Replacing the power steering hose on your Dodge Dakota should be done as soon as you see any damage, leaking or weak spots in the hose. There are two hoses on your Dakota that carry fluid to the steering rack from the pump and reservoir. One hose is a high-pressure hose and the other is a low-pressure return hose. Both are critical to the steering's operation and both can be changed with a few hand tools.
Locate the power steering hoses on the front driver's side of your Dakota. The hoses run from the power steering pump to the steering rack below the engine.
Position an oil drain pan under the truck to catch any fluid that seeps out of the system when you remove the hoses. Locate the damaged hose and determine if it is a high-pressure or low-pressure hose. The high-pressure hose will have fittings on both ends and the low-pressure hose will have a fitting on one end with an open or bare end on the other. Select a flare nut wrench to fit the nut on the hose at the one end.
Remove the nut by turning the wrench counterclockwise until it is loose. Move to the opposite end of the hose and remove the nut there as well. If you are working on a low-pressure hose, the end at the steering pump may have a hose clamp and the hose will just slide onto a fitting on the pump. If this is the case, remove the clamp with a screwdriver and slide the hose off the pump.
Install the new hose, routing it the same way the original hose was, and insert the nut into the fitting on the steering rack. Tighten the nut with a flare nut wrench. Attach the nut at the pump end and tighten with a flare nut wrench. If this hose is the low-pressure or fluid return from the steering rack to the pump, you will just need to slide the pump end of the hose on to the fitting and install a hose clamp. Tighten the clamp with a screwdriver.
Add power steering fluid to the reservoir to bring the level to full. Start the truck and cycle the steering to remove the air from the system. Check the fluid level in the reservoir during this step and add fluid as needed to keep it full. Continue cycling the steering until it operates normally and does not make any noise.
