steering wheel lock up?

[Tanner]

Alright so as of two days ago my steering wheel started locking up like its in steering lock without the key in it. It only happens when making a sharp right hand turn any ideas?

 

[gogmorgo]

Sounds like your power steering's on the way out. Probably the pump. Does it happen more often when you're on the brakes or at low rpm? You could just be low on power steering fluid as well.

[Tanner]

yeah it is more frequent on slow cornering,

I will check the fluid level in a couple of hours at lunch but it sounds like thats where I will start

[Tanner]

Alright fluid level is good, I visually inspected the telescoping column to see if maybe it was catching on something, no such luck.

Is it possible something is up internally with the inside section of the column?

 

I had seen a post about some bolts that loosen up over time inside the column, not sure if that could be applicable information or not.

[gogmorgo]

There's a chance something could have come loose, but if it's at low rpm when this happens, that really does point to a power-steering problem. How does it behave when it "locks"? Does it feel like you're running into something (as in the steering wheel stops when you hit a certain point and won't go past it easily but will turn backwards), or can you push through the lock, it's just extremely difficult, as though you were trying to turn the wheel with the engine off? 

[Tanner]

No when turning at lower speeds when I cut the wheel to the right I experience no resistance whatsoever. When I attempt to return the wheel to straight it locks and I cannot push past it until I stop the truck turn a bit more to the right and then return left. 

Almost as if it were catching on something.

yeah just like if you attempted to turn the wheel with key off engine off, when it locks so that you cannot turn the wheel in either direction without the key.

[Eagle]

Except that when the wheel physically locks, you have to either flip a lever (manual tranny) or shift out of Park to unlock it.

 

How new and how tight is your serpentine belt? The symptoms you describe still sound like a power steeling box or pump issue to me.

[Tanner]

The belt is 8 months old, the tension was correct but I haven't checked it recently. I have felt no need to.

You think even though its a hard lock that its a pump problem? The box seems like a more likely culprit to me.