Archived Loosing Power Steering and Brakes

[Nate]

Well I got the steering box off. It was a mild PITA because I had to drop the box and then undo the hoses (couldn't get to them from up top).



I guess I'll hook up the hoses to the new box and run them up to the pump when I install. Is that what you all have been doing?



Question... is the steering shaft supposed to be collapsable? I would think it should slide in and out. Mine is locked up.



I'm very surprised that all the holds the box on are 3 bolts. I was figuring there would be at 4. The frame doesn't seem super thick in that area either. For the amount of force that's on the box, I'm really surprised the frames aren't cracking.

 

[Nate]

Well thanks for all the help guys :-laf Yeah the steering shaft was just rusted stuck together. Got it loose after messing with it for a while and a ton of PB Blaster.



I was going to flush out my P/S system. No box hooked up, so I have the return and high pressure line just hanging there. I plugged the return and fired teh truck up, expecting that fluid would pump out the high pressure side. But it didn't. What's up with that??

 

[RAJohnson]

Nate with no steering box hooked up and the two lines just hanging free, I would guess there is little if any old PS fluid in the system. I have done the steering gear on a 95 CTD quite a few times until I got a good one. And always did lots of lock to lock turns to bleed and prime the system. To bleed I would un hook the return line before removal and turn lock to lock numerous times until there was no more fluid coming out. Then install the new gear and fluid with lots of lock to lock turns to prime the system. It always seamed to need more fluid to top it off after driving a little bit.

 

[Nate]

Actually just the pressure line was "hanging free" I blocked off the return line and fill the pump up to the top.



I was assuming that the pump would run itself dry... with the p/s fluid coming out the pressure line. But it didn't do anything

 

[Nate]

Put the new box on and it's all working now. Sweet.



The brace is a DSS that PSC is selling. $166, not sure if that's a good price or not?