How to fix Power steering Jeep JK
 

Hi Guyz

The Problem with my power steering started firstly by my Jeep JK not wanting to turn left (no power assist) then it wouldn't turn right, then it wouldn't turn either way.
It was ok on the highway but slow turns became dangerous as sometimes I would have power assist and sometimes I wouldnt - parking it was a guaranteed to be an arm buster LoL.

I took it to my favourite Jeep service centre and they replaced the power steering pump (under my extended warranty) sadly that was not the solution :(

They said it needed a new steering gear / steering box $3500 and my extended warranty only covers parts to the value of $2000 D'oh

As there is no way in hell that I was going to pay $3500 I thanked them for the new power steering pump and drove off quite flat....

I decided to pull the steering box out and take a look at it myself, I discovered that the sector shaft was still straight :) good news and that I would try and find someone to rebuild it with new seals etc.

Wooders (U Legend) put me onto a company who are / were awesome !!!!
Australian CV & Power steer 9638 0022 Rydalmere Sydney.
They rebuilt my power steering box with new seals etc for a small fraction of what it was going to cost me to go genuine Jeep.

Heres how to DIY
1. Go and buy a pitman arm puller $30bux at super cheap - the job is absolutely impossible with out it - ask me how I know, I dare you LoL and 500ml of power steering fluid $12bux genuine Jeep.

2. Turn your steering wheel 90degrees to the left (from dead straight ahead) Bungee cord your steering wheel so it can't move - trust me on this you do not want to have to replace your clock spring because your steering wheel moved during the repair.

3. Remove your airbox and in my case unsilicon my snorkel D'oh.

4. Unbolt your drivers side trackbar and drop it out of the way.

5. Get a 32mm socket and remove the big nut that holds the pitman arm on - my 32mm didnt fit - don't know why - the book says its 32 D'oh so I used my king Kamayah shifter.

6. Soak the pitman arm in WD and apply the puller, tighten it like you plan to break it - I used a 400mm pry bar and gave it all I had - then I had to get a 750mm piece of thick gal water pipe and belt the cr@p out of the pitman arm from above inside the engine bay - hitting down to finally get it off - this is by far the most difficult part of the Job.

7. unbolt the connection between the steering wheel and the steering box / gear - the bolt should be easy to get t (that why I suggested you turn the wheel 90deg to the left - I hope this works for every one :) slide the telescopic shaft out of the way.

8. Remove the 2 hydraulic lines and if you are quick enough you can undo them and raise them up higher than the bottle & pump so you don't loose to much fluid - tie them up out of the way.

9. undo the 4 bolts that hold the power steering box to the chassis and remove, I chose to wiggle mine up around the radiator hoses and out the top - but I could see how some may prefer to drop it out the bottom.

10. Take it to Australian CV & Power steer 9638 0022 Rydalmere Sydney or your cities equivalent and ask them to refurb it for you (provided you haven't bent your sector shaft - if you have bent it do not pass go and throw it in the bin.

11. Replace the Oring seals on the 2 hydraulic lines and If you were very careful as I was when you pulled it all apart, you should be able to put it all back together without the need of steering help / wheel alignment - the pitman arm is keyed and if you followed my suggested DIY tips it will go back exactly as it came out - mine did :)

12. Lastly, remove the cap off the fluid reservoir top up the fluid to the mark and start your engine - let it idle for 3min

13. I chose to go for a drive but you could do this next step stationary if you hate your drive and your tyres - in 1 st gear I idled along my street slowly turning from lock to lock 10x - then back in the drive way and let idle for 3min and your done check fluid level & put the cap on - well I was done at least - no more air bubbles.

If you have any questions suggestions improvement pls post up cheers Hunty



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Well done Hunty! Nice writeup & good pics.

Although, I would have just undone the 6 bolts & taken the snorkel & airbox lower off together.

What is the broken O ring looking thing from?

Nice stuff! My steering box had a bent sector shaft and somehow it managed to be refurbished and now it works great. That was done under insurance though so I'm not sure of the full details apart from the bent sector shaft.

Nice one Hunty. Is there are part on that jeep you haven't yet molested, pulled apart or rebuilt? Haha

Teflon O ring
 

Its a teflon seal inside the box that the refurb guys gave me - they said it was stuffed - it looks it to me LoL

PS - you b@st@rd - where were you when I was unsiliconing off my snorkel LoL
Wish I had of thought of that :) cheers Hunty

Jeep has been mcgyvered LoL
 

I was thinking just that whilst under my Jeep in the rain - the only system I havent frigged with is the brakes and they need a good friggin with,
well at least the hand brake needs to be Huntied :)

Process improvement 1.
 

Just been on the phone with WikiGeof and I now realise that it would have been better to jack up my Jeep under the front pumkin to work the air out, rather than to drive it slowly.
cheers Hunty