Power steering.

no damage will occur to the system because of a broken belt. It's the same as turning the steering wheel with the engine off as far as the power steering system is concerned.

Maybe tomorrow, I might think about rolling around under there and think about putting that belt on there.I need to change out the oil (Valvoline Oil) and oil filter and lube all those alemites (I am not goin y'alls zerks route) under there too. cuhulin

Depending on how strong you are, and how hard you heave on the wheel, you can put undue stress on any u-joints or "rag joints" in the column, since the system is designed to "take over" with only a couple of pounds pressure.

That is what I have always thought too, MasterBlaster.Fix that power steering as soon as possible.That is why I got my sister to take me over to the auto parts store (in her Honda SUV) so I could buy a new power steering belt. cuhulin

I started to fire off an "absolutely not," but the better answer is "almost certainly not."

Dodge vans of that vintage used a GM Saginaw steering box, not the Chrysler-built box that was used in passenger cars so I'm not really familiar with the details of it. But in general, there are reaction springs that compress slightly as you turn the wheel in order to activate the valves that direct fluid to assist you in steering the car. Driving for a REAL long time without power assist could conceivably pound the reaction springs out of spec since they don't normally get

100% compressed, but DO get compressed to the stops when you steer without assist.

Also, there are usually flexible couplers ("rag joints") or other joints in the steering column that normally only see a light steering force, which see a very large force when you have to steer without power assist. Those could conceivably break or wear out faster.

But in general- nah, no problem.