Cause for power steering pumps to fail? 2nd pump in 6months. Bought the vu SS ute less than a year ago.

[Hannan Horsfield]

Was told that front Castor bushes need replacing before wheel alignment could be done. Waiting for these parts ATM. When I jack front end up, one wheel hangs on a very different camber to the other. And one wheel is majorly chopped out on inside edge but more so on the edge more than the flat tread side?? Could there be a bent part of suspension that I can't see myself? Replacing lower control arms and tie rod ends and radius strut rod bushes trying to eliminate simple things. Must be a reason power steering pumps just don't last more than 3 to 4 months.

 

[greenacc]

Dodgy pump supplier.
Changing the front bushes makes a huge difference!

 

[vc commodore]

2 different problems...One as mentioned change pump suppliers.

2 The wheel hang doesn't mean anything....Yes change the front bushes and get a alignment......The inner edge being worn out could be either the toe and/or camber...Without looking at the alignment current settings, I can't say...IMA those caster don't effect camber...They effect caster and toe

 

[losh1971]

Are you buying genuine pump or aftermarket?

 

[Fu Manchu]

Maybe have a go at overhauling it yourself. It’s a simple cheap kit and the pumps are fairly easy to remove.
I’d prefer to buy one, but if you aren’t getting a win, maybe redoing it yourself and spending the least amount to do it is an option?

There’s a thread here somewhere on how to do it.

 

[BlackVXGTS]

Did you flush all your PS fluid before you replaced the new pump?

 

[Pollushon]

Is there a cooler in place? Seems to be everything on these front ends. I removed mine to fit an intercooler with a view to replacing it within a couple months. Too late it seems, within weeks the fluid is already manky and the pump is cooked. My front end is mint and tyre setup mostly stock. The pump has been on for 5 (ish) years

 

[gossie]

If they get held on full lock it knocks them about.

 

[Skylarking]

Problem with hydraulic systems is that when something shares itself metal particles get into the oil and any new part gets a hammering and may fail soon after being replaced.

This can occur with power steering systems and auto gearboxes when the old fluid is not fully flushed before the new part is replaced. Often forgotten is flushing lines and coolers before connecting them up to the newly repaired/replaced auto transmissions

PS: power steering systems can and do overheat their oil. This can especially be the case when doing skids/donuts as going full lock puts lots of strain on the system and it generates lots of heat as the oil. Heat breaks down oil and broken oil breaks other things. A small cooler can help dissipate the heat…

 

[Immortality]

A bad wheel alignment will put more load on the steering system as do bigger/wider wheels and more aggressive offsets. A pinched or damaged line on the high pressure side impeding flow would also load up the pump more.

Some great suggests above. Clean and flush the whole system and making sure the factory cooler is plumbed into the circuit.