Finished my front end rebuild today (Struts, Springs, Center link, Idler arm, tie rod ends, ball joints, etc...). Drop the car to ground when it was all done and took it for a short test drive to the alignment shop. Suspension is vastly improved. The car rides solidly especially over rough road and turns. Steering is improved but still not where I would like it. Made it to the shop with no problems. After getting the car back I took it for another test drive this time through more turns than earlier. When I finished and parked the car I noticed a burning smell. Popped the hood and had a look. Couldn't figure out what would be burning since everything I did was mechanical. First noticed the smell on the passenger side but after closer inspection it seems to be coming from the drivers side front corner. Right around the steering box area.

Could this be what I am smelling burning? Did I do something wrong with the rebuild that is causing the steering box to overwork and overheat? With all the new steering linkage installed it was definitely stiffer than the original loosey goosey stuff that came out. Any ideas?

 

Anyone have some suggestions. I've been thinking about it some more and the steering box overheating enough to create a burning smell sounds less probable to me now. Maybe it's the power steering pump overheating? Is there a way to isolate this as the burning smell and then is there a likely culprit causing it to overheat? Something torqued down to tight? Centerlink not parallel to the ground?

 

I was in my friends car when his steering box gave way, didnt smell anything unusual. Both P/S pump failures I had on my SUV didnt smell like anything either.. Your sure it's not your exhaust or maybe some oil or coolant spraying on the headers? What kind of burning smell is it, metal on metal, electrical, rubber, liquid?

You could be smelling burning clutch/clutch packs or torque converter.

 

Not sure how to describe the burning smell. Just a general burning smell. Anyway since it did it this one time I have replaced all the old PS pump fluid with new stuff and haven't noticed any more burning type smell. Either the new fluid fixed it or the new suspension has loosened up a bit and everything moves more freely or I was hallucinating in the first place.

 

I wonder if some PS fluid spilled onto the exhaust headers while you were replacing the box and lines. If it's gone and doesn't come back, it probably just had to burn off.

 

Didn't replace the reservoir and lines during the front rebuild. Changed out the fluid after I smelled the burning. Oh well...no burning now so fingers crossed it was just a one off type of thing.