Steering Pump Limping/Blown Seeking advise

JKAnimal said:

So on my last trip to Barnwell OHV park here in TX I seem to have blown my steering pump.

My front locker has seen a lot of action. While at Barnwell I heard a pop and steering went to hell. Upon reaching the end of the trail it appeared the pump had burped out fluid, and what fluid was in the reservoir was definitely burned. Although the fluid level was still ok, my steering has sucked since and the pump has been whining. Since I have a manual I can push the clutch in and rev the engine slightly to get the wheels to turn when needed but it's a pain with 37s. I found an article here about flushing the steering fluid and replacing it, which I did, but I'm still having the same issue. I'm going to assume I need to replace the pump but I'd like some advice from those that have been in this situation before.

Is replacing the pump difficult? I don't have the dough for a PSC so I'll have to go with a straight replacement. Is there a "better than stock" pump on the market? Can a steering pump be re-built? Is there a way to keep this from happening again to a stock pump? Any information is appreciated!

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CRZRTX said:

With 37" tires, IMO you may need more than a stock power steering pump. To do it right, IMO go with a hydro assist, but you mentioned that PSC is too expensive. One option you may consider is just getting the PSC pump and reservoir. That will give you more fluid and more power than stock without the cost of the full hydro assist setup.

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sassmouth said:

If your p/s fluid was burnt then your p/s pump is most likely cooked as well. I burned out my power steering pump last year. Replacing the pump is straight forward. You can get a new mopar p/s pump for $167 after returning the core. You'll need to get a pulley puller/installer tool from Autozone because you'll be reusing the pulley.

Do you have a p/s cooler? If not you should get one installed. They aren't expensive (you can get one on Amazon) and are easy to install. With a cooler in place, you most likely will not be burning up your power steering fluid.

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JKAnimal said:

I currently don't have a cooler. This is the first time I've had any issues with my steering pump. I'll definitely check into that also.

Is there a difference between a Mopar pump and an aftermarket solution? I'm pretty sure not much is under warranty anymore since my Jeep is so modded.

Thanks for the advice!

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ERAUGrad04 said:

What year is your jeep and how many miles do you have on it?

If you are still within the factory warranty period, it might be worth a trip to the dealer. Some dealers are great when it comes to warranty work on modded Jeeps, others, not so much.

I'm running 37s along with quite a bit of other mods and my dealer has been great with the few issues I've had even though it was probably questionable whether or not the mods caused the issues (e.g. Right rear brake squeaking a dragging).

Good luck!

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