Steering Heavy

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HeywoodFloyd

Active Member
Posts
273
Location
Essex, UK
300tdi converted 1987 90....

Recently, if I go through a fair bit of standing water, I get heavy steering. I figured the belt is getting wet, shouldn't be too much to be alarmed about, even if it hasn't really done this before.

The last week or so though, I'm now noticing the steering is getting quite heavy when stationary too on firm ground. Not always, but more times than not now.

It's fine when rolling, even just a small crawl and the steering comes back to life, but stationary its basically zero power steering sometimes.

There's no leaks, and plenty of steering fluid.

So, am I still looking at possibly a slipping belt causing this? Or is this now looking like something else? The UJs look ok, tried spraying some more grease on them, no difference.

Anything else I should take a look at or test?
 
Steering u/js could be knackered, grease on the ouside cannot get into the joint.

Got the right fan belt fitted? there is early and late belt, think its late one that is slightly shorter, Iirc to do wIth alt pulley size.

Any kinks in the pas oil supply hoses to the pump itself?
 
Fit new power steering belt. It may look ok and be tight but over time a V belt gets thinner and has less contact area and is more likely to slip the way yours does.
When new is fitted check adjustment after 200 miles and again at 500 miles, they do stretch some and if left loose you are back at square one.
 
Fit new power steering belt. It may look ok and be tight but over time a V belt gets thinner and has less contact area and is more likely to slip the way yours does.
When new is fitted check adjustment after 200 miles and again at 500 miles, they do stretch some and if left loose you are back at square one.

They have got a 300 which has the flat belt.
 
If the PAS / Aux belt was slipping, I would expect it to screech, particularly on full lock.
Ball joints can dry out and go stiff, yet still feel OK when you check for wear.
Check the steering damper for free movement.
Try WD40 on the steering UJs, if they have dried out grease may not solve the issue. If WD40 frees things up, it is not a fix, it's just a way to confirm that you need new UJ's.
 
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