Steering Wheel locking up. HELP!

[srgtlord]

The vehicle is a 1985 vw Golf 2 door. Manual everything and No A/C. The odometer reads well over 300,000 miles. Sooo driving down the road a few weeks ago I noticed a groaning noise coming from somewhere in the steering system. Then all of a sudden the noise went away for a few day and then came back. On my way home tonight I noticed the steering wheel becoming progressively harder to turn. As I rounded a corner it actually was stuck momentarily.
The car has a brand new steering rack and new tie-rod ends. The front strut assembly was rebuilt about  100,000 miles ago with FEBI and Bilstein parts. Ball joints were replaced at some point in the vehicles life as they are stamped TRW  and not VW.
Where should I start looking?

[srgtlord]

Well I figured it out. The lower steering U-joint has almost completely seized up...

[ORCoaster]

Didn't those parts come with this?

The car has a brand new steering rack and new tie-rod ends...

I am getting a strange clunk and bump out of my steering now so perhaps I best get out the jack stands.   

Glad you found it before you made a hard left and couldn't pull it back.

[srgtlord]

The steering rack was purchased years ago but not installed into this car until 3 months ago. I was able to free up the U joint by spraying it with some 15w-40 oil and work some wheel bearing grease into the joint after it was moving. I think part of the problem can be attributed to the ripped steering knuckle boot tgat was on there and the grease being over 30 years old.

[ORCoaster]

I have a couple of those steering covers in the closet I may not need them if the old ones are still in good shape, as in not ripped.  I don't think they would tear apart removing them either.  I guess I will have something to do when it stops raining mid week then.  I hope I am not in need of the entire steering rack.