Tight power steering works perfect after rain?

[Darrell]

Greetings!

As they used to say in talk radio, long time listener first time caller.
Since I have been watching ETCG for so long I have finally decided to participate a bit. (even if my first act is asking a question)

anyways ….

I have a 02′ Dodge Dakota with tight power steering. Binding may be more accurate. Tight for 1/4 turn, then loose then tight etc.
The power steering pump was rebuilt a few years ago and has been slowing leaking again for last year. (I suspect the o-ring where high pressure line connects to pump. )
As such I assumed that tight steering is due to failing pump.

HOWEVER, I have now noticed on two occasions that after driving in heavy rain steering returns completely to normal.
While the leaking pump should be addressed I’m now guessing that the binding steering may be due to rack or tie rods?

Any thoughts on what to look for or how to troubleshoot?

Thanks all!

Topic

[Shaun Flichel]

I’m thinking something is getting cleaned and slightly freed up when wet. A really stiff ball joint or tie rod. All I can think of

[Darrell]

thanks Shaun! this truck has eaten ball joints all its life and still has original tie rods so I bet you are right.
only 135K on and I think 4th set of ball joints on there right now. this time I’m gonna do it myself with grease-able moog or similar.
uppers failed for first time with only 40K while still under factory warranty.

[Shaun Flichel]

Why are you going through that many ball joints? I thought we had pot holes lol. But I would jack it up one side at a time. Pop the tie rod out and see if the steering knuckle is hard to turn by hand

[zero]

If it the tightness is rotational, you’re probably looking at a worn out or failing steering column coupler. Or steering shaft, apparently. They have u-joints in them that can bind and create tight spots in the steering wheel’s rotation. The fact that it’s easier when it rains is probably just your perception of the feel. Here’s a link with a good picture:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=1351529&cc=1384590&jsn=403

The easiest way to troubleshoot it is to just disconnect and end and feel how the joints react to movement. If you plan to do so, you should really stabilize the steering wheel by some manner so it doesn’t spin unknowingly and upset your clockspring.

But anyway, the tight spots will be in the same increments throughout the rotation.

[Darrell]

Thanks DF I will look into that as well. Above did you mean disconnect one end or the other of the steering shaft to check the u joints?

Searching around more seems like both ball joints and steering shaft have caused this sort of problem for people with steering shaft joint definitely being common failure in Dakota and Durango

[zero]

You can either remove each end separately and check it or remove the whole thing. My personal choice would depend on how easy it is to just remove entirely, some of them are easy, some not so much.

Can’t comment on if it’s a normal failure or not, but the symptoms as described would indicate that’s the issue to me. I would expect a stiff balljoint to just bind and then randomly pop, as opposed to a predictable stiffness.

[Darrell]

Thanks again DaFrinz,

I think I have confirmed you suspition of the steering coupler. After it dried out from the rain the rotational binding (stiff then loose and back again while turning the wheel) came back.

I liberally sprayed the top and bottom u-joints in the coupler with silicon spray and steering went back to normal. It’s been a couple days and the silicon is still working. So maybe I will keep spraying every once and awhile until it gets really obvious failure could occur at any moment?

[Author]

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