Jerky Power Stearing...

[platoribs]

...and weird anti-lock activation while stopping while turning.

1993 MTX 170,000 miles.

Does this indicate a failing: PS pump, fluid, rack, or all the above?

 

[bubba]

Could be your vaps. It could be body bolts to. My moms slo back in the day had the body bolt's rust out?

Does it lock in mid turn? It sounds like your rack is going out?

 

[platoribs]

What I meant was during turning and braking, like when pulling into a parking place and braking to stop, I can feel the anti-lock brake activate.

Re: Body bolts, the car is not rusted out by any means, fairly rust free car.

Where are these body bolts and what do they have to do with the steering rack?

 

[bubba]

The body bolt's hold the body and uniframe in line. And if there broken they could lock the wheel. Ie jerking. But it doesn't sound like that is the problem.

It sound's like you abs.

 

[bubba]

The body bolt's hold the body and uniframe in line. And if there broken they could lock the wheel. Ie jerking. But it doesn't sound like that is the problem.

The bolt's rusted out and broke. It was a recall at one point

It sound's like you abs.

 

[Siren]

platoribs: My old 93 ATX had a similar issue - power steering would ****/pulse through turns. I assumed this was a VAPS issue. I ended up flushing out the power steering fluid, and this helped issues. I drove the car for about 25,000 miles like it, without the situation getting worse. I just did preventative fluid flushes of the power steering every 5k miles.

Regarding the ABS: That ended up failing on my 93 about a month after the power steering issue asserted itself. Usually my ABS would freak out and activate when on the brakes at low speed. If I let off them and got back on, it was usually OK. Usually I also got an ABS light (which cleared itself from time to time) until it went on and stayed on. I had the codes pulled from the ABS computer, which indicated an overpressure on the right front caliper. At that point, I said "screw it" and just disabled the system...

I think your issues are probably unrelated.

 

[platoribs]

Siren,
Thanks very much for your response. Having suspected ABS, PS Pump, Rack, and/or Fluid... and having no feedback I had elected to leave it be until such a time as something failed outright (hopefully without my crashing into something while the ABS pushes my foot off the brakes).

You've given me a few interim systems to check. Regarding changing out PS fluid. I'm ok with doing that but how does the power steering system interact with the ABS to cause the ABS to activate? Just curious.

And how does one "disable the ABS without extensive brake component removal/replacement/bypass? If it's simply disconnecting something how does one go about it.

Your help (and others) is much appreciated. Obviously I'm not an accomplished SHO wrench, but I have crawled around/underneath a SHO on occasion and I do have a BFH for component removal.

Thanks,
Plat0:sun:

 

[Siren]

And how does one "disable the ABS without extensive brake component removal/replacement/bypass? If it's simply disconnecting something how does one go about it.

Regarding disabling the ABS - if you're willing to put up with an ABS light - you need to find the ABS pump under your hood - and then just pull one of the sensor connections. That will disable the system and trigger the ABS light. I won't be able to get you pics until later...

Bear in mind, if there is an underlying issue with the ABS system - like a valve body that's stuck, the issue will still be there. The 'overpressure' code on my car was very real, and under certain circumstances, if I stabbed the brakes at speed, the car would pull to the right.

I don't really think the ABS problem and the power steering problem are related - they just happened to coexist at the same time...