power steering problem

So I went and played in the mud yesterday, and my power steering is gone, no leeks the ATF is clean no dents or anything in the line, the boots are not ripped. I cant think of anything that can be wrong, and I don't want to go out and pay for a new power steering pump and the problem is still there. does anyone got any thoughts on what it could be?

 

You didn't mention the drive belt. Is it still on it?

 

yes the drive belt is still on it. its the original one and the truck has 116K miles on it.

 

any weird noises?

 

none at all.

 

huh, I have no idea then.

 

First thing I would suggest you do is to clean off all the mud around your ball joints. If your mud is anything like the mud out here, it is nasty stuff that sticks and builds up on just about everything, and just doesn't come off with out a lot of work. Also make sure to clean off the shaft from your steering wheel to the gear.

You can also try raising the front wheels to see if it is just the buildup of mud, or of your power steering is actually having issues. You should have a very easy time turning the wheels with the engine off if they're in the air. If its difficult to turn with the wheels off the ground, you're going to have a different problem than power steering. I'd probably suggest to start going through this whole list, one item at a time. Aside from that, it sounds like you pretty much checked everything, so the next step is to just make sure the pump is working. Not sure what types of pressures are in the lines at non-lock, but should be enough to get you started, specially the raise in level with the engine at idle vs stopped. (If the levels are the same, your pump may not be working)

 

been having ps issues after a trail. i am hearing a clicking sound now when i turn the wheel. it kinda sounds like a zip tie. weird, but its enough to make me worried

 

Probably your CV joints being worn out.

 

thanks for the heads up. im going to get them looked at hopefully this weekend