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84 Blazer drifting back and forth

RJBlanton3

RJBlanton3

just trying to fix stuff
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Location
Houston, Texas
Drifting back and forth at low speeds or neighborhood driving.
I am a new member and in need of y'all assistance.
At low speeds steering drifts back and forth, a lot, but if I am on the highway, moving at high speeds, the steering wheel stays almost perfectly straight and does not drift from side to side. When full breaking or soft breaking, Blazer is straight on. I recently had all of the 6" lift suspension replaced, all ball joints, tire rods, shocks, etc. new steering box, new brakes and break calipers and brake lines from calipers, new tires, new alinement. Does anyone have any suggestions or have any questions?
One more thing, it was worst before replacing what i have listed. it is better, but not by much.

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In your alignment sheet it looks like you don't have enough caster, you have to add some tapered shims under the leaf springs to get it correct. It'll probably track way better after that. I'm surprised the alignment shop didn't bring it up to you.
 
You need to put sway bay disconnect on the front, If you have a 6 lift that front axle is bound up with the sway bar connect.
 
Is the frame cracked behind the steering box?

I'm surprised you feel it wandering, especially at slow speeds, with that dual stabilizer setup. What tire pressure are you running?
 
Cheavyk10 said:
In your alignment sheet it looks like you don't have enough caster, you have to add some tapered shims under the leaf springs to get it correct. It'll probably track way better after that. I'm surprised the alignment shop didn't bring it up to you.
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From the shop: The caster here, even though in red, is not a concern as it is positive caster, which would only make your K5 steer better. If it was negative caster that would be something to worry about. Everything else looks great on here too.
 
These trucks are pretty notorious for the frame cracking behind the steering box. They make weld in and bolt in braces for them.

If they didn't notice it when putting the new steering box in, it probably isn't, but you never know. You can have someone start the truck and steer it back and forth. While they are doing that, look at where the box is bolted to the frame and see if there is any movement.
 
swettysblazer said:
These trucks are pretty notorious for the frame cracking behind the steering box. They make weld in and bolt in braces for them.

If they didn't notice it when putting the new steering box in, it probably isn't, but you never know. You can have someone start the truck and steer it back and forth. While they are doing that, look at where the box is bolted to the frame and see if there is any movement.
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understood. Let me check it this morning.
 
Your alignment report looks good. Like you said the red caster numbers are a bit irrelevant as they are pretty good as is.
If I were being hyper critical, you could stand to use the drop pitman arm to flatten the drag link a bit.
Maybe what you're feeling is the frame flexing?
To diagnose, put the truck in park and have someone saw the steering wheel back and forth from 10 to 2 over and over with the brake depressed. You can then get under it and see just whats moving how its not supposed to be.
You would look at the frame rail to see if its moving and the rivets arent tight anymore. If the cracks are present at the steering box mount holes. If your bushing in the springs are allowing the truck to shift over the axle.
 
obijuank5 said:
Your alignment report looks good. Like you said the red caster numbers are a bit irrelevant as they are pretty good as is.
If I were being hyper critical, you could stand to use the drop pitman arm to flatten the drag link a bit.
Maybe what you're feeling is the frame flexing?
To diagnose, put the truck in park and have someone saw the steering wheel back and forth from 10 to 2 over and over with the brake depressed. You can then get under it and see just whats moving how its not supposed to be.
You would look at the frame rail to see if its moving and the rivets arent tight anymore. If the cracks are present at the steering box mount holes. If your bushing in the springs are allowing the truck to shift over the axle.
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Going to do the shake test this morning. please standby.
 
RJBlanton3 said:
Going to do the shake test this morning. please standby.
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RJBlanton3 said:
okay did the 10 and 2 back and forth. from what i can tell, everything seems okay but i do see the lift springs flexing and the sway bar has a same size gap on both sides. see pictures below. my thinking here, and I am no expert by any means, I think the leaf springs are flexing in the gap in the sway bar, observation being not tight or secure sway bar and leaf springs. Do I replace the leaf springs and hardware, and add more washers to the sway bar to tighten up the connection? or first, remove the sway bar completely and see if the drifting goes away before replacing anything? (FYI the steering box does not move that is attached to the frame, so no cracked frame around the steering box)
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The sway bar can be disconnected (as many members have done) and it has no effect on the steering, so that little gap isn’t the issue. Looks like someone didn’t have the correct bolt and used the washers to take up space.

