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Extremely Tough steering and Poor Braking, advice appreciated!

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playerjr03

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SB, CA
Hey Guys I am new to the site and new to CUCV's, I picked up this M1008 in California a couple months back and have slowly been fixing minor issues.
We made a trip to the dunes a couple weeks back and I ended up dropping into a huge whole in a water crossing which bent one of my rims so the truck was towed back home.

I got the rim issue solved and went to drive the truck and now the steering is so hard that I cannot turn it unless I am moving at more than a couple miles an hour. It was never this hard to steer. On top of that the front reservoir in the master cylinder ofr the rear brakes was empty and I believe the fluid was dripping down the firewall because I did notice fluid dripping however I could not find any damage when I followed the lines back.
What I did was fill the Master Cylinder back up in hopes to find the leak, took it for a drive and the fluid level did not change and could not locate the leak :?

So as I am driving I realize I cannot get the brakes to lockup at all, the pedal is softer than usual and when fully depressed the truck slowly comes to a stop rather than stopping quickly as usual. This is the most dangerous part and makes me not want to drive the truck around in fear of needing to make a sudden stop!

Keep in mind that the steering has become horrible as well, I am confused if the Power Steering pump has gone bad, or if the Hydroboost is failing and needs to be replaced. Any input since I am not familiar with these trucks or Hydroboost would be greatly appreciated! Thanks everyone
 
chevymike

chevymike

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Could be the master cylinder has a bad seal at the piston side (which attaches to the hydroboost part) and it somehow drained back into that system. You could also have a bad rear wheel cylinder which could leak into the drum housing in the rear.

Your soft pedal is because you have air in the system at a minimum and needs to be bled. If you know you had the fluid topped up and it just didn't leak past the MC cover when bouncing around, FIND the leak before you drive it anymore. You are risking everyone.

As for the hard steering, it's likely the PS pump going/gone bad. If you hit a hole enough to bend a rim, it could have spiked the line pressure when the wheel got shocked. Problem could also be at the hydroboost and something not allowing pressure to flow correctly.

Sounds like you got some work ahead of you. Fix it before you continue driving it. My family will thank you for not killing us on the road. [thumbzup]
 
kassim503

kassim503

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I would start with bleeding all 4 brakes, starting at the farthest wheel from the master and working in x2. You should be able to lock up the tires using two feet and no brake assist whatsoever. Your brake leak is probably a drippy master cylinder, check for wrinkled peeling paint where it mounts to the hydro boost.

Not sure if you noticed or not when filling, but there are these little nipple circle things built into the rubber lid gasket of the master cylinder, was the empty compartment pulled out? That is a clear indication of a somewhat rapid leak in the system, and proof that the lid itself did not leak.

On the power steering side, check for water contamination, and have a helper see if your pulley is slipping on the belts. They could glaze up pretty good when running underwater or in muddy conditions, to the point where they wont really squeak when slipping.
 
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isaacucv

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NEPA
I would start with the easy stuff. Take the belt off the power steering pump and turn the pulley by hand. Listen for and feel for smooth operation. Try to push/pull pulley, it shouldn't do anything but spin. Try harder to find the leak. I would guess though that the problem is in the hydro assist system. Its also a good idea to check the rest of the steering and suspension parts. If you hit hard enough to bend the wheel, something else may be damaged. Gool luck.
 
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playerjr03

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SB, CA
Thanks for the responses guys, I am going to bleed the brakes and check for signs of a failed master and the PS pulley. I will let you know what I find out and see where to go from there, I do believe that the seal is good on the top of the Master and the master was replaced I believe not to long ago by the guy I bought the truck from.

The CUCV is not being driven right now, no need to worry about a runaway one and a quarter in my parts of town!
 
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