Loud Fan noise & power steering issues?

[Silverator]

I was curious if any of you have experienced this noise and (maybe) related power steering issue.

Yesterday I had to back up and then turn around on a single lane (at best) shelf road climbing Sycamore Canyon with a cliff on one side, and almost vertical rise on the other side - due to a very nasty road wash out over a 150 foot drop ravine. And we were ALMOST to the top..... There was literally no turn outs for a couple of steep miles and it was pretty sketchy. I just couldn't justify trying to get thru the washout which was steep, short and full of loose off camber loose boulders. . (I'm still waiting on my winch....)

So....I backed down the steep incline, and finally got to a spot where I thought I could get the Rubi turned around. It took a dozen + little tiny and stressful back and forth, back and forth turns, and in the middle of it all - while crosswise on this shelf road - a VERY loud fan noise came on. I was pulling hard full crank to full crank turns - back and forth to make it - and the power steering seemed virtually non-existent in the midst of it. Maybe it was the stress though, but the fan noise was definitely real.

After getting turned around and recovering mentally, I started back down and the fan went off, and the steering seemed normal again. All seems good, but I was just curious if any of you have experienced similar.

BTW, overall the Gladiator performed AWESOME. Far better than I had expected. I had Front and Rear lockers engaged and sway bars disconnected -climbing 2000+ feet over constant rocky stair steps (moabesque) and lots of rocky trail trash. (Typical AZ trails). Loving the Gladiator so far!!! But not a huge fan of narrow shelf roads. haha!!

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[Gvsukids]

VERY loud fan noise came on.

Next time check temps. It's a fan up front cooling. Happens all the time in the dunes.

 

[Silverator]

Thanks. I did check temps. They didn't seem out of line.... Also, a bit more concerned with why the steering was so difficult in those circumstances.

 

[Lunentucker]

If you were in 4WD and making the full extent turns the wheels were pulling and bucking against each other. Perfectly normal. If you had the lockers engaged then it would be even mor difficult to move while turning.

 

[Silverator]

If you were in 4WD and making the full extent turns the wheels were pulling and bucking against each other. Perfectly normal. If you had the lockers engaged then it would be even mor difficult to move while turning.

Ahhhhhh......Yes! THANKS!! That was it do doubt. I was literally inches away from a 7-800 foot drop trying to turn around and extremely stressed, and not thinking entirely clearly. I was in 4 low with front and rear diff's locked, and sway bars disconnected due to the pretty gnarly climbs we were coming up - and going full to full lock on the steering due to no real room to turn around.

So now I've learned several things. Many thanks. #1 though is to check with the forest service to see if the trails are passable. This year had a ton of snow and water erosion going on....

 

[Maximus Gladius]

I don’t think you’re describing power steering pump “quitting” but “difficult”. A power steering pump quitting is also difficult…excruciatingly difficult but I also agree with @Lunentucker it was trying to turn the lockers on solid ground as a pose to on ice.

 

[Silverator]

I don’t think you’re describing power steering pump “quitting” but “difficult”. A power steering pump quitting is also difficult…excruciatingly difficult but I also agree with @Lunentucker it was trying to turn the lockers on solid ground as a pose to on ice.

Thanks! Yeah, I'm sure that's what it was now. The stress of being crosswise on a shelf road with the extreme drop-off was definitely messing with my cognitive abilities. That and being new to the Jeep. Cheers,

 

[Lunentucker]

Ahhhhhh......Yes! THANKS!! That was it do doubt. I was literally inches away from a 7-800 foot drop trying to turn around and extremely stressed, and not thinking entirely clearly. I was in 4 low with front and rear diff's locked, and sway bars disconnected due to the pretty gnarly climbs we were coming up - and going full to full lock on the steering due to no real room to turn around.

So now I've learned several things. Many thanks. #1 though is to check with the forest service to see if the trails are passable. This year had a ton of snow and water erosion going on....

I can't say that I blame you for having everything locked and in 4 low on that precarious situation. Hope you'll be able to at least let a fart go again in a few days ?.
Glad you got home safe.

 

[Silverator]

Haha!! Thanks. Yeah, I was locked and in low for the stair steps on the upward trail ascent before the turnaround - not necessarily for the difficult turn-around itself. I've pretty much recovered stress wise at this point. LOL. But now I've gotten my wife stressed out. Haha!

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