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Steering gear box confirmation


renegadejd

Question

I have a 2000 gmc sierra 1500 and it is very hard to turn right while stopped or moving slow. It turns left with no problems. Also when you turn to the right it hisses.

 

From what I've found online it is the gear box. I've bought the parts (gear box and pitman arm) but I'd like to get more confirmation that this is the problem. I really can't afford to replace parts for no reason at this time. Thanks.

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He is saying you already bought and paid for the parts, so you have already committed to replacing them, or take the restocking charge hit.

 

There are only three parts to the power steering part of your truck. I say that by lumping all the power assist parts in the steering box to count the box as one part. The other parts are the pump and the hoses. The pump has no idea what direction you are turning, so, that rules out the pump. Ditto for hoses. That leaves the steering box. My guess from far further away than you are from your truck is steering box(unless you want to actually fix the issue inside the box, which I highly doubt), so you can take that with a grain of salt.

 

With all that being said, I have seen ball joints cause issues with power steering in one direction, as well as not allowing steering to return on its own. The ball joints were seized in the cases I have seen. Not likely the issue here, ball joints rarely seize in one direction only.

 

Depending on how bad the steering box is, it may have damaged the pump by the box asking for max pressure in one direction(like when you get to the steering stops and keep trying to turn you here that noise) only. Take a look at the fluid in the pump resevoir and see if it is burnt, or it has a nice metallic tone to it(sort of like the colour of a red bass boat or dune buggy). If it does, do not be surprised if the pumps gives out shortly after changing the box. I would get some extra power steering fluid and use the engine to flush the pump out. If you are going to do the pump as well, do the flushing BEFORE you change the steering box to avoid getting crap oil in the new box. To flush, just pull the return line off the pump(the line with a hose clamp on it), drop it into a pan, and turn the steering wheel back and forth.

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