I have seen worse, iirc you did the king pins last year, so inspect your ball joint ends. tighten the pinch bolt on the pitman, make sure the rag joint is nice and tight on the input of the box
CK5
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That's the only kind of squarebody steering I know!
No sign of frame cracking?
The PO had installed an ORD brace before I bought it, but I should take another look when looking over the other front end stuff for play...
Don’t forget the steering box has a ratio in it, so the Pittman arm will never turn as much as the input shaft, think of it like a ring and pinion….
In my experience people more familiar with newer cars always complain about squarebody steering.
I hear that, but I'll say that @Bent77 drove this thing a couple years back and said the steering was too loose. It has taken me this long to really get to it. It's pretty bad.
Typically yes. I can say that with a pan hard/track bar, crossover steering and tight parts, the steering can be amazing.
Can you really trust a guy with an orange steering box?
I haven't finished checking out the front end and steering play quite yet, but tonight I dug into the starter... it has been screeching and grinding as much as ever.
After pulling it off, I found just one starter shim in place.
First thing's first, I took a look at the pinion gear on the starter. It looks like the "nose" or "front" of the pinion gear is being worn down. Also, when trying to look for a wear pattern on the teeth, it looks like the pinion gear only engages about half-way (depth-wise) with the ring gear on the flywheel. It appears that there is wear all the way down into the "valley" between teeth. I've heard that the ring gear teeth should go about 2/3 of the way down into the pinion gear teeth (if that makes any sense).
Here is a video of my starter to try and show what I'm talking about:
View attachment PXL_20230424_014951763.mp4
After that, I tried to take a decent look at the teeth on my ring gear to make sure they weren't destroyed. Sure enough it looks like the "front" of them are being worn down too. Here is a video and a picture of that as well:
View attachment PXL_20230424_015103970.mp4
Based on the wear I am seeing, I think I need more than just one starter shim. It seems like there needs to be more distance between the pinion gear on the starter and the ring gear. What do you guys think?
After pulling it off, I found just one starter shim in place.
First thing's first, I took a look at the pinion gear on the starter. It looks like the "nose" or "front" of the pinion gear is being worn down. Also, when trying to look for a wear pattern on the teeth, it looks like the pinion gear only engages about half-way (depth-wise) with the ring gear on the flywheel. It appears that there is wear all the way down into the "valley" between teeth. I've heard that the ring gear teeth should go about 2/3 of the way down into the pinion gear teeth (if that makes any sense).
Here is a video of my starter to try and show what I'm talking about:
View attachment PXL_20230424_014951763.mp4
After that, I tried to take a decent look at the teeth on my ring gear to make sure they weren't destroyed. Sure enough it looks like the "front" of them are being worn down too. Here is a video and a picture of that as well:
View attachment PXL_20230424_015103970.mp4
Based on the wear I am seeing, I think I need more than just one starter shim. It seems like there needs to be more distance between the pinion gear on the starter and the ring gear. What do you guys think?
Yes there definitely needs to more distance. My rule of thumb is a paper clip wire diameter between the teeth with the drive engaged. You have to remove the solenoid to test this, and much harder to get the wire in between on manual. Most people don't even bother. To honest I have only done it 3x all automatics.
We're was the shim? Across both bolt holes? Just the outside?
Just the inside?
You could just shim one side or the other. If you shimmed the inside hole, and not the out side that would tilt the drive away.
Or could do both holes and one or the other.
Going to be trial and error.
To get it just right.
We're was the shim? Across both bolt holes? Just the outside?
Just the inside?
You could just shim one side or the other. If you shimmed the inside hole, and not the out side that would tilt the drive away.
Or could do both holes and one or the other.
Going to be trial and error.
To get it just right.
The shim was across both holes from what I can tell. I think I'm going to add a second shim and also am going to paint the pinion gear on the starter. Then I'll reinstall and start it a few times. When I pull it off again I'll have a better look at the wear pattern from the ring gear marking the paint.
I bought replacement door lock cylinders for the K30 recently. I got basic AutoZone cylinders. The company is called LockSmart and the model was DL15800. The freaking keys are stuck in the cylinders. Both of them!
I really wish that I could get the factory key working. I like that it's a GM key and all of that. It is so weird... it won't turn the driver's side lock cylinder. I doused it in penetrating fluid like WD-40 and PB Blaster. Still no go. Weirdly I tried one time and it actually worked - everything was spinning fine. But then I removed the key and when I tried the next time it was locked up again. I'm guessing that the key is just worn out and isn't working the way it should anymore.
Oh well. Back to AutoZone to return this garbage that I bought.
I really wish that I could get the factory key working. I like that it's a GM key and all of that. It is so weird... it won't turn the driver's side lock cylinder. I doused it in penetrating fluid like WD-40 and PB Blaster. Still no go. Weirdly I tried one time and it actually worked - everything was spinning fine. But then I removed the key and when I tried the next time it was locked up again. I'm guessing that the key is just worn out and isn't working the way it should anymore.
Oh well. Back to AutoZone to return this garbage that I bought.
Try some graphite lock lube. I’ve had it work wonders on dirty old locks that barely worked before.
Take them back and get these.
They do glovebox and center console locks as well??
Looks like they have for glove box. Mechanism looks the same for glovebox, but would need to confirm they are in fact the same
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Locksmith can rekey glove box if the proper key is the only issue.
In my case, glovebox doesnt have lock, looking to get new for both center console and glovebox so match (center console doesnt seem to lock currently, so seems best to buy both new)
Would they also be able to rekey the tailgate-mounted window switch on a Blazer/Jimmy/Suburban?
Yes
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