I've got some issues with my steering. It's hard to steer at times, mostly turning right. The ps reservoir is full of ATF , like it should be, I checked the swivel housings and they seem okay. I don't know what else it could be. I have not replaced the seep belt yet but most certainly plan to. Any suggestions? Anyone else had this problem?

 

Tire size, mileage, any front end mods/work done by you? Your question is completely open to any of several areas and if your serious about returning the steering to peek performance your going to have to look at all the components and address. The pump can be rebuilt/replaced, the box can be rebuilt/replaced and lastly the steering gear needs an overhaul and then factory spec'd/indexed. Hard to turn in one direction means to me that your not aligned (front to rear different distances) not equal side to side (radius arms short/long - nut adjustments(bushing wear)) bent radius arm and/or your swivel pins have different preloads, a binding tre or two, bent track rod/drag link, and finally bushings are shot - more so on one side over the other. CV's, axle bearings good?

I'm just getting warmed up, how's that for an answer........

 

I am under the impression that hard steering to one side is almost always internal to the box, no? Outside the box everything is connected in a parallelogram, so most anything that hangs up one way would do the same going in the opposite direction. Same for the pump circuit, it just makes pressure, it doesn't care which way you are turning the wheel.

I think as a check I would disconnect at the drop arm and test to see off there was any difference going in either direction once it was disconnected.

 

285's, 140k, I recently put spring isolators ontop of the front springs but that's all. I noticed the hard turning shortly after that but it has gotten a lot worse. I went off-roading the other night and went through a few puddles and it cleared the stiffness immediately, night and day difference. Like a four wheeler I'm fwd with front diff lock compared to a nice rwd truck. that made me think that it was the damper, it's stock, so I thought it might start showing it's age by binding but I took it off today and it cycles really well. Drove the truck with it off and the stiffness was still there so then I took a look at the swivels. The left one has some scarring on it, don't know how long that has been there but over the winter I had a bad brake leak on that hub. When I checked the ps fluid it was still ATF red, no bubbles or milky look. I know it can be a lot of different causes. The truck tracks true and straight. I haven't ever gone hard enough to bend anything. I'm pretty positive that everything's connected and tight. I didn't take a look at the steering shaft itself

 

Update update update!!! I got home from work today and figured I should try some of the other simple things that I didn't try the other day. I got out the good old deep creep and I sprayed some directly onto the steering shaft you joints, figured hell why not let's take it for a spin around the neighborhood. As I took my first corner no more hard staring. I wish I tried that the other day before I tore the wheel tour the steering damper off and ran around like crazy man looking for some swivel ball grease...