My Dakota is a 1998 3.9 v6 rwd automatic w/ 95000 miles,

when my father drove it he noticed that the powere steering was weak, maybe halfway gone. the loss of power steering was sudden, not gradual. There is plenty of clean fluid in the system and the belt is turning the pump pulley fine. Trying to figure out if the problem is the power steering pump or the power steering rack.

someone on another forum suggested the intermediate steering shaft was binding up, but we ruled that out.

Any advice appreciated.

edit: Pump is making absolutely no noise at all.

 

is there a loud squal? When my pump went out, the fluid looked more like tar and the pump was completely gone. Did a PS system flush and all was fine after. If your fluid looks fine I would lean towards the rack :/