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Power Steering Stiff turning wheel Left Normal turning wheel right.

AdrianGTP

AdrianGTP

New member
I have a problem... Hope you guys had a similar one to help me narrow this one down.

Car: 2004 Grand Prix GTP (recently purchased-2nd owner-ready for mods once she's fully operational)
Issue: Power Steering problems and too many unknowns to narrow down what action to take.
Symtoms and Observations: At idle(park) wheel stiff when attempting to turn. Revving the engine (high idle) results in normal operations. Noted the following... when having a person turning the wheel RIGHT to lock - I hear a loud hiss (puff of air) sound from drivers wheel (although pump is on opposite side)?? when turning wheel left it binds right at the straight position until they jiggled wheel right slightly and wheel continues turn to lock position left (but only if they turn right to lock). The Puff of air noise on this side is suspicious. Checked fluid levels... noted fluid brown... siphoned off reserve, refilled - drove around 5 minutes, repeat the process 5 times until a satisfactory color appeared. Removed boot from inner tie-rod (recently change 3 months ago) to make sure didn't come loose, on crooked, or something caught. Drives normal... wheel operates normal while driving but if I stop and then attempt to turn wheel it stiffens.

I been working on cars to long to jump to conclusions... don't believe in fixing something that is NOT broken (narrow down the problem part and fix it). I've seen people replace pumps and problems persist, steering racks, problem persist. I avoid just taking a shot in the dark... and hope one of you have had a similar problem. (Whats the puff of air noise???)
 


rack is shot.

hard left, easy right is a dying rack. it will get harder and harder to turn left, then right will be the same soon after. like no power steering at all.
 
Scottydoggs Thanks for the quick response... ANY possibility it is the pump... she is whining on the left turn... (perhaps due to extra stress via rack)... the reason I asked is revving engine it acts normal... driving it acts normal... AND WHAT'S the PUFF of air noise... do you have any idea where it comes from... I'm getting back under to check in a few hours... but it's got me focused...
 
same thing happened to my car. changed the pump hoping it would be a cheap fix. no dice, did the rack and it was all good again.

that hard to the left is the sign of death.
 
Do you know the lifecycle... how much longer before total failure... it seems I may have to have this ordered... (Talking with the wrong Autozone employee... could have sworn I seen it on the web site.)
 
And thanks again for saying you had the same problem... get tired of the guesses... I heard CV Joint, bad wheel bearings... (not really on this)
 


X2 on the rack. One way vs the other clearly a rack..... pump is more like a light switch they work or they don't and they usually make a lot of noise before going out.

Racks suck to replace if your going to do the work yourself. Drop the back of the cradle by taking the rear 2 cradle bolts out and let the cradle hang down a little with a jack under it.

I got pissed off enough I took the sway bar out last time I did one too, that's a sucky job to replace no matter how you look at it.
 
98GrandPrixIraqVet... It figures on the difficulty level... I assumed as much looking under it... Changed rod bearings on 98 Intrigue same engine (3800) and pretty much know where all this going... I just have to have the day free... I still have the 1 Question that I need answered... what is the Hissing noise... Where is it coming from... and why??? I'm not sure I even noticed if it was there before... been under there a few times before this occurred... but its fairly loud. THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT! Both of you
 
the hiss is the rack more then likely, the life you got left? who knows, a week, more, less? its a crap shoot.

once giving it gas around corners no longer works, you'll know its time.
 
ScottyDoggs... LOL thank you for stating the obvious... "giving it gas around corners..." Well I'm loving this car... so I guess the challenge is there... What a great GM feeling I'm having right now... ha ha ha ha
 


I'm printing out one from Autozone now... to show them what I want... gonna check OReillys since you mentioned it... (Why is it the Hardest things to get too, that go wrong when you really don't have time for it right now... Had two weeks vacation... it didn't even hesitate... LOL)
 
its a 4 hour job alone. it only sucks cause every thing is in a tight place.

when you start, wheels straight lock the steering wheel leave it locked, once the old rack is out match up the new to old, turn the new one to match the old ones knob location where the shaft goes.

measure where the lock nuts are and put them on the new racks inner rods. this will get your alignment close. but you;ll need it re aligned when done.

you need a friend to wiggle the steering wheel while you try to get the shaft back on the rack, by far the hardest part, or the easiest part. can go either way.

do not spin the wheel round and round or you'll be changing a clock spring next.
 
ScottyDoggs... Sounds like you did this yourself... LOL... Great Respect for a man that does his own work (You always know if it was done right LOL).

Okay on the serious note... got it... (pre-match it up before hand)... I kinda judged it to be 3-5 hour job (riding with the latter for the unknowns)... was just out there looking at what is going to come off... and what can stay. Just talked to an uncle (who also works on cars) and Locking the steering wheel was the first thing he mentioned... Gentlemen... it appears this is where I'm going with this. I was hoping there was another possibility... will keep you informed on progress
 


but you've done a few. first time out alone, 3 to 4 hours taking your time. its like a 23 bolts job, 10 of them are lug nuts lol

whole job is rather easy. put car on jack stands use the rockers cause you need to lower the back of the sub frame a few inches.

take wheels off, pop outer tie rods off the knuckles. under the boot to the column is a 11 mm bolt, use 12 inches of extensions to take it out. then pry the shaft off the rack.

at this point put a jack under the middle of the back of the sub frame lift the jack to the frame to hold it up, then loosen and back the two frame bushing bolts about 2 inches out. then lower the jack to the bolts. do not let the frame hang on the bolts, let the jack carry the weight. you may want to take the sway bar end links and bushing caps off, then slide the bar forward out of your way for extra room. dropping the frame is also for extra room.

take the 2 18 mm line nuts for the lines off the rack. from under the car. unplug the rack, then take the two bolts that hold it to the frame out, then pry the rack out of the frame. watch for any wire harnesses back there dont get ripped out, theres a few things clipped here and there. just look it all over closely.

once its free in there you take it out the driver side wheel well doing a twisting/spinning of the rack deal as it comes out, its like birthing a baby, its tight coming out the hole there. back in is just as tight.

line up old to new, like i said in the last post up there, then the last thing is the intermediate shaft back on the rack, the hard part sometimes. one time it fell right on, the next time i had a fight on my hands.
 
rub it in then lol i took me a while, im huge remember.

i also backed up on car ramps then jacked the car up from the front middle sub frame and then put the jack stands under the car.

more room of my big ass.
 
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