Hi guys. For a while now, I get an odd stiff, almost impossible to fully turn the wheel, steering issue only after driving straight for a while on the highway. When I try to take an off ramp occasionally the steering becomes so stiff that it almost interferes with the ability to stay in the proper lane. It only releases after I've come to a full stop and start to move again. This doesn't happen during low speed regular road driving and doesn't happen every time on the highway, but it's not uncommon. Power steering pump was replaced because of a leak last year, but it happened on both pumps, so I don't think it's a pump issue. The pump doesn't sound like it's struggling at all when this happens either. Very strange. I hope someone has some tips. Thanks for the read.

 

My 73 Mustang did this, had to rebuild the gearbox.

 

You flushed out old fluid with new? I mean really flushed it out.

 

I guess not reeeeaaaaly. I replaced the replacement PS pump almost immediately because the new one leaked immediately. So, I really only replaced the two fluid losses. I'll have to try that and maybe add some Lucas to it.

 

I replaced my pump and had kind of the same issues. Jerky feel like it would shut off and turn on. But this was at all speeds. Though I thought I did OK with flushing, I found upon my second try that I did not. Used Pentosin CHF 11S . The previous owner seemed to have just used generic ATF red fluid. The Pentosin CHF 11S is green. When I was finally 99% green when flushing I was now confident that I got out all the very old and dirty looking stuff. Never has an issue since.

 

You've got two metal heat shields that cover your driver side engine mount which is almost touching your steering rod from steering-wheel to steering box.

If either heat shield cover gets a little warped or moves a little with heat, your steering rod can jam up against it/them when turning, with the engine hot.

Just bend them out of the way.

Easy to inspect with the hood up in the area between your ABS hydraulic unit and your air intake.

 

Thank you so much. I'll definitely check that!