johnny james

Hello, I have a 98 Cherokee, today I noticed a leak under it, to cut to the chase its the power steering . Can someone tell me if the power steering is one piece or can parts be removed to put gaskets in, assuming that's the problem. About replacing it , I can do brakes , water pump, power steering
pump but replacing that unit looks like a lot of work. The jeep can not be lifted ( neighbors ) so every thing I do is above or crawling under.
Thx

skrewy

There is a o ring for the power steering tank the pulley comes off with a puller and heat so its either the tank is cracked or bad oring or lines that's it

dave1123

There is a seal on the pump drive shaft but there are no service parts available for it.

johnny james

Ok so what your saying is it would need the gear box, on a scale from 1 to 10 , 10 being the highest level how difficult would it be to replace. I usually
fix what ever I start, I don't really know how much it would cost but over $400 would be an incentive to fix it myself

skrewy

4 its heavy if your by yourself getting everything to line up right is the hardest part I did it in a couple hours by myself

dave1123

Please excuse my previous post. I thought you were talking about the pump.

The steering box is another matter. If you have a source of parts and a good procedures manual, you CAN rebuild it yourself. However, this is a safety issue and should be looked at as such. Replacing it is not so hard as long as you don't turn the steering wheel from it's center position when doing it. There is a clockspring in the steering wheel hub for the wiring for the airbag and cruise control that could be damaged by turning it too far. Line up the pitman arm with the linkage before you connect the steering shaft.

Another thing I would do is use new bolts to mount it.