Power Steering not so powerful?

[jimmorrison]

Hey folks, so I've got a power steering issue that I'd like some feedback on before I start throwing money around willy-nilly.

When I picked-up my J10 ('76, N-code) I went through a fixed/upgraded a lot of the budget fixes done by the previous owner. As part of this I swapped the stock steering box for a Redhead unit from BJ's Offroad and also put in a reman pump from RockAuto. This worked ok but if you stuck the tires against something, or hit the steering stop, it would make somewhere between a chirp and a squealing sound. The belt was tight and the pulley wasn't slipping on the shaft so I figured that I must have damaged the pump during installation by not quite getting it fully bled on the first try.

So I sucked it up and bought an AGR "Super-Pump", and made sure to bleed the crap out of it before putting the wheels on the ground. Still chirped. So I finally swapped the old belt for a new belt and guess what...no chirp.

The problem is, at idle (750 RPM) or even just above, it still moans and groans and seems to struggle to move the tires around while stopped or rolling slowly. I did check the fluid level and everything looks good there.

I'm running 33" BFG AT's so that's bigger than stock but I wouldn't think they'd affect things quite so much. Is this normal for all you guys with bigger tires or is there still something amiss? When I had a Wagoneer with stock-size tires, all steering inputs were strictly one-finger so this situation seems odd to me.

[Carnuck]

Might be time for a box with a bigger piston in it.

[babywag]

Might be time for a box with a bigger piston in it.

[Mikel]

J20s and some Dodges (early 2000s Durangos with plow package) came with a saginaw box that has a larger piston diameter, making the box more powerful. My guess in the 20-30% range.

[babywag]

The OP already installed a reman redhead steering gear, and an AGR pump.
I think the problem lies elsewhere...or the parts he got aren't 100%

[serehill]

Too Bad

I know of several that had bad luck with the Red Heads. I have 33 x12.50 on both my Honcho & My Cherokee. Both are Napa gold power steering & boxes. Both are fast ratio both are silent both are one finger. The pump bind, the chirping is usually problems with in the gear box or a bad pump. Yeah I know there's no absolution with the information available. 2 pumps with the same issue different manufacturer would narrow it down for me. The only other remote possibility would be a binding steering piece & it would show up in much worse ways than this. Issue are when the system is at the end of the steering where your putting the most on the pump That's not unusual. I really don't understand the bigger piston this you see it a look & I've had a ton of these things & luckily have missed this scenario. Sitting on the fence. The coin flip says it's the box.

[jimmorrison]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone. I really hadn't considered the gearbox being the issue since BJ's seems to consider it the end-all be-all.

Any ideas on how I might further troubleshoot this issue? I don't want to go pointing fingers at Redhead only to find out I'm having trouble because my blinker fluid wasn't topped off.

[Carnuck]

Assuming your belts are tightened correctly and not worn so they are riding on the bottom of the Vee, then I would try a pressure gauge after making sure nothing in the front that's supposed to pivot is binding (like a cracked balljoint)