[D-LO BROWN]

The issue I'm having is kind of hard to explain. Say for instance I'm driving on the highway and when I slightly turn the wheel, either left or right to change lanes, my steering wheel jerks to that side. It's not bump steer, because this happens on the smoothest of roads, and only happens when I slightly turn the steering wheel left or right to change lanes. My inner and outer tie rods are Moog, and less than a year old. My Idler arm is ac delco and less than a month old. Could the steering box be causing this?

 

[808SS]

could be the pump to, did you try changing the fluid

 

[D-LO BROWN]

How easy or hard is it to change the fluid? Is there an easy way to diagnose if it's the pump or the steering gear?

It seems like the steering is slipping. As you turn the wheel or hold it in a turned position, it feels like its slipping slightly back and forth.

 

[rematar]

I haven't looked into it much, but I have the same symptoms as yours, mainly when the engine temperature gauge is above 1/3 on the highway.
Some Roadmasters have variable assist steering (N97) which gives more assist at low speeds. I was told this was a symptom of the variable assist valve (back of pump) failing.

 

[96 Black]

It's quite common, but only thought it was for Fleetwoods. It's referred to as 'cloverleaf jerkover'. Best of anyone's accounting the var. assist can't compute small demands and has a heart attack for a split sec. Unplugging the electrical plug something something either on the worm gear or near the firewall puts everything in fulltime fullpower assist and you never have the problem.

Since it's never evident anywhere but interstate speeds I just expect it on all changes of direction and it's just say meh.

 

[D-LO BROWN]

It has variable effort steering (NV7), and a steering dampener. The steering is really loose, and I hate it. I need to figure out what is causing the steering to slip like that. Imagine going to change lanes and as soon as you turn the wheel, it jerks violently in that direction. Not safe at all.

 

[D-LO BROWN]

It's quite common, but only thought it was for Fleetwoods. It's referred to as 'cloverleaf jerkover'. Best of anyone's accounting the var. assist can't compute small demands and has a heart attack for a split sec. Unplugging the electrical plug something something either on the worm gear or near the firewall puts everything in fulltime fullpower assist and you never have the problem.

Since it's never evident anywhere but interstate speeds I just expect it on all changes of direction and it's just say meh.

So should I just unplug the something, something or get a new steering gear without variable effort/assist?

 

[rematar]

I think it is the valve failing so it changes to easy assist, even though you are at highway speed.
Like 96 Black, I got used to mine (fairly quickly on a long trip) and don't notice much anymore, but I do want to fix or stop it.

 

[rematar]

So should I just unplug the something, something or get a new steering gear without variable effort/assist?

Fred mentioned removing a valve on the back of the pump, but I would rather replace it if it is cheap enough. I dig grandpa options , they have everything figured out. I just haven't moved to stretchy waistband pants - yet...

 

[D-LO BROWN]

I think it is the valve failing so it changes to easy assist, even though you are at highway speed.
Like 96 Black, I got used to mine (fairly quickly on a long trip) and don't notice much anymore, but I do want to fix or stop it.

Fred mentioned removing a valve on the back of the pump, but I would rather replace it if it is cheap enough. I dig grandpa options , they have everything figured out. I just haven't moved to stretchy waistband pants - yet...

This is something I can't get use too, it's annoying and unsafe. I don't like the feeling of not having control of my car at all times, split second or not. So changing the box won't work, because it's the valve on the PS pump that's failing, not the box itself?

 

[rematar]

Mine may be failing differently, I don't feel it on lane changes, just curves, but it doesn't cause me to move in my lane.
I shuffled out to the garage in my jammies to get my FSM (cuz I wanna know too) and there is a valve assembly in the back of the pump which is bigger for the variable assist. It appears to have an electrical connector, so unplugging it may fix it as 96 Black mentioned (probably what Fred told me, but I mixed it up).
I hope to replace that valve, I assume it has worked for the last 15 years and it is the type of comfort a roadmaster was engineered for. cwm1

 

[96 Black]

I recall attention given to that valve and my vague takeaway was messing with it did not change the condition. Believe me, if simply throwing a little money at it and swapping out a little valve could have eradicated the issue then I would have entertained it seriously. Unless of course said valve had been found to cost $300. cwm1

For the issue to be the same malady as what I'm describing it can only be 1. at hiway speeds and 2. only during steady-state gradual curves like turnoffs. The issue is certainly unnerving when it occurs, but it's only every few months for me. Anything different in the symptoms and it may be a bonafide steering, susp. or pump failure problem. I had a hogged out spindle bj hole once that repositioned itself on steep turns that took a while to trace down. And, of course a bad UCA bushing can cause a jerk problem. Those would usually come with a clunk noise though.

I honestly did not notice much difference in effort supposedly going to fulltime boost when I had one of those connectors unplugged (recall it was at the firewall). But then again if memory serves the FWB has a very 'unquick' box ratio to start with.

I will say one thing - official amateur studies in the FWB section showed thorough ps fluid flush decreased the incidence of this problem - a little.

 

[D-LO BROWN]

I just thought about something. My steering was hella loose before this problem started, I little to no resistance in my steering. But now, since this "ghost grab" non-sense started, my steering feels a bit tighter. Was something not working before, that's kicking in and working now?

Also, I've noticed that sometimes I get more resistance when turning the wheel left, as opposed to the right. Does anyone have a picture of this connector that needs to be unplugged? I need to either eliminate or fix this asap.

 

[D-LO BROWN]

Better yet, will replacing my variable effort steering gear with a gear with non-variable effort steering eliminate the problem altogether?

 

[rematar]

I hope someone with more knowledge will chirp in, but I don't think the gear has anything to do with it. I assume variable assist would come from the pump.

 

[D-LO BROWN]

Oh. I thought that if I installed a gear that doesn't support VES, that it would cancel itself out somehow.

Do our car have a steering wheel position sensor? Doing some research I've found that this was a common problem, especially in mid to late 90's Tahoes and Suburbans, and in most cases changing the steering wheel position sensor cured the problem.

 

[Fred Kiehl]

Have you checked for liquids periodically dripping on the belt?

 

[D-LO BROWN]

Checked and there was no fluid on the belt. I know what that feels like, but this is a completely different feeling. Only happens at moderate to high speeds when turning and holding the wheel either left or right to turn a curve or change lanes.

 

[HUF]

I just thought about something. My steering was hella loose before this problem started, I little to no resistance in my steering. But now, since this "ghost grab" non-sense started, my steering feels a bit tighter. Was something not working before, that's kicking in and working now?

Also, I've noticed that sometimes I get more resistance when turning the wheel left, as opposed to the right. Does anyone have a picture of this connector that needs to be unplugged? I need to either eliminate or fix this asap.

When I just drove my Fleetwood out of the dealer parking lot, the steering scared me. It was too lose. Changing lanes was kind of stressful as well. I ran onboard diagnostics and got 128 which is VES related. Never fixed the problem, just got used to it. Rarely I will have limited effort steering at low speeds.

By the way, any malfunction of VES will turn the system to full effort assist. so disconnecting anything is not going to help in your case either.

 

[D-LO BROWN]

So is there anything I can do besides just getting used to it lol? I can't deal with having stiff steering one day, loose the next. Not to mention feeling like my car is sliding on ice every time I go to take a curve or change lanes. There has to be a solution.