Difficulty making a right turn...

Mar 18, 2006 4 Replies

I have difficulty making a right turn in my 87 S-10. When I come to a red light, stop sign, or turning into a driveway, it's very difficult to turn right. When I turn to the left, it's fine. Does anyone know what the problem may be?



Do you have a steering stabilizer shock on it? If so, a failed one can act like that.

A ball joint about to fail can cause it too.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >

wrote

You're supposed to remove "The Club (tm)" from the steering wheel before driving.

This sounds like something in the power steering. Power steering systems, the kind with a rotary valve, have two separate fluid lines for left and right assist. When you turn the left, the rotary valve twists a little bit and opens up some ports to allow pressure into the left side hydraulics. The corresponding thing happens when you turn to the right.

Check for the usual problems with hydraulics: fluid level, leaks, etc. Since you have assist apparently working to one side, it doesn't sound like a global problem, like loss of fluid or a failure in the pump.

Also, things can get hot inside the power steering system, causing the fluid to burn up and become dark. If the fluid is not light colored and clear, change it! When was the last time that fluid was changed?

Maybe the valve mechanism is sludged and gummed up (years of neglect?) Perhaps the valve does not rotate properly when you turn to the right, and so does not release fluid into the pressure line that assists a right turn.

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