Replaced steering box, now stiff

Alexia · Aug 12, 2015

I replaced the 27 year old high mileage stock steering box on my MJ since it was insanely sloppy and horribly vague in the corners. So I bought a PSC 12:1 box and the installation went fine. I installed it with brand new lines. I did bleed with the wheels off the ground and turned the them left and right thirty times to get air bubbles out of the system. However, it is very stiff and acts like there is barely any power steering along with the pump whining when it did not before.

Power steering pump is remanufactured, 4,000 miles on it. Mileage on MJ, about 5,500.

Any ideas?

rockclimber · Aug 12, 2015

iirc that box is a higher flow box, your pump is probably struggling to keep up.

get in touch with PSC and tell them your issue, but I'm guessing the answer will be a High volume pump.

Alexia · Aug 15, 2015

I contacted PSC, let the truck sit for a three days on the inclined drive way, did the bleeding procedure again, and that fixed the majority of the issues. The only bit that is left is that the pump can not keep up at low engine RPM during hard turns. I am going to research if getting a smaller pulley is feasible.

rockclimber · Aug 15, 2015

that will help, but you'll eventually kill the pump. you need more pump volume.

adding a cooler will keep it alive for longer

ehall · Aug 15, 2015

you can drill your pump fitting a little, it will improve performance at low RPMs. I went up 1/16" and it was noticeable

http://westtexasoffroad.homestead.com/powersteering.html

Alexia · Aug 15, 2015

As much as I love cheap mods I rather just get the pump. This was such a cheap remanufactured pump that I put on there in the first place that I am coming to the idea that putting smaller pulleys on it or modifying it is not worth it.(Rather keep it stock as a spare for the Wrangler.) I will just grab the PSC pump kit soon to upgrade it.

I did however just pick up a tube fin style cooler for the system for $38.49.(See 20% coupon under the price.) It is 12" versus the typical 14" that people use, but that will fit better where I plan to put it along with getting air flow.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004E4ESU6/

Johnnie Walker · Aug 15, 2015

I think that the WJ pump is an upgrade, on the less expensive end of things.

blistovmhz · Aug 15, 2015

WJ pump works fine. Drilling the high pressure fitting a little will also help increase low rpm volume.
Smaller pulley will destroy pump in a hurry.

Shorty · Aug 16, 2015

Alexia said:
Replaced steering box, now stiff

I thought everything was doing fine, since you were "stiff".........:dunce:

I agree the higher volume pump is the best answer, since you're still looking for something to reduce your steering effort and increase your stiffness at the same time:wave:

Alexia · Aug 16, 2015

Shorty said:
I thought everything was doing fine, since you were "stiff".........:dunce:

I agree the higher volume pump is the best answer, since you're still looking for something to reduce your steering effort and increase your stiffness at the same time:wave:

Heh, stiff is what happens to my hands after working a vehicle.

I ordered the PSC-PK1852 high performance pump kit last night. After driving around to visit friends I was having to hold the brakes while pressing the throttle to get the engine RPM high enough to turn while backing up.

Shorty · Aug 16, 2015

Alexia said:
Heh, stiff is what happens to my hands after working a vehicle.

I ordered the PSC-PK1852 high performance pump kit last night. After driving around to visit friends I was having to hold the brakes while pressing the throttle to get the engine RPM high enough to turn while backing up.

:clap: sounds like the right answer!!

Replaced steering box, now stiff

Alexia

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