My husband's 95 Ram 1500 5.9 4x4 had the power steering go out a couple weeks ago, and when he tried to replace it, there was a leak in (what we just found out was) the gear box. Any ideas how to fix it without breaking the bank? The guy at OReilly's said the gear box was $150 with a $100 core charge and we bought the power steering pump when it first happened. Can he replace the gear box, or does it need to be done at the shop? (I already looked, but couldn't find a diy on the gear box)

 

If the seal on the gearbox is leaking the only true way to fix it is to replace it with a Redhead or Borgeson steering gearbox. The rebuilt ones you get from the auto parts stores are no good and will have the same leaking problem.. For me, I've been too poor to spend ~$400 on a gearbox so I've just been filling the power steering reservoir every so often and deal with the leak.

And no, you don't have to take it to a shop. Its a rather simple procedure. You can download the factory service manual from the FAQ/DIY section at the top of the 2nd gen ram forum, the procedure to replace the box is in there.

 

I don't know how bad the leak is, but if it isn't bad, and you aren't already using ATF in the Power Steering reservoir, replace the fluid in it with ATF, it can sometimes renew those seals for a while. Or, you can also get a good steering gearbox at a salvage yard, they are plentiful

 

http://www.pavementsucks.com/tech/steeringbox.php


http://dodgeram.org/tech/mods/steeri...ear/Adjust.htm

 

Thanks! I found the manual (a godsend!) and he looked it over and is relatively confident he can do it on his own, when we get the part. Neither of us thought to just keep replacing the fluid until we could fix it, but that may be a plan! I'll mention the ATF to him; he's used it plenty of times.......
He walked in while I was typing and said the leak is bad, but the ATF is worth a try, and he said thank you, because what you said made a ton more sense than what his guy at the repair shop (who'll look for free and tell him what's up) said (not that he blew it out of proportion; he will eventually have to fix it, but the power steering pump was still good so that was a relief, as the box is easier to replace when it comes to it)

 

Thanks! We looked at those, and it looks pretty easy when we get to repairing it. We're just gonna buy some time right now, but plan to actually fix it in a couple weeks, when $s better

 

Remember to use the same ATF as goes in your transmission.

 

Or you could just buy a seal (or rebuild) kit. They run around $20-30. Pretty straight forward to rebuild a Saginaw style box.

 

However at least a few people (probably more) have reported that replacing the seals is a temporary fix and the leak will be back.

 

If the shaft or the seal bore have a nick, or are out of round, or are tapered, replacing the seal will do no good.