Heavy steering

Experiencing very heavy steering in wife's 01. Steering in my lifted 98 on 33's is heavy, but the steering also gets noisy when it's warmed up.so my wife's is stock on 225-75. Replaced tie rods and drag link and stabilizer last fall. Didn't help much. My other 98 stock on 235 feels as though it has rack and pinion and steers like a car. So is it likely that bad ball joints could cause very hard steering? Apparently 90% of the cause. Maybe I'm asking a dumb question. Just wondering if anyone has had heavy steering and replaced ball joints to find that it steers 10 times easier. Oh and I replaced front sway bar links. May have to move ball joints to the top of the list if so.

I'm just curious why you don't mention anything about the steering pump or gear. I mean the actual steering gear where the hoses plug in, not the steering linkage. Have you raised it up and operated the steering in both directions with the engine running and the engine off, just for comparison? Your concern strikes me as a loss of power assist concern, is all. What's the fluid look like? Any pinched hoses? Just a thought, anyways.

--Chris

Not sure why I didn't suspect the pump or box. Guess I assumed if it's not leaking or making noise it was fine. The wife just left for work so I won't be able to check the color of the fluid. I know for sure that it's full of fluid. I'll have to do some further investigating, jack it up and see. But it feels like the tires are under inflated is the best way to describe it. A fluid change or flush would be a good idea anyway. Jeep just hit 199,000 last weekend. We're only the second owners of it and it was well maintained before and since we got it but there's a good chance the steering fluid is very old.

Hmm. If you do jack it up and cycle the steering, not a bad idea to have someone do that for you while you crawl under it and watch for loose parts. Although, the only way I would think ball joints would affect it is if they were tightened down too tight. Also make sure everything is greased up good. You should be able to turn the wheels by hand, back and forth, right there at the tire, without too much effort.

While it's on the ground and parked but running, you could also ramp up the throttle a little bit while you turn the steering wheel. Make sure it's not in gear. If it gets easier to turn at a slightly higher rpm, then you got yourself a weak steering pump.