Help: Power Steering or Steering Box?

[Cknight199]

alright, so I have done some research and my truck makes a very bad grinding noise when turning the wheel full lock to one direction. Everything I can find points to a steering box. BUT occasionally I lose my power steering as well as the brakes... It only happens after driving the truck for a bit and then coming to an idle. Like when turning off a street or making a turn at a stop sign. (it gets very scary when turning and losing power steering...) I can feel my brakes going as well when it is happening. Does anyone have any input on if the gear box could be causing all of this?

Thanks,
Caden

 

[Chevy1925]

diag-ing powersteering/brake issues can be very hard. it sounds like you have both starting to go though (pump and box).

mimic the grinding noise by having someone turn the wheel in the direction it makes the noise and use a "mechanics stethoscope" to listen for the noise (use a really long screw driver or pry bar, place one end against steering box and other end against your ear and listen). my steering box would make a bad creeking noise when it went and some really weird steering on the street. the only way i found it was bad was by taking the box off the frame and turning it the. the sound was resonatiing through the frame to where it didnt sounds like it was the box but once off, you could pin point it easy. Im not saying yours will do this but it may help you in diag-ing.

as for the pump. i dont have much to tell you there other than to pull the cap when you loose steering/brakes and see if the fluid is bouncing around or if its just placid. placid means bad pump

 

[PureHybrid]

The brake system should be assisted by the power steerimg pump, so if the pump loses pressure I can see losing brakes too.

 

[schulte]

Start with flushing the power steering fluid.

Then replace the pump if flushing doesn't fix it. It's the cheapest, easier to replace than the gear, and most likely to go bad.