Sluggish steering at low speeds

[parker_lansing]

Three weeks ago I had my steering gear replaced at the dealership. Although the steering is nice and tight now, I hear a low squealing sound when I make left turns.

My initial reaction was that the dealership did something wrong during the service. But then I started noticing that this truck is really hard to park. Like, it feels like I'm turning a battleship when I'm trying to pull into a parking spot. Lots of backing up.

Maybe I'm just used to the short turning radius on my '02 Wrangler, but it doesn't feel like something that would have come out of the factory like this.

So, while I was in a drive-thru today, I did a few quick searches, and found this:

Catastrophic Failure of the power Steering Pump...

If you are going to get a replacement steering pump, I would suggest you get the one for the Explorer.
There was a common issue of hard steering and loud squealing in "cold region Sport Tracs"...
Ford's fix to this was to replace the pump with the same year Explorer as it creates a bit more pressure which eliminated slow speed steering issues (Parking lot type driving) as well as eliminated the squealing concern..

Whoa. This sounds exactly like what I'm experiencing. This truck lived in Virginia for 20 years, and now in Michigan, it is just this week experiencing a lot of sub-50 degree weather.

I want to know more about this problem: other experiences in cold regions, verification of this issue, original/replacement part numbers.

I'm digging for more information on this, but in the meantime, please tell me everything you know about this!

This is a 2003 Sport Trac XLT 4WD 4.0L.

Update: I've received another opinion on this issue. I may be hearing the power steering belt slipping, either due to improper tensioning or worn belt.

I found an older (2011) post about this. It is called "Steering Shudder" and there were TSBs about it:

Install a .5 inch shorter belt to prevent it from slipping and or replace the pump with the TSB pump.

And here is a post that perfectly describes the "groaning" sound:

When turning the steering wheel I'm starting to hear some low "groaning". Only happens during parking while making semi-extreme turns of the steering wheel. Sounds like it's coming from somewhere beyond the instrument panel. Steering still feels normal and the steering fluid reservoir is above 'minimum'.

It could just be the cold and the pump, or the pump is weaken..

The TSB specifically mentions "Trac's in colder environments may exhibit..."
So yes, the cold is affecting the issue.

Also this post:

The power steering is mostly anoying. You might also find it will be hard to steer in curves, under heavy acceleration. That can be helped by replacing the serpentinebelt with one that is 1/2" shorter.

And this post:

The trac is somewhat known for a belt slack issue, but this is mostly at higher engine RPM's. Basically, the belt would begin to lift off the pulley of the power steering pump and the pump would lose performance.
Also, there is a TSB for a "shuddering" and a "squealing" pump. It is solved by replacing the pump with one from a 4-Door Explorer. It has a higher output than the Trac.
Also, many have stepped down to a serpentine belt that is I believe 1/2 inch shorter. This seems to solve many issues over-all. I would suggest you do that first as you may have a weak tensioner that is the root of all the issues and the shorter belt may help.

Additional support:

...the same year 4-Door Explorer is the pump that Ford installs for the TSB.
I had it done to my Trac and never got the slow speed steering shake after the swap..

September 29, 2003 MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION NUMBER: 031912
NHTSA ID Number: 10004041
Manufacturer Communication Number: 031912
STEERING WHEEL SHUDDER DURING LOW SPEED TURNING MANEUVERS. 2004 EXPLORER SPORT TRAC INCLUDED. *TT

February 9, 2004 MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION NUMBER: 031912
NHTSA ID Number: 10007369
Manufacturer Communication Number: 031912
STEERING SHUDDER FELT WHEN TURNING, DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS OR AT STOP. *TT

October 7, 2005 MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION NUMBER: 0427
NHTSA ID Number: 10018061
Manufacturer Communication Number: 0427
STEERING SHUDDER DURING LOW SPEED MANEUVERS - 4.0L ENGINE. *TT

I don't know what the contents of the other TSBs were (I found this one), but the take-home message is this:

That said, there was a TSB on this issue but mostly pertained to colder environments.
Basically, the pump is not able to pump the pressure needed to ensure smooth steering at slow (parking lot) speeds.
Ford replaced the Trac pump with the V8 version of the Explorer to resolve the issue.
Had mine replaced for free, no longer had any issues..

So, I've found that the best replacement belt is the Continental Elite 4060865 serpentine belt (1/2" shorter and also quieter) (more info here and here).
I have that belt on order, but I'm still looking for the best power steering pump upgrade.

It is possible I already have the upgraded pump (see this post):

The new pump is for the older model tracs. I think 2002 and up have the new pump already. You may just be having issues with the pump / system.

Make sure the reservoir has MERCON TRANSMISSION FLUID:

You should check your steering fluid, and make sure that it is MERCON TRANSMISSION FLUID in there, not power steering fluid. I had a quick lube monkey add PS fluid, and that was when my pump really began to have issues. I changed out the fluid and that resolved the problem somewhat, but it just got worse after a while.

I also plan to replace the tensioner pulley and idler. I'm presuming there aren't any that are better than stock.

March update: I just got new wheels/tires, and it turned out that my alignment was slightly off after the last round of suspension work. Having fixed that (plus new tires), my steering is much improved, and I can just barely hear the slightest noise during sharp left turns. I think I can finally call this problem solved.

 

[parker_lansing]

I just replaced the tensioner and replaced the serpentine belt with the Continental Elite 4060865.

This solved 80% of my steering issues. The steering is now smooth (so much easier to steer, almost no resistance).
This also solved my problem of the odometer advancing while idling, and the speed indicator bouncing around.

However, when I make sharp turns, I still hear a noise, and I feel resistance when making sharp turns. It has to be the power steering pump.

Next steps:
- check steering fluid, and make sure that it is MERCON V TRANSMISSION FLUID in there, not power steering fluid (Ford TSB 07-1-7 Mercon ATF Replaced By Mercon V As A Service Fluid For Some Power Steering Systems - 2001-2005 Explorer Sport Trac)
- check with dealership to determine if my power steering pump is the one that has cold weather issues, or the upgraded pump (which TSB?)
- replace idler pulley just because
- Check harmonic balancer / crank pulley (video)

Other commentary on MERCON V fluid:

Ford no longer licenses Mercon & has back specified Mercon V to be used in place of the old Mercon fluid on this TSB 07-1-7***MERCON® ATF REPLACED BY MERCON® V AS A SERVICE FLUID FOR SOME POWER STEERING SYSTEMS.
Mercon V is a semi-synthetic fluid that's a higher quality than the old Mercon recipe.
All that said, you could use either of the above fluids, or a Mercon V fluid in your power steering system. If your drive cycle is severe, with lots of slow city driving in hot weather, I'd consider using the full synthetic Maxlife, or a Mercon V fluid, or the less expensive WalMart fluid in that order.

 

[DILLARD000]

Personal practice here, along with routine 4kMiles\6mth Engin Oil+Filter changes,
is to handpump 1/4qt of old ATF from SteeringReservoir & 3/4qt of old ATF from Trans DipTube,
then refresh both of those with a new quart of MerconV compatible RedLine#HighTempATF.
Dispose of the old ATF in the same recycle container with the used Oil.