| Symptom |
Potential cause |
Solution |
Oil leaking from gear box
output shaft |
Damaged shaft seal. |
Replace seal and shaft if
necessary. |
Fluid leaking out of
reservoir or foaming |
Clogged oil filter |
Change fluid and filter |
| Air in system |
Bleed system. Inspect
suction side of supply
pump for air leak |
| Poppetts of steering gear
not adjusted properly
causing high temperatures |
Adjust poppetts |
| Pump cavitating |
Inspect pump supply line
for restriction |
| Fluid overheating |
Inspect steering gear return
line for restriction |
Hard turning in one or
both directions |
Bind in steering column |
Inspect column drag |
| Dirt or debris trapped in
piston relief |
Inspect piston relief |
| Bent or damaged king pins
and tie rods |
Repair or replace king pins
and tie rods |
| Front end load too great |
Lighten load |
| Low fluid level in steering
system |
Fill reservoir as needed |
| Air in system |
Bleed system and inspect
for cause |
| Steering radius restricted |
Poppetts not adjusted
properly |
Adjust poppetts |
| Hard steering |
Defective supply pump |
Inspect pump flow |
| Steering out of alignment |
Align front end |
| Fluid overheating |
Find and correct
overheating cause |
High operating
temperature |
Fluid flow restriction |
Inspect back pressure |
| |
Check maximum oil flow |
Road wander/over
steering |
Oil flow too high |
Pump not to specifications |
| Air trapped in gear |
Bleed system |
Looseness worn front end
parts |
Inspect and repair as
required |
Front end alignment not
correct |
Align front end |
| Overloaded |
Reduce loads |
| Rear axle not parallel |
Inspect and repair as
needed |
| Tight tie rod ends and drag
link sockets |
Inspect rotational torque
and replace as needed |