Power steering pump, or gear/box?

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ragtopfury

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I'm leaning toward the pump is bad. 2005 Dodge Ram 2500. Turns fine to the right, but turning left is like trying to turn a 1948 Mack truck sitting still with your foot on the brake.
Yeah, it's that hard to trun at a stop, and feels like normal standard steering when rolling a little. And it is not just when trying to go left from center. It doesn't matter where the wheel is.
 
Do they have ford like valves for left and right steering or is it an integrated box? Maybe a stuck valve issue
 
The valve is internal to the box, from what I'm reading. Possible debris in the system.
 
At the bottom of the column, inside, next to the firewall
you might find an unusual switch. If you do, that may be an assist switch. I forget how exactly it works, but the gist of it is that on-center and a few degrees either way, it does nothing. But as the steering wheel turns farther or faster ( I think), it tells the pump to crank up the boost.
I only ever changed one of those, and I forget the details, so you'll have to do your own research.
I think, the one I swapped out was on a Chevy tho.....
 
I'm leaning toward the pump is bad. 2005 Dodge Ram 2500. Turns fine to the right, but turning left is like trying to turn a 1948 Mack truck sitting still with your foot on the brake.
Yeah, it's that hard to trun at a stop, and feels like normal standard steering when rolling a little. And it is not just when trying to go left from center. It doesn't matter where the wheel is.
Generally if the pump was the problem you would feel it in both directions as the pump does not know which way you are turning. This could be either a steering box or if a 4WD truck take a look at the universal joint on that side, if they are binding up it can create issues like this.
 
^ This, a friend on mine had a 2000 Ram 2500 4x4 and the streering would lock up. We replaced everything in the steering system and it ended up being a ball joint.
 
I have a 2005 Ram HD 2500 with the Cummins and I had the whole front end rebuilt and a new ps pump it has about 6500 miles on it since then and mine is starting to want to stick a little bit only when I turn it to the right it is not bad but it definitely will surprise me now this is when you turn it sharp to the right
 
Generally if the pump was the problem you would feel it in both directions as the pump does not know which way you are turning. This could be either a steering box or if a 4WD truck take a look at the universal joint on that side, if they are binding up it can create issues like this.
Appreciate the insight. I checked it out this morning. Popped the coupler off the inputs haft. U joint on the steering column is free. Looks like a new gear box is needed. This is a rebuilt box that is only about 3 years old. (Not from you guys)
 
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