I have a 2002 Dakota Ext. Cab SXT 3.9L 4X4. Recently my steering pump started making a lower pitch squealing noise when I turned the wheel. So I replaced the power steering pump and bleed the system and was unpleasantly surprised to find the new pump made a similar noise. So hoping that the new pump was bad I swapped it out with another new pump and still the noise persists.

I looked closer at the noise and is definitely coming from the power steering pump. I also have noticed the steering wheel pulls side to side slightly while turning right but I don't think it happens when I turn left.

I am thinking steering gear box but want to be really sure before I go swap it out.

What do you all think? Thanks.

 

you're supposed to always swap the rack and pump together. I'm about to have to do a second pump due to this.

 

ok if the noise if in the pump there is something going on there. its possable the rack has a leak internally and is taking on air. i would pull back the inner tie rod end covers and see if you get a lap full of fluid. also i would look in to seeing if the intermidiet shaft is bad which causes your rock in the wheel. you may just be buying a cheap pump and get a noise from it. id also check the belt. see if changing it still makes the noise. as far as changing the rack and pumpi have never in my twelve years working in shops replaced both at the same time or had issues from not. also these trucks dont like cheap pumps my 97 iv burnt up 3 but thats from doing 4x4 axle spins in the snow and ice so i installed a cooler and that helped stopping that issue.

 

I will look into that first thing tomorrow.




About 3 weeks ago I was in 4x4 for about 300+ snowy miles (Redding, CA to Eugene, OR) and I spend a lot of time in 4x4 commuting to work in the winter and just screwing around in the hills. I also have a 700 lb camper that is always on my truck How important do you think a cooler would be?


Just for background I used to drive a Jeep Wrangler and never thought twice about running in 4x4 for long periods of time on snow, ice, dirt, mud but I NEVER ran 4x4 on bare pavement.

 

The problem is all pumps are rebuilds not new I'm not sure you can get a NEW power steering pump anymore for an older Dakota.

Rebuilds are low quality at best I snagged a good junkyard one low miles for my Dak and has worked great.

Always use good fluid in them Royal purple and change every 4 or 5 years not easy but can be done.

 

ok the 4x4 in the dakotas and dingos are only to be used when the tires are spinningor on like wet clay snow and ice and not for long periods of times over 45. according to the hand book. i run mine on thesnow cover roads at 60 and iv had no issues. as for the cooler for the PS deffently a good idea in any condition. more so if your using over sized tires running higher rpm due to towing or loading the truck. being you fallin that. i would. as for the pump get one from a ram 318 its a little stronger. because of the weight and the mounts should be exactly the same. and dodge can get New oem parts and dont get adv auto junk there all remans. napa has a choice of new or reman but mopar is best as for any thing. other thing to look in to if your going to run 4x4 all the time is a pump and cooling system for the t case. it would consist of drilling a pick up location on the bottomof the housing and utlizing the vent location as a return and creating a new vent but it would help cool the t case in cases where your running high rpm on that gears and chain. as for the mod it would be completely fabed by installer so youd have to do some playing around with line size and pump and flow numbers cooler location is typical in the front but using bent alu might dothe trick as well. and this may be cheaper then going to a full gear to gear t case. but look into both. and let me know what you fine about the rack and pump i kinda wanna know if my theory is correct or not.

 

We're getting a bit off-topic here guys.

OP, As to the power steering pump, are you sure it is the pump making the noise and not something else?

 

I checked my the boots for fluid and didn't find anything, also I have not had lost any fluid from the reservoir. I popped the hood and listened and the noise came every time I turned the wheel. But when I tried to pin point the noise again I really couldn't figure out where it was coming from other than the driver-side front.

One of my friends had his Dakota with a similar noise for 3 plus years and just left the noise alone. I am thinking about doing the same. I just wish it was something other then the steering.