Power Steering Leak 97 Patriot

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Parked at camp ground and dumped power steering fluid on ground below the steering box. Looks like a seal from the shaft to the steering arm. Fixing tips please.  
Plan on filling tank and driving 100 miles home.

[Gerald Farris]

Replacing the pitman shaft seal is a fairly easy job if you are familiar with steering gear repairs. It should take a good mechanic about one hour.

Remove the pitman arm (puller may be required), remove seal retainer, and remove old seal. The old seal can usually be removed with the hydraulic pressure of the system by turning the steering wheel in the direction to pressurize the seal. Install the new seals, washers, and retainer (seal driver may be required). Reinstall the pitman arm in the exact same location on the shaft and refill the fluid level.

If you have to buy the puller and driver, or if you have no experience with steering repairs it would probably be best to have the leak professionally repaired.

Gerald

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Turned out to be leaking from the top of the steering box (hose or fitting). Since the leak was a steady stream we ended up leaving it at Lazy Days (were in Rally Park) next door and thay are to fix.  

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Got the bad news today it is the pitman arm and Lazy Days states it will have to be rebuild for over $1000 plus three hours labor for removal and reinstall. Any opinions?

Update: Have a friend who has a fleet of class 8 (semi) trucks and he stated that is the going rate.

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Was able to have the steering gear box rebuilt in Tampa. Lazy Days Service charged 3 hours to remove and replace . Lazy Days current labor rate is $120 per hour and the rebuild was a bit over $1000 which was done by a third party vender.  I feel they did a good job overall.

[Richard And Babs Ames]

After picking the coach up found it was steering box not "set up" properly and I can not make a hard right turn. The steering cut not nearly what the later model coachs have so I posted on RV net and got the following. Any additional comments would be of help. Lazy Days is supposed to correct next week.


"Your first guess about the pitman being a spline off could be the cause. Also, on a new or rebuilt
hydraulic steering gear box, the poppets have to be reset to allow the box to turn lock to lock.
The procedure is different for different manufacturers like TRW and Shephard.

Message from a fellow CAT RV Club member.

"Some steering box max cut angles are adjustable easily (I know my
Sheppard M100 is) others are not.

And certainly, if they installed the arm one spline off, you will have poor cut
angles in one direction and perhaps the torque to bend parts the other
direction."

[Joel Ashley]

Until adjusted, I'd definitely be very easy making hard left turns in case it is a spline placement situation.