Motorhome Power Steering Troubleshooting

Power Steering Issues & Possible Causes

as printed in your Country Coach User's Guide 

The hydraulic system components used to assist in power steering consist of the hydraulic pump and connecting hoses. Hydraulic fluid provided by the pump is controlled by valves in the steering gear enabling left/right turns. The recirculating ball type steering gear provides ease of handling by transmitting forces from the worm shaft to the pitman arm shaft via ball bearings. Potential issues followed by possible causes follow.

Road Wander

Tire pressure incorrect or unequal left to right

Front end out of alignment

Components in steering linkage loose or worn

Wheel bearings improperly adjusted or worn

Steering gear mounting bolts loose on mount

No Recover

Tire pressure low

Front end alignment incorrect

Tight front axle king pins

Steering Column binding

Pump flow insufficient

Shimmy

Badly worn or unevenly worn tires

Improperly mounted tire or wheel

Wheel bearings improperly adjusted or worn

Components in steering linkage loose or worn

Wheels or brake drums out of balance

Front end alignment incorrect

Air in hydraulic system

Road wheel assembly run-out excessive

Over Steering

Front end components binding or loose

Steering column binding

U-joint wrong or non-lubricated

High Steering Effort in One Direction

Low tire pressure

Vehicle overloaded

Low hydraulic fluid level

Low pressure or flow from pump

Steering system components binding

Restriction in return line

Lost Motion at the Steering Wheel

Steering wheel loose in shaft

Steering gear loose on frame

Pitman arm loose on output shaft

Components in steering linkage loose or worn

Excessive Heat

Excessive pump flow (pump flow=3.0 to 5.0 gpm)

Vehicle overload

Undersized replacement hose or line

Restricted hose or line

Steering Effort Varies

Low pump flow

For more info, consult your Country Coach User’s Guide which came with every Motorhome built before 2010 by the former Country Coach, LLC.