Ford: Ford Windstar Steering Column, 1999 ford windstar, ford windstar

Question
Hello Ragu,

I have a 1999 Ford Windstar.  About a month or so ago a large puddle of steering fluid appeared on the driveway.

I took it to a local repair shop (not a Ford dealer) and the guy replaced the steering column.  He said it was cracked and it was rather typical of Ford's to do this.  He replaced whatever needed to be replaced (I'm not really that mechanically inclined) to the tune of about $600.  I believe he installed a new steering column.

Post-repair the leak is no longer a problem but now whenever I'm turning; around the middle of the turn radius I notice a kind of grinding or sticking in the steering.  It's particularly annoying when I'm on the highway and have to make small steering inputs to stay in lane.  The steering sticks just a bit and it causes me to apply additional pressure and when it finally gives way I abruptly veer a bit in the lane, sometimes scaring my occupants and nearby drivers.

The work was under warranty and I have since taken it back to that shop and the guy said it might have something to do with the machining of some aftermarket part not being perfect.  So, he replaced the part again.  This time he said he'd take it to a friends shop with some more advanced equipment to do the work.  Unfortunately, even though the part was re-replaced, the sticky steering problem is still there although not quite as pronounced this time.

Any ideas on what I might be able to tell the guy to look for?  He seems to be stumped at this point, but he is willing to continue working at it and honor his warranty if the problem persists (he's a pretty good guy actually).  For now, he's suggested we just drive it a bit and see if it goes away.

Any thoughts?

-Aaron  

Answer
the problem is probably not in the columm it sounds like the rack is going bad or has an internal leak . How many miles does ths vehicle have?what i would have the shop do is a p/s pressure test. hopefuly they know what that is.just ask them and let me know what the readings are.