OK...I need some help with how to correct this issue. Here is the set up 70 Road Runner with power steering. Firm Feel stage 2 box. Magnum force tubular upper control arms. All by ball joints and tie rods are about 10 years old.

I am experiencing an issue where it is very difficult to turn to the right. Turn left is fine but right is extremely hard. It feels as though there is no power assist at all..but here is the weird part. If I turn the steering wheel to the right while I am reversing, it feels pretty normal. No increased effort is needed.

This has been going on a while. I attempted to adj the valve on top of the steering box with no change...so I actually pulled the box and sent it back to firm feel and had them adj it for me. Talk to them and they said it is good to go and adjusted correctly. Reinstalled the box with no change. Then I went and got it aligned...no change. (This was a couple years ago and I have just basically been living with the issue...but don't want to anymore.)

I've gotten under the car while a buddy turned the wheels and the steering link, idler arm, pitman arm is not hitting anything.

Power steering fluid is full.

I am really at a loss at this point. I have noticed recently that the power steering pump makes a bit of a hissing noise when turning to the right (hasn't done that until recently...Are my issues common symptoms of a bad power steering pump?

Throw some ideas at my guys...please!

Thanks for any help - Brian

Raise it up in the front and place jack stands under the lower control arms , un lock the steering wheel , engine off ,then by hand swing the front tires full left and full right . This should be fairly easy.
If you come to a bind in the system, look at oil pan to center link rub , also look at headers to linkage rubbing.My car the clearance is close at oil pan and the grease zerk on the LH inner tie rod rubbed the header.
Next , if this checks out OK ,but a bind is felt , loosen the steering column at the fire wall and re test ,the column will move around alot at this juncture. I've seen a misalignment in the column to gear box cause a significant bind in the steering system .

As Sherlock Holmes would say, there has to be a clue. Rack your brain (again) for something that you are doing different between the forward/reverse exercises: pump speed (tho you'd think that'd be a both sides deal)

When driving forward the caster is causing the tire to return to center.

When backing out the caster is working the opposite and is causing the tire to turn.

Hence the reason it seems to be power assisted when backing and not going forward.

Just an FYI

Yeah I'm thinking the box is good (they checked it out & certainly dont to deal with a double comeback on it so likely it is right). I'd think the pump is OK (if it wasn't it'd affect both sides). I'm thinking as others said something somewhere up front is changing/binding but what. You know, what I just thought of is I'd have a helper slide on a creeper on the ground with hood up & eveball up there as you slowly moved the car forward/backward & turned the wheel (safely of course/good help is hard to come by). Do holler how it turns out

Check the motor mounts. It does twist in opposite directions when going back or forward. Maybe it is causing a rub on the suspension that you won't find unless it's under torque.

Well, I am going to look over everything again. I will let you all know what I find. Thanks for the input!

Also check to see if a grease fitting is hitting something. You may have to shim the steering box a little.

I chased this same right hand turn problem for 2 years. It is the adjustment of the control valve. The total adjustment is only about .09 inch total so you really need to move it a tiny bit. To make it easy replace one of the hex head screws with a soc head (allen) cap screw so you can center the spotface area with round head of the screw as a starting point. No need to have the engine running it's too messy. Just do trial and error in tiny amounts.

So, I had a few mins of extra time this afternoon (a rare occasion with 3 boys ranging in age from 2-7) and checked a few things out.

With the front wheels off the ground (suspension unloaded) and the engine running, there is no resistance turning either way.

Just letting it idle with the wheels hanging they don't move at all, which leads me to believe that the valve on top of the steering box is adjusted correctly (could be wrong though)

With the front wheels off the ground and jack stands under the lower control arms, engine off and steering wheel "unlocked" I turned the wheels by hand while under the car and there was nothing hitting and no difference in effort from side to side.

With everything back on the ground and the car idling and sitting still, I can barely turn the steering wheel to the right. Going to the left feels pretty normal.

My next two things to check I guess is adjusting the valve on top of the box and then get the alignment checked again.

Any more thoughts? (Going to try adjusting the valve tomorrow)

Thanks-Brian

You know I had an idea , I would lower the front till the wheels just touch & see if it still effortly goes lock to lock then lower it slightly more & repeat. Grab a helper.

Someone back me up on this, but I think if you need more assist to the right, you need to bump the valve toward the firewall.

Have you tried: on the ground, engine off? Is the steering still wonky? If so something in the suspension is binding.
If not the problem is most likely the box. It can't be the pump since that would affect both directions.
Long shot, bad motor mount allowing the header to hit the center link or steering shaft? The engine would be torqueing over when in gear, opposite when backing.