steering trouble

changed out my ujoints in the front axle shafts this week.. after i put it back together the steering seems to be harder now. I had a lot of play before, but now it feels like i have no power steering at some times. i had to add some fluid cause i was low..

also my boots on the tie rods or steering linkage, the bar that goes to each hub, the boots are torn, could this be the cause of my hard to steer rig, or could it be the power steering it's self?

help diagnose

It could be one or many things. Low power steering fluid could mean you have a PS problem, or that the pump is no longer working right. It depends a little on how low it was and for how long, and why.

You should probably start by jacking up the vehicle, and seeing how everything moves. Check for binding with power off, and see if the wheels rotate freely when you XXXX the steering to one side or another (to check for binding u-joints). Lube the tie rods, even if the boots are torn, and see if that makes a difference. Torn boots almost certainly mean it's time for new tie rod ends, but you can lube them up long enough to test. While it's jacked up you can check for binding and looseness in the ball joints too.

While you're at it, you should make sure your serpentine belt is tight enough. It has to run pretty tight, or you'll get intermittent power steering failure.

It's almost impossible to diagnose beyond that. You're just going to have to get down there and look at things, I think.