The Power Steering Pump Kit and You

Almost all vehicles manufactured recently have power steering which greatly reduces the amount of power which is required to steer the vehicle. The power steering has a hydraulic pump which is either belt driven or electrically driven depending on the design of vehicle. Over a period of time, the power steering may malfunction, due to a number of reasons like wear and tear, damage to components. In this case, using the vehicle is risky, since it cannot be controlled properly. Hence it is recommended that the vehicle owner purchases a Power Steering Pump Kit to repair the malfunctioning pump at the earliest.

Why a Pump Kit is Preferred to Pump

There are many advantages of using a power steering pump kit instead of purchasing a new hydraulic pump for the vehicle. The kit is typically cheaper than a new pump and is recommended when the damage to the power steering is less. Most vehicle drivers will get their power steering repaired, immediately after they detect the problem, since ignoring the problem could increase the risk of accidents. Hence often only minor repairs like replacing a missing or damaged part are adequate for solving the problems of the steering pump.

Components of the Kit

The power steering pump kit will usually contain all the components which are used in the hydraulic pump. The rotor is the main part of the pump kit and there are other components like hoses, gaskets, vanes. However in most cases, only the smaller components like gaskets, bearings, seals and washers are damaged or missing, leading to problems of the power steering like noise, fluid leakage and difficulty steering the vehicle. Gaskets and seals may get damaged due to wear and tear. These are inexpensive components and can be easily replaced to make the hydraulic pump function properly.

Choosing the Right Power Steering Pump Kit

Vehicle manufacturers are using different designs for the pump used for power steering, hence it is important to ensure that the right power steering pump kit is selected. The manufacturers will change the pump design even for the same model of the vehicle after a few years. Most of the cars are having a vane type steering kit, with vanes attached to the rotor. Large vehicles like trucks and SUVs have a roller type pumps, with balls or rollers attached to the rotor. Some vehicles have a slipper type pump for steering, with slippers and springs being used to create internal pressure.

They can be Used for Multiple Repairs

One of the main advantages of purchasing a power steering pump kit is that it can be used for repairing the same vehicle repeatedly, or a number of vehicles of the same model number. The power steering of a vehicle can malfunction repeatedly, and the component like seal which is causing the malfunctioning is likely to be different each time. Each time the steering pump has to be repaired, a different part of the kit will have to be used. For garages and those who own a fleet of vehicles, the same kit can be used for repairs to a large number of vehicles inexpensively.

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