Power Steering problem

[Mad Mark]

I went out to pick the kids up from school last week and while reversing the car noticed the steering to be very heavy. A bit of rpm and a few turns while moving back and forth and it was ok to drive and felt pretty normal if a little heavy at Idle.
I'm thinking low fluid which over the weekend I checked and sure enough it was lower than the dipstick but still visable. So topped it up.

I drove the car out the garage yesterday and found the steering had got worse!!

I seem to have normal movement from either side of the 12 and 6 O'clock positions but either side of 3 and 9 O'clock the steering really stiffens up!!

Could this simply be needing bleeding? or is something more sinister at play here like the PS pump or 'jack' shaft at fault?

Thanks

[Tanguero]

Check the UJ on the steering column in the drivers wheelarch.

[Mad Mark]

I've jacked the car up and removed the drivers wheel. There is no obvious excess play in the UJ's, if it was a UJ I would have thought it would be a more gradual 'fail' rather than an over night thing but who knows with these cars lol

I have turned the wheels with them lifted off the ground so less resistance and no engine running and I still get the same fault as described. So am hoping this rules out the pas pump side of things.
But I am hearing a strange 'squelching' coming from the rack somewhere but as I am on my own (and working with a broken collar bone) can't detect where its coming from.

Is it possible that the rack needs bleeding? do you in fact bleed these racks?

[BLUETHUNDER]

The UJ,s tend to become dry,rather than excessive play. Give it a good clean up and re-grease the joints and see how that fares.

[knight]

Any particular type of grease to use on the UJ?

[Mad Mark]

I think you might have hit the nail on the head there Mark!.. Peter.
I gave the UJ's some squirt with some degreaser ('muck off' used on bikes) and left it for a bit sprayed it again then turned the wheel and (with wheels up in the air) it all felt right again.

I am guessing that where the car has not really been used much in the last couple of months that a UJ has become dry at a certain point and seized slightly. Was just so weird that it happened so sudden, and the drop in fluid too!!

I am however still getting squelching and hissing from the rack while i turn the wheels so am guessing there may be some air in the system. I am sure this noise is not always there but then I don't usually turn the wheels with the engine off.

[bobbins]

It may not be UJs. It wasn't with mine, which used to be a bit moody at low speed. Then I discovered the power steering pump was in an unusual spot. It was recently relocated to somewhere more sensible and has been good as gold since.

Edited by bobbins on Sunday 11th April 23:43

[JensenA]

bobbins said:

It may not be UJs. It wasn't with mine, which used to be a bit moody at low speed. Then I discovered the power steering pump was in an unusual spot. It was recently relocated to somewhere more sensible and has been good as gold since.

Edited by bobbins on Sunday 11th April 23:43

Elaborate please.......

[bobbins]

YHM.

[Mad Mark]

A drive to the Ace last night and everything was good as gold!! :-)