Your symptoms don’t sound exactly like this problem, but if your axle shaft u-joints are rusted/seized then it will cause a sticking while turning. Only way I know to check for this is to tear the axle apart and check for free movement of the u-joint.
 
rampage said:
The sway bar can be disconnected (as many members have done) and it has no effect on the steering, so that little gap isn’t the issue. Looks like someone didn’t have the correct bolt and used the washers to take up space.

Your symptoms don’t sound exactly like this problem, but if your axle shaft u-joints are rusted/seized then it will cause a sticking while turning. Only way I know to check for this is to tear the axle apart and check for free movement of the u-joint.
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Understood, looks like a perfect holiday for the Blazer and I. going to jack up the frontend, do a shake'n, and start getting into it. My new thinking here, and adding up everyone's responses, just start tearing it down piece by piece. New question will be, should i stay with leaf springs or go to coil springs?
 
Have you done the check with the truck on the ground yet as others suggested earlier?
You will need a helper to rock the steering wheel for you while you look it over.
 
RJBlanton3 said:
Understood, looks like a perfect holiday for the Blazer and I. going to jack up the frontend, do a shake'n, and start getting into it. My new thinking here, and adding up everyone's responses, just start tearing it down piece by piece. New question will be, should i stay with leaf springs or go to coil springs?
Click to expand...

You need to fix what is wrong first ( or at least confirm the problem). Leaf springs work fine for 99% of the people on this site, myself included, and I regularly run my rig on the rocks on the east coast. If you want it for the cool factor or the driveability, that's a different story.
 
I just saw this thread, low speed wander is unusual.
I am suspicious of the passenger spring the rust in the middle might indicate a broken spring.

Stated above your steering link has a steep angle, a slight angle from pitman arm down to steering arm is desired.
Since symptoms show on neighborhood roads, which normally have a pronounced crown, I am thinking it is the road that reveals the defect.
Spitballing here.
Your sway bar is very tight with 6" lift. On a crowned road the right would be lower than the left. With sway bar that tight it maybe effecting low speed.
Disconnect the swaybar and see.
The u joints at the steering knuckles as mentioned.
Please do inspect the frame, and make plans to get it reinforced. Big tires are very hard on the steering box frame mouting area. If it's not cracked now it will be, if reinforcement is not done.
 
Just an observation here. The op has thrown every part at it possible. New springs, drag link, steering box, tie rod ends and ball joints. Problem remains but is marginally better.

So new parts didn't take care of the problem. Lends to the idea that the frame being cracked as it didn't get changed obviously. But whoever installed it either didn't pay attention to inspect the frame with the box off or the cracks are small enough to not be seen at a glance.

These frames are spaghetti. Big lifts and big tires make that problem worse. Testing like it's already been suggested is going to prove the issue. With the engine running and turning the wheels side to side is going put the most load on the steering it can. You'll see the box move away from the frame if the frame is flexing. The bolts should be tight but even with them tight a cracked frame will allow it to move.

Not saying the rest of the parts didn't need to be replaced, but the fact that the problem is still there proves they probably were not the main source of the problem.

One thing overlooked is the rag joint on the input side of the box. They are just as notorious for being loose but can visually look ok. Looseness there feels no different than slop in the rest of the system.

Bottom line do not replace anything else until you prove where the slop is coming from.
 
Are those witness marks on the sway bar of the whole thing moving side to side? It could be the spring and/or shackle bolts are loose and the whole front axle is skating sideways. Your description is "drifting back and forth", and you said there was movement when you looked at it. AFAIK, there are still some people out there who think the spring and shackle bolts should be loose "so the spring can flex". The sleeve inside the bushing should be tight to the shackle/spring mount. The rotation is the bushing around the sleeve. If the bolts are loose you wear out the mounts (and bolts) and the steering is terrible.
 
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