Okay, first, this post will be longish but PLEASE read it all before answering, because you'll think it's a different part at each stage of the game.

1) About a month ago, the steering started getting tight. Just at the very edges at first, and then worse and worse.

2) Replaced the power steering pump just about two weeks ago, which improved the tightness issue by only about 50%. The wheel still had "dead spots" where it would feel like all the power steering was gone...until you turned it another inch and it was fine. Decided to ignore it until the repair budget grew a little bit more.

3) Yesterday, I take a sharp turn up a hill and hear this terrible CLUNK and then dragging sound. From experience, I can tell you that it sounded almost exactly like a dragging muffler....that loud, and that same sort of dragging/grinding sound. I honestly thought that that's what it was, since the last exhaust repair she had was basically a band-aid and I knew she'd need a real repair soon.

HOWEVER, I pull off the road, look underneath, and nothing is hanging. Nothing even looks out of the ordinary, for that matter. Great. The only thing that looks out of place is my bumper, which has been barely hanging on for a while and has now settled and is resting against the body. Worth a shot, so we yank it off. (Literally just yanked it off by hand, and I'm not a big girl. Time for some new brackets, I guess! )

The Jeep has now been sitting for maybe a half hour, so I start her up to listen to the sound again. It's there, but quieter now, in both reverse and drive. There's really nothing more to be done in a random parking lot at that point, so I drive her the five more minutes to my house.

3) This morning I wake up for work, get in, start her up, put her into drive, and........nothing. Silent. Not even a hint of a grinding noise. AND, even WEIRDER, my power steering has returned! No dead spots, nothing. It's perfect. We were thinking that it was the steering box, but it's clearly related to whatever was/now isn't making that grinding noise in the back.

What could that noise be? The diff? Would it suddenly start making noise and then just as suddenly stop? Would it effect my power steering? Could it be one of the god-forsaken drum brakes acting up?

Any ideas? And thanks!!

For slight background info, she is an '87 Wagoneer running 31s at stock height.

 

Did you rear end someone?
Ok first of all check fluid level and belt tension. Have a close look at the frame around the steering box for cracks. Have someone steer in the vehicle and you look under to see what is wrong: the steering box shouldn't move at all, if it does you might want to investigate loose bolts or rusted/cracked frame.
Check the PS lines not to be bend or kinked somewhere.
Have a look at the steering shaft cardan, does it have excessive play when you turn the wheel?
Any leaks?

 

Ah, you might want to post a picture of your... aaah, i mean the jeeps underneath so we can look at it.

 

It almost sounds like you had debris or something in your hydraulic lines for your power steering... you might check the condition of the fluid. But if its working well now you may have just ground it down that it's obsolete & won't bother you any more. Safety first though; check the steering linkage and stabilizer while a friend spins the wheel left and right.

 

Thanks guys!

No, I haven't rear ended anyone, or anything. The Jeep hasn't been in any accidents except for when someone hit me from behind doing 30. But that was over two years ago, and this problem just started within the last month.

Also....I'm not overly concerned about the power steering.....more concerned about what the absolutely wretched noise was!

But just for more details -- the belt is fine, same with the fluid. The lines aren't new (that was the next step after the pump) but they are in good shape with no kinks/twists. No leaks. Will have to poke around at the steering box, like I said that's what we're thinking it was. (Although apparently not anymore, cause it's working!)

I'm going with grit in the lines...so can we chalk it up to just random coincidence that it occurred at the same time as the random clank/grinding noise? If so, and that noise wasn't connected to the power steering.....what was it?

Haven't had a chance (or the tools) to check the diff fluid yet, but this was a very sudden noise that suddenly appeared, and suddenly disappeared.

 

Was this grinding noise related to engine RPMs or forward moving?

 

Movement at all, forward or back, but at any speed and more pronounced going forward.

I have the ****ty gauge package with no tach and the GIANT gas gauge, so can't tell you for SURE on the RPMs, but the noise was there when I was just casually rolling backwards out of the parking spot, and doing 30mph down the road. Less audible at higher speeds, but I could still feel it.

 

So it's something coming from the drive train and not from the engnine/tranny. Get under the jeep and shake the drive shafts in every direction. Could be a dry front drive shaft.

 

Dirt in the PS pump sounds awfully good. Could it be the wild noises came from a squealing PS pump belt when the pump couldn't "pass" the obstruction? I've heard some belts sound like something out of a bad sci-fi movie.

I would crawl under the front end with engine off but steering colum lock-out released and have someone rock the steering wheel back and forth. Look over each fitting - TRE's, drag link, pitman arm, and watch for any evidence of looseness. Then jack up the front end and grab each front tire by the top and bottom and try to wiggle them. If you get movement, could be wheel bearings, ball joints. Grab the wheel by the left & right - hands at 9 and 3 - and wiggle. Any play means bad parts. Lots of play and you get bang-clank noises that can come and go.

 

No, this was definitely something coming from the rear, and a metal-grinding noise, not a belt squeal.

I'll check out everything in the first part tonight. She does need u joints, but the tires/wheel bearings/ball joints are otherwise solid. The steering wheel is solid too, the column was rebuilt a few years ago when the shaky wheel caused her to fail inspection!

This was really a harsh, metallic, grinding noise. I had a bad wheel hub assembly that made a terrible clunking noise, but this was a completely different beast!


Fantic-- Thanks for your idea, I will test it out later today when I'm back near the vehicle, and get back to you.

 

You know, I just saw an internet photo of a car with a bunch of chain link fence wrapped around the driveshaft. Stunned me that the car made it to the dealer to be checked out.

I don't think you've got FENCE up there but a coat hanger wrapped on the DS could sure make some racket. Look closely at the DS for evidence that something hung up on it then got thrown off. Might even see scratch marks on the underside of the floor pan.

 

Hi guys, just wanted to update you--

After a lot of poking and prodding and finding nothing out of the ordinary...
the noise started back up. And this time, I could tell exactly what it was:


the stupid POS drum brakes. -sigh- Guess it's time for some new ones, thank goodness they aren't too pricey. Wish I could afford the conversion kit!