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Dear RepairmanJackal,
Hope you're well. I wonder if a strut mount and/or bearing has failed. One or both failures would put a heavy load on the power steering pump and rack. Further, if the bearing under the strut mount has fallen apart, the front-wheel suspension would be loose and likely to gyrate at high speeds, especially on neven surfaces.
Suggestion. Jackal-up the car on one side at a time. Grasp the tire firmly and see if there's any front-to-back play, i.e., whether the tire - and so the strut housing tube - can be moved towards the back of the car or the front of the car.
Then, try pulling out (away from the engine) at the top of the tire, and pushing in (towards the engine) at the bottom of the tire. Finally, turn the steering wheel, until it locks. Repeat these tests. If the strut mount and bearing are in good shape, there should be no "looseness" in the suspension.
If there is "looseness", have a helper move the tire, while you look at the top of the strut mount (visible inside the engine bay). If the top of the stut mount moves, when the helper pushes on the tire, I'd conclude that the strut mount and/or bearing has/have failed.
Please post your test results.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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