stiff steering 2003 v70

[nickgv70]

hello all,
The steering in my v70 began to gradually stiffen up. First it was just when the car was cold, then it seemed to soften up as the motor warmed up. Now it's beginning to be noticeably hard to turn both left and right regardless of motor temperature.

I was recommended to replace the fluid in the reservoir, so i did this by undoing the hose at the pump, removing about 2/3rds of a quart (liter). I reclamped hose to pump and filled reservoir with synthetic ATF. This did not help.

Having a history with mostly american and japanese vehicles i assumed it was the power steering pump until i started researching online. Then i started to think it could be the rack, or U-joint. Does my car have a U-joint? The steering does seem to be harder at quarter turns, or in intervals, as described by people with U-joint problems.

Does anyone have any insight? All input would be appreciated.

thank you for your time

[jda2000]

what fluid did you use?.

These cars use pentosin 202 power steering fluid, wrong fluid will make your problem worst.

[volvodoc]

if stg gets stiff every 9o degrees the stg knuckel is starting to fail try to lube with wd40 this may help i use wurth hhs2000 to lube if nought it is posiable valving problem in the rack however this is rare lube the knuckel and let me know

[nickgv70]

JDA2000 hey i used a dex/merc ATF-it was the one reccomended by the guy at the parts store- hopefully didnt f up too big on that, if so let me know and i'll do a flush

volvo doc- i used some PB blaster to lube that knuckle you were talking about, it eased up the steering significantly. thanks for the tip.

It seems the problem still remains slightly- it is still harder at the intervals and turning the wheel from straight. not nearly as bad though. do u think that i will eventually need a lower steering shaft? i guess my question is, what is the root of the problem, in case in recurs.

thanks!! i really appreciate it!

[2002V70]

I had the same problem on my '02. Removed the steering rack almost all the way out. Last thing to disconnect was the steering knuckle. The thing was nearly seized up! Re-installed the steering rack and installed a good used knucle. Works like a charm now! Oh, yeah, REMOVE that Dextron from the resevoir, flush and replace it with the proper Pentosin fluid. Napa caries it for around $20.00 a liter. You need one can for a flush.

[EstVolvo]

How can you lube the steering knuckle?
Are there many separate things with the same name?

[oragex]

With this car, there is a particular problem easy to fix. Right under the pedals, the steering column shaft goes through the floor. There is a large double rubber boot that protects from dirt and exhaust smoke to come inside the car. It is important that this boot to be in place properly installed and sealed, or you will get exhaust gases inside the vehicle and it can be dangerous.
The steering shaft slides on this boot with the help of a metallic bearing. The bearing is inserted into the boot. This bearing starts to rust and renders the steering significantly stiffer, and lacking the typical Volvo feeling and also with little return to the center.
To take the boot out, remove the black 13mm nut and bolt from the steering shaft just on top of the rubber boot. All it takes is to take the bearing off (it's inside the boot) clean it with some rust removal, grease it with a light grease (I used the silicone grease for brakes), clean any rust on the steering shaft and grease it as well to prevent future rusting. I also used 2ft of black electric tape ruled around the bearing before reinserting into the boot to prevent it from turning inside the boot because it makes an annoying noise if it does. Remember to properly seat the boot on the floor and seal it with the large spring. It's important that the rubber properly seals around it's seat, it's a safety matter, exhaust gases are very dangerous and it will get inside the cabin if the boot it's not properly seated - I didn't know why it was smelling until I checked the boot again.

Also, while the boot is out, check the steering knuckle right under the boot, check for completely free movement, or spray with rust remover and lubricate.

[covert24]

Just wanted to second the notion to take that atf out of there immediately and put some chf202 in there STAT! It was a typo in the user manuals that came with a bunch of cars. Also, don't ever listen to the parts store employees. Unless you want to buy a new rack from the same store.

Hopefully not too much time has passed with that atf in it and that a complete flush with the right fluid will aid in your steering.

On a side note, my steering is only stiff when I am making quick turns. Its almost like the pump just stops pumping when I "track it" in a parking lot or something. Other than that, its smooth as silk

[oragex]

How can you lube the steering knuckle?
Are there many separate things with the same name?

Look under the dash, remove the plastic cover, then remove the 14mm bolt and disconnect the steering shaft. Remove retaining spring and slide up the black boot. There's a bearing inside the boot, replace it if it's rusted, it affects the steering 'feeling'. You can now reach the lower steering knuckle, the one that usually seize. I used Lubricating Liquid Wrench (green bottle) to spray the knuckle while twisting all sides. It's tough to replace, better try to fix it. It should move really easily at the end. If there's an annoying noise when you put everything in place, it's the bearing inside the rubber that's rubbing against the rubber (nice sentence), try to fix it in place with some electrical tape.

Get a good back massage once you're done