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+--- Thread: steering locked up... (/showthread.php?tid=4179)
steering locked up... - SurfRodder - 12-14-2012
So, something I've never had happen or even heard of happening occured this morning.
I stopped off at a coin car wash to clean the fenderwells and firewall off as I noticed they were pretty filthy when I took those photos of the oil plumbing last night... anyway, I've done this before w/o issue but this morning as I pulled out of the stall, the steering wheel locked up, like when the column lock, except with less give...no movement whatsoever. And the column lock has been removed on this vehicle for years.
Anyway, it was locked up slightly to the left, couldn't make my turn so I stopped, got out and checked under the hood, didn't see anything weird got back in and was able to wiggle it a little to the right, locked up again...rinse, wash, repeat and then all of a sudden it was fine... pulled into another lot across the street, checked it again, still okay...drove down the road to carquest, pulled in shutdown and checked ps fluid... needed a little but still fine..
Weird thing, it was not like loosing power steering, definitely locked up but not permanently... has been acting fine since... I can only picture that maybe I knocked a fastener into the u-joint or something, didn't see it when I checked the linkage and then it fell out and is now fine...
I dunno, any of you guys have some ideas or heard of something like this?
RE: steering locked up... - Greazzer - 12-14-2012
If you blasted it with water, you either removed whatever that was binding it OR there was some weirdo snag which caused the lock up and the water cooled whatever which caused the snag to go away. If it was mechanical in nature, it is gone. If it was thermal in nature, the temp did. However, I have zero idea about the thermal concept.
RE: steering locked up... - sassparilla_kid - 12-14-2012
I think it was the belt being wet, sometimes when it rains mine does that, and it doesn't always squeal
RE: steering locked up... - SurfRodder - 12-15-2012
see if it was just a loss of power it wouldnt have tripped me out...but the locked up deal took me by surprise... anyway, seems to be fine now so im not gonna worry about it... thanks for the replies!
RE: steering locked up... - Druk - 12-15-2012
Are you certain that when the lock was removed the actual lock pin was taken out? It's spring loaded to the 'off' position but it's as well you check it. Imagine that happening when you're doing 100mph.
RE: steering locked up... - Simpler=Better - 12-15-2012
(12-15-2012, 02:58 PM)Druk Are you certain that when the lock was removed the actual lock pin was taken out? It's spring loaded to the 'off' position but it's as well you check it. Imagine that happening when you're doing 100mph.
Check that first^^
Was it impossible or disabled? Locked would be something dislodging inside the steering box and jamming the mechanism.
Hard(aka no PS) could be an internally collapsed PS line.
RE: steering locked up... - SurfRodder - 12-15-2012
pin definitely removed...did that myself after having to replace the lock cylinder a few months after buying the car...that was about 5 or 6 years ago...plus it was way sturdier of a lock than that pin ever felt like
it was totally locked, not like it would be w/ no power steering...
I can only figure that I knocked something into the little u-joint deal on the linkage and then after a little jiggling it fell out again... i dunno tho, i looked pretty thoroughly when I first popped the hood when it happened...maybe ill go check the parking lot tomorrow and see if there is anything i recognize out there...
RE: steering locked up... - Simpler=Better - 12-15-2012
Try to recreate it-jam something in the u joint.
I'm afraid something is loose inside the steering box. I can't think of any other reason to cause a hard lockup