power steering flush?

I just bought an '97 Explorer with 160K miles. When checking fluids, the power steering fluid is red & looks like tranny fluid. I've heard of people using ATF instead of power steering fluid since it is usually cheaper. However when checking the rear wiper fluid resevior (after buying the truck already) I found a bottle of power steering stop leak shoved in the compartment. The power steering doesn't seem to be acting up & is nice and quit. Should I have the fluid flushed, refill & see what happens or keep like is til something happens? There is no sign of leakage right now.

No! Leave it alone, if it had a leak and he used stop leak and it worked, and you cannot find any leaks or drop in power steering fluid you must not flush it. Flushing it would most certainly break free whatever is stopping the leak, and start the problem all over again. Don't even touch it just check the fluid every once and a while and add some to it if it seems low, if it begins to leak again try stop leak again. Never flush. Flushing will only make a leak happen, or a leak worse.

I just bought an '97 Explorer with 160K miles. When checking fluids, the power steering fluid is red & looks like tranny fluid. I've heard of people using ATF instead of power steering fluid since it is usually cheaper.

Ford had long used automatic transmission fluid as the recommended fluid in their power steering systems. Look in your owners manual, if you have it, for the correct fluid. I don't have anything that new so I can't say what type(dexron, type F etc.). Maybe someone else will chime in here and say.