My truck has always been hard to turn when stopped ever since I owned it even when it had stock size tires on it. Now with the 35s it is very hard to turn when they are aired down. I drove another 7.3 truck and I could easily turn the wheel with the truck sitting still. I have flushed the system with new fluid and it didn't really help. Should I get a new ps pump? Also I have put new u-joints on the front and the steering knuckles turn freely so it is not a ball-joint or u-joint problem.
but they are the only ones that sell them anymore, most of the the pick and pulls and rebuilders have been bleed dry.......
i run a rebuild from napa but it still gets stuck every once in a while.....
problem with fords power steering is it is the same pump used on everything from a car/ranger to a f550(the resivior is different part number for hydra boost)
I've wanted to get the power steering pump from the international trucks and try it. You know the one that is gear driven above the hpop. You would have to do a fuel bowl delete.
I've done some research just don't know exactly how it works.
I finally put a new pump on and flushed the system with synthetic fluid. It is still the same way you'd think there would be an upgraded pump available.
Everything works better with out 5,000lb on it. I bet if you give it some throttle the truck turns a little smoother? I know the 6.0s are like this where they don't turn squatt until you rev it up a bit. The previous owner on my 1999.5 7.3l had replaced the power steering pump and my stockers turn just fine. back up or going forward or just sitting there.
plus 35's are going to weigh and drag more on the road then a stocker so its even worse on the steering system.
There are seals, valves and pistons inside the steering box. If these are hard, deteriorating, or for whatever reason not sealing properly, fluid pressure bypasses the seal and doesn't transmit its energy to doing "work".
GM Saginaw boxes are notorious for "sticking" in one direction when cold. After a few jerks on the wheel, or after the fluid warms up some, operation returns to nominal. Seems like it's the pump, but it's not. It's the steering box.
They make pressure gauges for checking power steering systems. May take some time and effort to come up with a fitting arrangement to "T" into the pressure line to check, but at least you would KNOW what the system pressure IS. I'm going to take a wild, off the wall, out of my azz GUESS and say that 1,200-1,400 psi is needed for a 8,000lb Super Duty. While all pumps appear identical, the pressure setting may not be the same for all applications. Again, the old GM Saginaw pump that was used on every GM for about 40 years had numerous pressure valve settings. Kodiac 7500's needed a lot more pressure than a Vega.
Maybe your replacement pump has too low of a pressure setting.
It turns to the right fine but always gets harder to turn at a certain point when turning to the left. I'm guessing it may be the box worn out internally.
I finally replaced the box and the steering is tighter than it was and it is slightly more easy to turn but definitely not what it should be. I don't see how people are running 37x13.50s or even 38x15.50s on stock steering components.
My powers steering was horrible with 315/60-20's, even with the stock size I have to be rolling to turn the wheel with one hand. I wonder if there is anyway to measure the power steering pump output pressure to see if its bad?
Before anyone goes replacing their steering box, I suggest adjusting it. I've never done it but I know there is an adjusting screw located on the top of the box that should remove some of the slop. I know I need to do it....
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