• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

power steering play when hot?


trader007

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
149
Vehicle Year
1999
Transmission
Automatic
when it gets hot outside, and i drive the truck enough (get it hot too) i get this play in the steering that i cannot pinpoint. i think its in the rack itself.

it makes a small knocking sound in the steering wheel, i can feel it more then hear it... just enough to notice it well enough for it to be annoying. it doesnt really effect the steering, but it is about 1/8" of play in the wheel without the truck responding. normally though, the slightest tire shake is enough to make it sort of rattle. but again its not like it hurts the steering that bad.

basically, on a straight flat road, its just enough so that if you pull the wheel left and let it go, it will just barely wander left after awhile, and if you nudge it right, the truck will wander right ever so slightly. if you hang onto center, you can just barely feel the wheels dancing back and forth on the highway even though the truck keeps straight.

truck has 191k, and its been doing this for at least 20k miles now i think.. again its only when its hot outside and the truck is hot (just normal stuff but you know what i mean), and it seems like when its just normal or cold outside the steering tightens up and it really doesnt have any play.

both balljoints replaced on both sides, and tie rods checked multiple times. alignment shop couldnt really figure out why it wouldnt stay perfectly calibrated even though everything looked and was seemingly tight.

my best guess is either the fluid inside the rack is bad/dirty/whatever and just doesnt hold up in the heat anymore... or the rack itself is worn out. thats the best i can describe! just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. i think ill try draining out the crappy looking fluid and replacing it with some new stuff + lucas additive or something.
 
Last edited:
Hold off on the Lucas....see if new fluid improves the problem after a week of driving...you may have to flush it again if the new fluid breaks up a bunch of crud in the system....and I'll trade you slack for slack...my '89 has an inch each way/adjusting only makes the s/wheel hard to turn...
 
Last edited:
ugh... i know, anyone i complain to just says i should be happy my truck with 200k still drives pretty much like new.

to me its just a giant lego toy and anything thats wrong can be snapped off and replaced :D i guess ill just flush and refill and go from there.
 
just to conclude this thread, as i mentioned elsewhere i fixed the problem. it was just a matter of sucking out the old power steering fluid and filling it with new. i did it a few times to get as much old stuff out of there. new fluid tightened the steering right up, it works great.
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

TRS Events

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Ranger Adventure Video

TRS Merchandise

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Sponsors


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Sponsored Ad

Back
Top