latently, my truck has had the sporadic steering tight/loose/tight/loose thing going on. Today going to TMS, it was fine on the highway, but when i got in the track, I couldn't even turn the wheel. I had to do a U turn 3 times (it's amazing howlost you can get when signs aren't posted), and i probably went from reverse to forrward 2 or 3 times each U turn simply because i could not get the wheel to turn far enough. But yet, other times it was perfectly fine, like when i actually went and parked.

I'm thinking this is more like a P/S pump/steering rack issue? Because it's not consistent in timing or rotations of the wheel. Seriously, I only got like 1/2 to MAYBE a full turn either way then i just ran out of muscle.

 

Is the wheel still turning? Or is it binding? Is the wheel turning but very hard to turn? if so, most likely cause is the P/S pump. If it's binding, like getting stuck and you have to wiggle it to get it un-stuck, then it's most likely a mechanical issue like the ball joint as you said.

 

oh i could turn it, but it took a grizzly bear to make it turn. then it'd be fine. Then it's be stiff, then fine again.

was fine all day today.

 

Yeah, it's probably a weak P/S Pump. If you have a jack, jack up your lower control arm (with the wheels chocked!) so that the tire is off the ground, but the control arms are still holding the weight of the truck. Then grab the top and the bottom of your tire and try to wiggle it. If it moves at all, then you have a ball joint issue. If not, it's the P/S Pump problem.

 

what i say lower joint, i'm meaning the u joint on the steering column that likes to sieze and then fall apart. not the balljoint..mines only 4x2.

 

Oh sorry, misunderstood. But the same principle applies. The u-joint in the steer shaft would cause it to bind.

 

That discription that you gave is how my power steering rack acted before it went out. Does that year have rack and pinion steering?

 

indeed.

not the answer I wanted either. I'll just run it out till something fails long as it dont fail when i'm in a hurry to get somewhere!