Left steering issue

[floridaState]

My 1988 Toyota 2wd Truck with manual steering has some resistance when I make a left turn. Right turns works but the left turn I notice a little resistance and more so the colder the weather. It seems it takes more energy to turn left as compared to turning right in my Truck.

I was wondering if lubricating the ball joint fittings on the left side will solve this issue or what areas should I check to fix this left steering issue?

[qsd-dan]

The first thing to check is proper tire pressure. Manual steering gear setups are extremely sensitive to tire pressures. Next, check the level and condition of oil in the steering gear. According to my 84 factory service manual, the level should be 18-28 mm (.71-1.10 inches) from the top. If possible, you may to change the gear oil and replace it with synthetic gear oil. You will need a vacuum pump for this since the filler hole is also the drain.

My buddy had an old 63 nova with a manual steering gear and after pumping out the old gear oil and replacing it with redline synthetic gear oil, it literally felt like it had power steering.