I have a 2004 Dakota SLT Quad Cab (V8, 2wd) with 27,800 miles on it. The power steering has become increasingly stiff and erratic. No fluid leaks and levels are fine. Belt is tight as well. Been to the dealer once and they said it was underinflated front tires!?!?

Checked tires for proper inflation and the steering is worse! [:@]

Also noticed that my front tires are worn badly on the outer edges only; normally indicates an alignment problem. I know the ball joints have been problems (and recalled up through '03)...could they have anything to do with the steering and tire wear?

Original warranty is almost up (3 years) and would like to get this resolved before all the usual replacement suspects (ps pump, rack, joints) become MY financial problem!

 

are your tires worn at an angle or evenly worn flat both sides... the steering stiff steering maybe a problem with the caster adjustment.... have u tried steering the wheells while at rest... if there still stiff... check you power steering fluid.... there maybe a problem there... i bet the dealer never even tried to look at the pump.. dealerships are great for maintenance work.... but are a total pain in the *** when it comes to actual repair jobs... your better off trying to find the problem yourself.... or if you have an idea and cant do the work, bring it to the dealer and tell them to troubleshoot where you found the problem.. good luck

 

If it is under warranty then I would make them fix it. Leave it with them, when you get it back drive it around the block and if it is not fixed, take it right back to them. If the service man gives you **** talk to the service manager. Without getting nasty, get in thier face about it. Its under warranty.

 

it could be your ball joints. cause they can get tight when they start to go. and that would cause your steering to be tight. I would try and jack up the front end and try and move the wheels up and down and side to side and see if theres any play there. if thats all good then it's probly the pump.
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01SmilyBlonde

 

i think you are already seeing the problem. start simple. i am sure it is probably an alignment problem. let us know how it turns out.

 

Will do. Went back to the dealer this morning. Told them to check everything...pump, rack, ball joints, alignment....we'll see what they come up with this time[8D]

 

my steering pump went out at about 36k while still under warrenty luckly, talk about stiff steering. did u buy the truck used?? i don't think the ball joints are the problem. its gotta be the pump, but who knows. post up when u find out.

 

Just got a call from the dealer....the steering rack and pinion went bad and they are replacing it under warranty. It took the power steering pump down with it...also being replaced under warranty. Hopefully they will get all that replaced and aligned properly and I'll be back in business.
Of course, I'm not breathing easy until I've actually driven it , but at least the prognosis is good.

 

sounds good man! tell us if they solved the problem or not.

 

Long story short.....power steering is still out! [:@]

The dealer replaced the power steering pump and the steering rack and had the front end aligned. They also supposedly checked the ball joints and tie rods and found no problems there. Service paperwork even says they road tested it and everything "operates as normal." As soon as I pulled out of the lot I could tell it wasn't fixed.

Now I'm escalating the problem. Called the Service Manager and expressed my dissatisfaction with their service. He set up a personal appointment to have a mechanic road test the vehicle with me. The mechanic that drove it said, "yeah, there is definitely something messed up here." DUH.

Hopefully now that a mechanic knows what the problem "feels like" they really will road test it before they tell me it's fixed. The mechanic had a couple of ideas...maybe he can track down the real problem.