the forum, and pretty new to Dodge and Dakota's. I bought my Dakota dirt cheap because it didn't reverse. Dropped a rebuilt transmission in it and would like to learn how to fix some stuff on it along with hopefully upgrading some things as well.

Anyway, so it was low on power steering fluid and was making a horrible grinding noise when I turned left, mostly coming into my driveway. It's leaking fluid near the boots(?) And the leak seems to be pretty bad. Just wondering if this would point out what might be going on...? Thanks in advance.

 

The steering rack boots? 2wd then. You'll need to either replace the rack or replace the seals. To confirm you can slide back one of the boots...it'll probably be full of P/S fluid.

 

What tbugden said.

Exactly what are you referring to when you say “boots”? Yes, as tbugden said, if they’re leaking out of the rack boots then the seals are shot on your rack n pinion. You’ll need to replace the rack n pinion.

and if you need another r n p I would suggest what our late, dear friend Ralph would say. Go with rackdoctor.net

It’s not a particularly tough job. Make sure you have/get new mount bushings. There are two of them. If you need to order them, get Energy Suspension ones. Another Ralph fave.

But first things first. Tell us exactly where it is leaking. Photos always help.

 

You have a 95% chance you need a new rack and pinion. It's not a particularly difficult job. A bit messy, but fairly easy if you're mechanically inclined. If the rack doesn't come with them, get new outer tie rods. Besides the obvious mounting bolts, you've had a couple of hydraulic lines and the other tie rods to undo from the steering knuckles. There's also a rag joint of the steering column. This would be a good time to let all the power steering fluid to drain into a pan and replace it with fresh. Most warranties require fresh fluid and a flush anyway.

When you put it in, measure the length at each end and overall, then when you're done, it's off to the alignment shop.

 

Sorry for taking so long to reply all, thanks for the replies. I am not sure if I am capable of doing this job myself. I am more inclined to doing Auto Body than mechanical stuff. I can do basic mechanical like oil changes and brakes and I changed out the fuel pump on this truck but I tend to stay away from things like tie rods, ball joints, etc. I might want to try it though cause I have no clue the cost of getting the work done at a shop if I provide the rack. Anyway here's the pics both the "boots" have fluid dried on the bottom, the pump has "dirty" "dried" fluid at the bottom. My dad said he spilt some fluid filling it but I think this has been there a while. So maybe pump AND Rack? I will add these things to the list.


That bottom "line" that ends at the boot is where a lot of fluid is at.

 

Simple Stch, get yourself a few rags and a beer. Jack up the front end, put jackstands under the frame (be safe), and camp out for an hour under your truck. Wipe down the power steering pump, hoses, rack, rack bellows, and inner tie rods. Clean them up good. Then drive a couple hundred miles (or whatever it takes) and look for fresh leakage. There is no telling where that crud you have on them now came from and what it is. Could just as easily be a valve cover leaking motor oil or crap from the road. Fill your power steering fluid to the fill line. Make note of it and see if you're losing fluid.

As for your hesitancy to do mechanical work, none of this is difficult. You're not rebuilding an engine. Power steering pumps, racks, balljoints, tie rods are not rocket science. And you have lots of help here and other places. Don't sell yourself short. And when you see what these thieves charge you'll warm up to the idea of DIY. I just got done doing all the work you mentioned so it's fresh in my mind. I can help you with parts selection, tool selection, tips and tricks. And I'm not the only one but I do have the same year/truck as yours.

First things first. Clean up the crud on your pump and rack and let's see what/where it is leaking if at all.

 

Thank you so much! This month I have a TON of stuff to pay for like an extra $600 I have to make at least. My main car is a 2019 Honda HRV and I put it through a small ditch last week at night trying to turn around. It's racked up to $1700 in damages cause it bent the radiator core support and they have to R&I Radiator, and A/C and the recharge and refill all that. The deductible is $250 and I went ahead and told them to fix the hit and run on the left side of the bumper from last year. 🙄 Anyway, it seems the A/C compressor is around $200 on rock auto and I can't afford that yet. I will look into Rack price as well but will do what you say first. I have seen a lot of people work on ball joints, steering knuckles and all and have watched them have to beat the living hell out of them to get them in or out. Just for clarification I am a chick and sometimes have to ask my dad for some muscle. Lol. I used to work for Amazon and was really strong, stronger than him but no more. I really hope to get some more motivation and really get going on these projects for this truck. Again thank you so much! (Also it might be a while to drive that much, we only haul stuff with it sometimes and give the dog a ride lol. But the steering leak is pretty aggressive.

 

Let's get that steering leak diagnosed first. Clean up all the crud underneath and drive her a bit and see where new/fresh fluid is coming from. Getting it diagnosed properly is paramount. No point fixing stuff that doesn't need to be fixed. There are good replacement parts and bad replacement parts. This forum is a good place to find out what to steer clear of. That includes racks and pumps.

I'm not a chick but I like them a lot. This world is far better for having chicks in it. I'm not going to lie to you, changing balljoints will require muscle...especially the upper balljoints. I'm 220 lbs and the uppers needed a 3/4" drive breaker bar plus 6' cheater bar and about 90% of my muscles. They're screw-in uppers. Some are easier than others but no way of knowing till you get there. So unless you're a monster chick, you will need to find a fairly strong male or a gorilla to help get those uppers off and on..especially off. Entice a male with a steak or something. We can be bought for food. Bamboo shoots will work for a gorilla. We can diagnose the balljoints n tie rods after you fix your steering stuff.

 

Just because you don't have that pesky Y chromosome doesn't mean you can't do it. Granted, being female, you don't have the upper body strength of a male. Like Garfield would say, "Big Fat Hairy Deal". The only thing you'll need strength for is to pop the tie rod ends loose and to lift the new rack assembly into position. You can get the tie rod ends loose from the steering knuckles with a pickle fork and a DBH. You might need a bigger one than a man, but it's doable. Either that or use an air hammer with a pickle fork attachment.

Lifting the rack assembly can be done either with another pair of hands or a small jack. In some ways, being female will work to your advantage. When you unhook and then reattach the hydraulic lines, smaller hands and arms won't get stuck like mine do. Breaking tight bolts loose is just a problem in applied mechanics. I'm sure you don't straighten a bent panel by hand. You use a lever. The same with your wrench.

I'd get new tie rod ends when I got the new assembly. Use a tape measure to get the new assembly the exact same length from end to end as the old one. The closer you get, the less the front will be out of alignments when you're done. It will need to go in for an FEA, but if the tires are close, they won't scream going down the road to the alignment shop.

 

You can also use the dye in your power steering fluid.