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My 1998 Cherokee is leaking power steering fluid pretty badly. It's all fine and dandy when the wheel isn't being turned, but when I start to turn it, it begins to leak. I think it's especially bad when I'm not moving, but I can't tell... It leaks right down to the add mark but doesn't go any lower. I want to tighten the box up since there's ~3-4 inches of slop and I can't get over 50 mph without fearing for my life, but I'm afraid if I do, it'll just fall into pieces. What are my options here? Should I go to the boneyard and pull one out? Should I try and salvage what's left of this one somehow? I've heard it can be hit and miss with steering boxes, so I would like some input. Thanks.

Jeepwalker

Number one, are you sure it's the box and not the hydraulic line ...or p/s pump? Hoses can and DO leak.

If it IS the steering box, it''s unlikely that you can just 'tighten' it up and reduce the slop. You could replace the seal if that's where it's leaking and look into where the slop is coming from. There are a lot of other parts in the steering which could contribute to slop and often wear faster, like any of the many steering parts, intermidiate shaft U-joints, etc.

There are 2x adjustments to a steering box, the pre-load (from the end) and the ball-nut assembly (from the top). The correct way to adjust a steering box is on the bench ..first adjust the pre-load and THEN the top screw. A person could adjust down the top scew while it's in the vehicle just a 'touch' but I wouldn't go much. People think they're going to eliminate the slop by tightening down the top screw and it's a falacy and usually ends up exacerbating steering box wear greatly. There will always be some slop b/c the minute amt of slop in a p/s box is needed to actuate the valve which ports fluid to assist the direction you are trying to turn the wheel. That's why sports cars (of old) always used manual steering.

I guess start by cleaning off all the oil and see if you can ID the leak. If it's a cracked line, that's an easy fix. Get under and have someone turn the wheels and see if you can ID any loose parts. Shake things violently too. A H/F steering disconnect kit can allow you to remove the links and feel them by hand.

Well, good luck!!

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I'll clean it up when I have a chance so I can see where the leak is coming from. I doubt it's from a hose, though. Right now I'm going to swap out a heater core, along with some other things. I'll need all the luck I can get!

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It's been a while, but I'd like to let you know that I cleaned everything up very well and now it's not leaking. This made me think that the leak was coming from somewhere else, so I cleaned everything and parked the Jeep in a dry garage for a week to see if any puddles would form on the floor. Nothing. I'm not sure why it's stopped, but I'm not going to question it, though I will be checking the fluid levels every few days to make sure nothing has gone wrong.