i lost my steering function on my jeep. I can still drive, but I can hardly turn the steering wheel. A cloud of smoke came out the back end of the jeep and then the steering went bad. What are some things this could be? I have worked on my jeep put in my own starter so i was curious as to what to look for. By the way this is not a 4x4. 99 jeep cherokee lardeo  

Check all of the power steering pump for fluid. If empty, fill the pump with fluid and check all of the hoses for holes,cracks and loose fittings by having someone olse turn the wheel. If you have no leeks then the pump or steering box is to fault. The smoke was probably from fluid on the exhaust.