jrekucki

Hello all, I have a 2002 F150 4.6L 4WD. The truck has developed a weird steering problem. When you are going around a turn at really any speed, the power steering pump seems to stop working then starts working again. While holding the wheel in the same spot, all of a sudden the wheel will start fighting me to straiten out then it will go back to normal, then it will do it again, then back to normal. It will go back and forth every second or so throughout the whole turn. Dealership said i need to replace the the steering column bushings but that does not make sense to me. How would a bushing just change back and forth like that. Any insight to this issue would be a great help! Thanks guys joe

joshtowal

My wife's windstar does the same thing. It's only noticeable on exagerated turns though; like on an on or off ramp. It kind of pulls back and forth. My best guess is that the pump is bleeding off the pressure internally due to wear. I'll hopefully be getting around to changing that out within the next few weeks, but you'll probably have your problem fixed by then. The bushings don't make a whole lot of sense to me either, but I haven't really had any problems with columns before, so maybe it's just naivety...

jrekucki

Your problem is exactly the same. Always on the off ramps. Tugging and pulling. If anyone has any advice on this problem we would love to hear it!

Thanks
Joe

MeatBurglar

I had an 07 interceptor that did the same thing. I came to the realization that it was happening in turns, but when I was braking. I noticed that any time I applied the brakes it would do it. I eventually was issued a new car, but I do remember the problem. Maybe an issue with vacuum pressure? Don't know, but I have experienced it.

ktmboyz

Lube your steering shaft u joints with penetrating oil. When they start to sieze they will bind every quarter turn then free up.

jrekucki

Ktmboyz. I will do that but the problem isn't when you are turning the wheel, it's when you have the wheel held at a constant spot for a period of time while in a long sweeping turn.

ktmboyz

Oh ok I guess I missed the part about the wheel being held in one spot while in a turn sorry. I really doubt that is a steerign column bushing issue. How many miles on the truck ? You could possible have a bad rack wit hpressure bleeding by the spool valve, I have never seen it in my 15yrs at a ford dealer but I have learned to never say never when diagnosing vehicles. Without a pressure gauge in the system to see what happening during the event than its all speculation. You have a50/50 shot at a pump or a rack unless somebody chimes in that has experienced this exact problem. I will ask around the shop monday and see if any of the other techs have but there are only three other A techs so chances are slim we have encountered it. We usually jsut run into the typical steering shaft issue on The 150 and an ocassional pump seal blown out or rack seals blown and leaking externally.