99 Silverado steering gear

Is the squeak from the power steering pump OR the actual steering BOX? BIG difference.

Sounds more like the steering pump to me, and that price for a new one is on the moon. I just had the box professionally rebuilt on my 94 Silverado for $150. Paid a front end shop $50 to swap it out.

Not at all difficult to replace, and probably will not require realignment. You may have to borrow/rent a puller to remove the pitman arm, but it's really no big deal.

I noticed Oreilly Auto listed my box (94) for $159 with a lifetime guarantee, and your box (99) for $259. I'm not sure there is really a difference, perhaps a salvage or rebuilder could tell you. I hope you are lucky any have a rebuilder near by. Perhaps a local mechanic or front end shop to recommend one.

I wouldn't recommend a box from a salvage. I paid $50 for one, but it was bad. The salvage cheerfully replaced it, but the replacement was bad as well. That's when I decided to spring for a rebuilt.

I would try changing the pump first. A rebuilt with lifetime guarantee is $65, and even easier to change.

I'd want to take a squeeze bulb with a long hose, and suck all the fluid out of the power steering. Put in fresh fluid. Run the steering right and left a couple times, and then check to see if it's full. Purge the air out, and top off the reservoir. Much easier than replacing the steering gear. Might help.

No personal experience with this kind of thing. I helped replace a steering gearbox a couple decades ago, on my 1970 Chevrolet Nova, but that won't be of much help.

Seriously, change the fluid.

Thanks, good catch. worth asking.

it's more like a rubbing and feels mechanical. No squeak really.