Is this an easy fix for the average joe, are there any hints on changing this hose?

 

Welcome to DF
I will move your post to the 2nd Gen Dakota section.

 

I replaced my own pressure side hose, it is not hard to remove and replace the hose but you have to add in more power steering fluid and bleed the system by turning the wheels all the way left to right and back about 20 times to get the air out of the system. I had to do that a bunch of times both with the ignition on and off to get the air out. Do not hold the strering wheel in the locked position in left or right, it will cause damage to the power steering pump. If an 04 is like my 01, if you remove the battery it makes it a lot easier to get to the nut holding the hose in place on the back of the pump. But you can get the nut off and back on again from underneath the truck, you just need a stubby wrench. I think mine was a 15mm. After I replaced the hose I had to replace the power steering pump about a month later and did it all over again. I replaced the pump and return hose too, so I could get it all done without having to fix it again later on.

Jimmy

 

Thanks for the advice, it was a great help.

 

to turn the tires easy. put two newspaper papers under each tire. the top one turns with the tire, the bottom one setts still, making turning the tire easy. good luck.

 

Just did mine. Pretty straight forward. But like 01SilverCC said remove the battery and give yourself some room to work.