What do i do

[ford4life31]

I have a 91 ford explorer and i am lost as to what is happenin. i was goin to my cousins house last when i noticed my steerin all of a sudden became hard to steer. i pulled into the gas station and bought some powersteerin fluid but found out that i didnt need it. i put a lil bit into it anyways and after i did that it was a lot better but as i got a mile from her house it became hard again. I checked it again and it was where i filled it to the first time so i drove home anyways. While i was on the highway there still a lil hard time turnin to the left but goin to the right was not a problem at all. as i got home and in the daylight hours i saw that there was fluid around the hoses but the resorvior was still full. now what do i look for now.

 

[Baddecision93]

Do you have auto or manual 4x4 hubs?

Have you engaged 4 wheel drive lately?

Sounds to me like you might have a hub that isn't disengaging properly.

 

[ford4life31]

no mine dont have hubs to lock in, it has the automatic push button. will have to ask what it is that i have to replace on that cause when i lock it in four wheel drive only the back is doin all the pullin and nothin on the front end of it. my brother noticed that all that was spinning was the back tires. he asked me if i had it in four wheel drive, i told him yes and told me then it was out cause my front ones werent doin any of the pullin up the drive way back when missouri go all that snow in later jan/ early feb. so with that said what is it that went out on me. i still have the rear but not the front when i put it in four wheel drive
it was the power steerin pump that just stopped workin altogether. never heard of that happin but it did and when i replaced it, it didnt take much to turn the wheel like its suppose to.

 

[Baddecision93]

Well things wear out so it's not terribly surprising that your steering pump crapped out.

In regards to your hubs, the auto hubs tend to die. Do a search and there's lots of info on switching from auto to manual hubs.