Problem.... advise needed

Guys I laid under my 08 DCLB today because I'm changing the suspension out tomorrow and was just looking around. I noticed some fluid dripping out of a boot then noticed caked nasty crap everywhere. I then noticed my power steering fluid is basically campletely empty. Here are some photos... I know it's hard to tell what your looking at. Thanks for the help guys.

 

Anyone?

 

Pressure wash the hell out of it, drive it for couple miles, then crawl underneath and look for where it's coming from.

 

Unless you can see it B4 cleaning things up, then all you can do is clean off all the gunk, refill the PS reservoir then take it for a drive and look around. Usually it'll be at a hose connection point, where the rubber hose meets the metal connectors. Unless of course there is a place where the rubber hose may be rubbing on something.

If you can get a helper, crawl under the truck and have the helper turn the wheel back and forth, you might see where it's leaking that way.

 

So some dripping from the boot doesn't signify a specific issue? All the gunk is stressing me out. It's everywhere. Just didn't know if I should drop it off at Toyota or try to figure it out before they feed me some BS. Just didn't know also if it looked like that was the only issue.

 

Hard to tell from pics but if the source is from the boot on the rack you likely blew a seal on the rack. If you aren't sure I'd follow everyone's advise and clean the gunk to pinpoint the leak. If it is the rack you want to go with OEM only. Trust me. I sell auto parts. However, you don't want to replace a rack of you are leaking from the pressure hose or the pump. The gunk is road grime, etc for the most part sticking to the fluid. It's not like your steering system was loaded w/ chunks.

 

The last picture is the oil pan... why would there be gunk and fluid coming from it?

 

Obviously if you can't tell already I'm a noob when it comes to this stuff.

 

Gravity and the leaking fluid wicking wherever it can go, then dust and grit sticking to it.

 

If you over grease your u joints or ever spill any oil and drive 5 miles it would look the same.

 

Gotcha. Thanks brother.

 

lol I'm obviously way too anal about this kind of stuff. Drives me crazy. Exspecially with my pretty new suspension going in tomorrow.

 

No actually if you were more anal about it you would crawl under and have a look every now and again. That has been leaking for a while.

 

It won't be "pretty" for long. Why don't you fix the leak before changing out the suspension. Yeah, they're two separate and non related items, but I would clean up the fluid/dirt, identify/fix the leak, and then install the suspension.

 

Well after that's installed I would bet you'll hear noises from time to time. Squeaking leafs, etc. it's the nature of the beast.

 

I would be a lot more concerned about this than new suspension at this point.

 

Just got the truck in the last few weeks. Thanks though.

 

What's going to be my best course of action to clean up this mess? Degreaser and lay under the truck with a pressure washer? Im thinking I'm going to get the lift done and then drop it off at Toyota to get tires mounted/balanced, an alignment, and for them to check this issue out just to get it handled.

 

Which means you didn't bother inspecting before you purchased. I'll bet that P/S reservoir was as dry 2 wks. ago as it is now. A lot of the gunky stuff you photographed is dry - meaning long-time build up.

 

Have the whole truck looked over by a trusted mechanic. You want to make sure there isn't more wrong with it.

I agree with getting it all cleaned up and take it for a drive to see exactly where its leaking.