1990 4cyl steering makes a grinding sound when cranked.

[canadacrazy69]

Is the grinding sound i hear from under the truck when making a u turn or crank the wheel in one direction related to being unable to stop my truck in 2x2 or 4x4? I have had the sound since i got the truck but recently when winter came, I am having a hard time breaking the truck. When i was driving east on day in the 3rd lane from the turning lane, the light changed and i started to lightly break on light ice. I Immediately felt and saw the vehicle head north while sliding to the west. I hit i bank of snow in the turn lane which stopped me and I was facing the traffic that had just been approaching me from the east. Even before that the truck always fights to go sideways and I am terrified of it.

Is this an issue where this should have been deemed unsafe? I bought this in feb 2010 with a safety. I had it on the road mid May 2010 after doing an immediate head gasket. they people i bought it from have heard the noise this summer and know its in desperate need of repair but no one actually helps me. they claim they drove it last winter yet the defrost on the back window has never worked and the grinding noise was found 2 days after buying it when making a u turn. Can someone please shed some light on whats going on and am i correct in having it parked since i lost control for a light?

 

[the_dingman]

The popping noise at full-crank is a known issue and common, and neither unsafe or damaging.

 

[fourwd1]

Is the grinding sound i hear from under the truck when making a u turn or crank the wheel in one direction related to being unable to stop my truck in 2x2 or 4x4? ...

... Even before that the truck always fights to go sideways and I am terrified of it.

There's several possibilities for both problems.
The noise could be as simple as the plastic covers on the steering stops are gone, so you have metal on metal when the wheel is at full lock, no big deal.
Could be something more serious like a bad CV joint in the axle shaft on that side. That could possibly affect the braking too.
Or it could be a problem with a brake caliper, maybe some of the pistons are frozen causing the pads to drag.

You could start by putting the side in question in the air and rotating the wheel by hand. Do it with the steering at full lock in both directions (keep pressure on the steering wheel while your doing it). Have someone work the brakes while your doing it. See if you can feel or hear anything.

If you are that concerned parking it until it's fixed is right for you.

 

[95 4Rnr 4 Grace]

I have a '95 and I have the same noise. I have been told it is the steering stops that have been worn off exposing the metal. This issue has never affected my steering, but it bums me out that I can't make such tight u-turns anymore :

 

[canadacrazy69]

could my wheel locks cause sliding when breaking?

i have auto locking wheels. they were never checked for this safety I was given and was suppose to fixed long before winter. could that cause the vehicle to lose control when braking all the time? i never used to go sideways even on really wet roads.

thats the part that worries me the most. we are in full blown winter here in Manitoba.

 

[fourwd1]

The plastic caps gone from the steering stops should not cause any steering or braking problems. Just an annoying noise at full lock.