Power steering problems

[Pavoner]

I am having a problem with the power steering on my '97 ranger (4.0L). About a month a go I thought I may have got a bit of water in the reservoir while washing and decided to change the fluid right away before even running the truck just in case... only problem is I used Power steering fluid instead of ATF... now I get this problem where after a "sharp" turn (at least 1/2 a turn of the wheel) the steering won't centre, pulls back in the direction from where I turned and won't centre untill you turn a bit in the other direction. most concerning is when it does centre itself it does so ...abruptly.

I know nothing about power steering systems and am looking for a bit of help on how to troubleshoot this problem.

Sorry for the long post, any help would be appreciated

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

are u sure the 97 needed ATF? i think they use power steering fluid, maybe u have some air trapped in your system, any noise??

 

[Pavoner]

The red Volcanoe under my hood!

The owners manual states Mercon ATF, for fluid type. I am still trying to figure out what the heck is goin on with this thing... I tired to bleed the system again today, but all that happened was I made a big mess of the driveway... With the truck on jackstands(engine off) tried to turn wheel lock to lock - it was extreemly stiff! - then near or at the full right lock it damn near emptied itself... refiled and tried the procedure listed in the Chilton manual for bleeding but that didn't help much either. What's most concerning is that the problem has been getting worse, the truck is near undriveable. I'm beggining to wonder if I need to relace my steering gear as bleeding the system isn't doing much for me. What might be some symptoms of a busted steering gear? Where do I go from here...

Thanx in advance for any input.

Chris

 

[martin]

Are you sure you are doing the bleeding thing correctly. wheels jacked, motor running, turning with steering wheel.

 

[Viper Command]

that almost sounds like a caster issue, when was the truck last aligned?