Kewrock

Hi Guys. I'm Rocco. First post. Pleased to meet you.
I picked up a 1998 Cherokee last week. it's old, worn out and has it's issues.
So the main issue at the moment is the power steering. If I'm doing more than 5-10 MPH it seems ok. When stopped it's dead. But if I give it a little gas in park, it loosens up and works. I already bought a pump, but HAVE NOT put it in yet. I have a bad habit of of jumping on things before fully diagnosing. So I figure I'll run it by the forum first. There are no noises or leaks and the fluid is full. can it be anything other than the pump? Do the steering boxes go on these? Clogged line?

Other issues.
The blinkers don't blink. They just stay on. There are YouTube videos showing a repair if the flasher solenoid by re-soldering.
The ABS light is on. I have a diagnostic tool coming in the mail. Is there any common issues I should look for?
The obligatory engine light is on.
The truck dips hard in the front and is hard to stop.I think the rear brakes might be frozen.
Noisy rear U-joint.
No A/C.
Fan's dash switch only works on high. YouTube videos point to a solenoid. Would that be correct?

Any help you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated..

jordan96xj

Kewrock

Thanks Jordan.
That's what I meant. Fan RESISTOR, not solenoid. They're cheap. So is the Flasher Solenoid. Can't see bothering to resolder a $20 part.
I replaced a Tone Ring in another car. I don't think that's it. It made the brakes work erratically. I need to pull the rear brakes. There's a lot of rust caked up on the inside of the steel sport wheels.

The power steering is quiet. Belt is good. Just doesn't work unless the engine idles up.

This truck has 204k on it. It doesn't look like anybody has cared about it for at least ten years. Fluids are all filthy. Trans fluid is black...Not a good sign, but it shifts flawlessly. The interior is different shades of dirt and grime. The body is straight but neglected. It runs so perfect. Motor is quiet and strong. Trans shifts on point and incredible kick-down. Front end is tight as a drum and perfectly straight.
I also have a 1998 Wrangler with only 75K on it. I wish it ran as good as this. That's got a cracked exhaust manifold, a very sloppy auto transmission. The previous owner had a bad rebuild(I think she was ripped off). The steering doesn't return to center. You have to manually crank it back.

Canadiantech

For your P/s issue- it sounds like the pump is getting weak, you can try and do a good flush first to see if it helps. if not the pump needs to be changed, while doing the pump i would recommend doing the pressure and return hoses at the same time.
For the Brakes i would give them a good cleaning and servicing, adjusting the rear drums and flushing the brake fluid till its nice and clean.

Kewrock

Thanks Guys
So I replaced the pump, Worked great. Nobody had it in stock in the city. I had to go out to Long Island to get it at Advance Auto. Only $40. Cheaper than anywhere online. The pulley and tank were a snap with the loaner tool. The thing that bothers me is that the pump I pulled out had the same reman'ed brand sticker on it. Meaning the pump was already changed once with the same brand.

The new 4-way flasher relay was $15. Worked great. Same thing, nobody in the city had it. Again Advance had it. I tried a Youtube video repair first. Where I took out the relay, opened it and reflowed all the solder joints. It worked great at first. But two hours later I had no activity with the flashers at all. I pulled the relay, and it was burnt up and melted. I installed the new relay, and still nothing. The 15A fuse under the hood was blown too! Now they work great. Thank god the previous owner used the proper fuses. I could have melted down a whole harness. It doesn't pay to be cheap. That relay is only $10 on ebay.

Next is the blower motor resistor. The defrost fan only works on high. I had to get that online. Can't get it local.
After that it goes to my friend's shop for front tires and plug in to the diagnostic brick to try and diagnose the Abs failure and engine light.

The A/C clutch is shot, the evap bottle is rotted and scaled. So, I'll probably redo the whole system. there's another couple hundred.
It's hard to believe a running truck still wasn't worth 750.

Kewrock

Power steering pump is done. Coincidentally, the new pump has the same reman'ed company sticker as the failed. It's AdvanceAuto's brand. It's a crappy pump. If I turn too fast it binds up. It's also noisy.
The A/C will get put off til next summer.
I got insurance from Hagarty $330yr 300k liability with 3500 collision

investinwaffles

Be very wary of those parts-store reman'd power steering pumps. I went through a few before finally having a local rebuilder build me one properly and haven't had any issues since. First one had no pressure at idle, second one siezed a bearing and blew the f up on the highway, third one leaked out of the box...
Also, good time to examine your steering gear and adjust the sector shaft preload. If you can't adjust the slop out before the gearbox starts whining, it needs to be rebuilt. Same deal as above, save the time and aggravation and have your stock power steering components rebuilt by a good local re-builder.
I used Amsoil power steering fluid because it is supposed to hold up better at higher temps. Maybe placebo effect but it does seem to be quieter when things are really hot

For the brakes - definitely either rebuild the rear drums or upgrade to disc brakes (drum rebuild costs about $100, discs will cost $300+ all said and done). Definitely do a thorough fluid flush, if it has't been done do another flush after a month or so. Since you are in NY examine your brake lines - if any are super corroded replace them before they spring a leak and you loose all braking pressure. Also a good reason to inspect and adjust the e-brake. Tons of youtube videos on this - drum brakes are a royal pain in the ***. Might as well check the fronts when you are bleeding them, grease up the caliper pins and pad ears, and check/replace anything that is worn

For the rear joints, get greasable - they last longer. I rented the u-joint press from Autozone and they came out pretty easy. Make sure the new u-joint has zero binding before re-installing it. Tap the ears of the driveshaft with a hammer to get the bearing caps to seat nicely until there is no binding.
I always go with Spicer or Napeco joints

EDIT:
For the A/C, you can check the compressor by jumpering the low-side pressure switch, which is the sensor on the AC Accumulator/Drier. If it spins without making any horrific noises, you might be good to just fill it up and see how it performs.
I would recommend having a shop pull vacuum and make sure it holds without leaking down. Then, replace the AC Accumulator/Drier and fill the system to spec.
Or just bite the bullet and swap out the compressor AND condensers. I did not do the condenser and I regret it, mine is all banged up from rocks and stuff.