I starting driving the Forester this morning and noticed the steering felt a little hard in a turn. Then it didn’t feel as hard. I turned around to go back home and the steering was hard for a couple seconds then it felt normal for a couple seconds then hard again- all in the same turn.

It had power steering fluid and the drive belt is fine. The car steered fine on my 115 mile round trip commute yesterday and every since I bought it too months ago, so it was a pretty sudden thing.

So does it sound like the power steering pump is on its way out? Maybe something with the rack?

The vehicle has 224K miles and I’m thinking most of the steering components are original.

 

 

Edited December 8, 20187 yr by Stevo F

Check the u-joint assembly between the column and the rack. Ideally remove it and check for loss of motion in one axis. 

GD

You may be right. When I got home, I raised the front wheels of the ground and turned the steering wheel from side with engine off and I felt the stiffness. You feel it every 180 degrees of turning the steering wheel.

How hard is the U- joint to remove? It looks like a single bolt holds it on both the steering column and on the input shaft of the rack.

Yep. Easy. Two bolts, slide it up and pull it out. Jus get a new one from Subaru. They fail - its not uncommon. 

GD

I freed it up pretty well with some PB Blaster, followed by spraying it with lithium grease, then squirted some oil on it. I workes pretty freely for now, but I'll plan omn ordered a new U-jpoint in the near future. Looks like about $115 which isn't too bad of a repair.

In my experience, freeing them up like that will only last a few days then they go back to seized. I've tried that a couple times. Get it on order.

GD