Steering issue

[cdover73]

I noticed today that when I turn my tires all the way to the left and then start back to the right, about 1/4 way just before straight, there is a stumble and an audible sound. You can feel it in the steering wheel and hear the pump 'cavitate' a little. This is with the car sitting still but running. The best I can explain it is imagine if there was an air bubble in the steering fluid line and it caused the pump to stumble at the same spot each time.

Has anyone else experinced this? Mechanical linkage? Something with the PS pump? Normal? I don't see any leaks anywhere and the fluid is new and full. I haven't driven it enough to see if it does it when it gets hot.

Thanks,

 

[Steve-Indy]

Have you changed the fluid yet? If so, what was the color of the discarded fluid? Did you replace the fluid with "Power Steering+4"...red??
Has your Viper has the cooling module recall performed?

 

[Dave1968]

Any air in the ps system is flushed away just about instantly after you do a lock to lock . I would have someone watching underneith as you do your test. Sounds like something binding or a bad spot in the movement of the linkage or wheel assembly. Does it do it if you move forward or back while doing your test? Cranking your wheel like that while stationary with those big tires puts a lot a strain on everything. Pay particular attention to the linkage etc at the exact time the ps pump grunts - that will be your bad spot.

 

[NMviperguy]

I've noticed this on my viper recently as well. Mine seems more like a mount or something on the suspension, not something to do with the PS necessarily. I will report back when I get a chance to get under her.

 

[cdover73]

I agree it could be with the linkage/mechanical components. My original explanation was just trying to describe what I was hearing. I will get it on a rack soon and check it out. I have found out it doesn't do it all the time. The day I found it it did it every time I turned the wheel. However, since then it only does it sporadically. Hopefully it is something easy to find and fix. I just drove it almost 500 miles this past weekend and only noticed it happen once.