Change power steering pump

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You either have a failing power steering hydraulic pump or the steering rack and pinion unit has a seal leak and needs to be replaced. Try installing a can of power steering sealer from an auto parts store it may help.

Jack the truck up and see if it's hard to turn . Now if you did nor flush power steering system the pump could have gone bad . Most power steering pumps carry a warranty on them wouldn't hurt to swap it out he can do the work yourself but it sounds like your rack and pinion is starting to fail

Hi Gunny, If your vehicle is fitted with rack and pinion steering also check the rack ends for play. The rack ends are the rods which the tie rod ends screw onto. The other end fits onto the rack of the rack and pinion. To work on those you will need to remove the rubber boots and loosen the locking washer, they can then be loosened with a wrench. If they are worn the play will be evident in the steering. When replacing them also replace the rubber boots. If the boots are worn and road grime and dust enters, you will see leakage from the rack and pinion in the near future. I always thought the Dakota was fitted with a steering box? Regards John

your problem is either in the steering gear(rac and pinion) or in the power steering pump

If there's fluid in the steering pump and no obvious leaks, then you either have a bad steering pump, or a bad steering box, or if your car has it, a bad rack and pinion. Or, you broke the belt. Is the belt there and doing its job?

With the engine running and someone turning the steering wheel, can you hear the steering pump growling like it's trying to do it's job?

There's no really definitive way to test a steering pump without hooking up a pressure gauge, but they really don't fail often. However, they're much cheaper than steering boxes or rack and pinions, and much easier to change.

Either way, when the pump fails it usually makes a lot of noise first. When the rack fails, it usually contaminates the fluid with metal pieces which eventually ruins the pump anyway. If I were you, I would change out the pump and pray, with the understanding that there's a 60% chance you'll have to change out the rack too.

But check that belt first.

Hi:
If you have power steering, first check to see if you have fluid in the power steering reservoir. If you don't have power steering, you most likely have binding in the rack and pinion unit, and that has to be replaced as an assembly, and is a bit pricey, so check your fluid first.

If the fluid is full the power steering pump could be bad, but usually they growl, and are noticeable.

maybe you need to fill up the steering fluid, it might be drying up. try checking the belt of the power steerin too it might be a little loose.

you will notice the rack and pinion if it is the trouble because when you steer the steering wheel the end play is very big because the specifide end of a steering wheel is only 25mm (+)or (-) 5mm.

then if the end play of the steering wheel go on the rack end pinion and look for other guy who can steer the steering wheel
so you can see the movement of the rack end pinion, one thing once the rack end pinion has a oil leakage i'm sure that the trouble was at that point but if no of what i have mentioned may be the trouble goes to the oil pump, but you can notice if the problem is on the steering pump it will create a noice ,hard to steer and you can see the oil will have a bubbles

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There is usually no diagram for the power steering on a vehicle. On power steering you have a pressure line and a low pressure return line. The pump is located on the front of the engine and has a line that is bolted into it, this is the pressure line coming out going to the steering gearbox where it is bolted in also. The other line has a clamp holding it in place, this is the low pressure return line coming back from the gearbox. If the gearbox is the rack and pinion steering type then you may have a couple of extra high pressure lines on it to operate the rack portion of the steering. Good Luck, RAC