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Car Forum / Chevrolet / Chevrolet Trucks / March 2005Steering Question
A few weeks ago I posed a question about my 97 1500 WT's steering to this news group and got a lot of good feedback. The feedback sent me on a quest to fix a truck that drove like a Model T. The truck steered light and wandered all over the road, especially when applying the brakes. I checked all the suggestions I was given and all checked out OK. Being stumped, I took it for another opinion to a front end shop and had it checked again. They checked the alignment and drove it and told me they found nothing and thought it drove pretty good. I have had three different shops drive the truck and each thought it drove OK. I knew better, I guess they're accustomed to driving off road monster trucks or something. So after eliminating all the front end components and the steer shaft, I was left with one conclusion, it could only be the steering gear box. After a little research, I learn of the adjustment on top of the steering gear box that takes the free play out. A five minute job. Just loosen the retaining nut and tighten the allen set screw about a 1/4 of turn. Then recheck the free play in the steering until you have only about a inch of free play between the steering wheel when the tires begin to turn. If you have more than that repeat the process, careful not to over tighten. Now the truck drives so good, I may keep it a while. Relayed this info to a friend who's wife drives 96 Suburban, with a similar complaint. He made the fix and was amazed as I at the difference of night and day. Anyway I threw this out there because it appears that this is common occurrence on GM truck pre 1999, in hopes it will help someone else and save them the time and aggravation I went through. RC I had the same problem as you described on my 93 C1500. I tightened the steering box and it improved a zillion percent. The trick to the steering box is make sure that the steering wheel will self return from lock; if it sticks there the box is too tight. Mine may be a coincidence but after 1,000 miles of running like this with a tighter steering box I have lost the power steering pump. I have 190,000 miles, 4" drop spindles, 17" wheels and 235/40 series tires on it. <<After a little research, I learn of the adjustment on top of the steering gear box that takes the free play out.>> I made this same adjustment -- to my 1953 Buick Roadmaster. Who would have suspected that this ancient steering technology, which predates the 1920s, would be found in such recent GM offerings? > <<After a little research, I learn of the adjustment on top of the > steering gear box that takes the free play out.>> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Who would have suspected that this ancient steering technology, which > predates the 1920s, would be found in such recent GM offerings? Because it works. I went from minivans to a truck to get away from rack and pinion because I got tired of replacing the rack every time I drove down a dirt road. Can someone repost the original story here? I guess I'm seeing trailing end of the thread hoping there might be some for the slop in my '01 Silverado. >> <<After a little research, I learn of the adjustment on top of the >> steering gear box that takes the free play out.>> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > pinion because I got tired of replacing the rack every time I drove down a > dirt road. > Can someone repost the original story here? I guess I'm seeing trailing end > of the thread hoping there might be some for the slop in my '01 Silverado. There is a way to adjust the clearance between the sector shaft and the worm gear. usually you will find a jam nut with a screw driver head adjuster on top the gear box. Technically the pit man arm should be disconnected from the center link when the adjustment is made, Center the steering by going stop to stop and then back half way. disconnect steering linkage, loosen jam nut, turn adjuster until play is removed, tightened jam nut and then check for binding before connection linkage back together. In the old days we would use an inch pound spring gauge to measure resistance in the system, and there was a set amount that varied vehicle to vehicle. I haven't seen specs like that in years. It goes with out saying make sure there is no play in other parts before making this adjustment. Worn idler arms give a lot of wonder, and while the pretty plastic covers on the column shaft to the gear box look nice, they cover up the rag joint, which could be worn. As to rack and pinion steering, its easy to figure out why, its cheaper. No pitman arms, no center link, no idler arm. Its also a heck of a lot lighter, which goes hand and hand with it being weaker. Whitelightning |
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