What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

86 Coal Burner ...

onedaatmc

onedaatmc

1/2 ton status
Joined
Apr 14, 2015
Posts
167
Reaction score
10
Location
Northern California
So as advice of some guys here on the forum , they suggested to start a build thread... so here I am ...... here's the specs:

86 chevy suburban K20 3/4 ton
6.2 diesel with banks sidewinder turbo kit

6"lift on 315 Dean mud terrains with tons of tread left. 4 in turbo back straight pipe. 4.10 gears, TH400 transmission with upgraded shift kit. HD front bumper.

Repairs / upgrades within last 5000 miles
injection pump
timing set
water pump
thermostat
heater core
radiator hoses
LED dash lights
Manual glow plug controller (automatic still wired in)
Newer tailgate (old one was dented)

Repairs / upgrades within last 500 miles
New 925CCA batteries
All new battery / starter cables with extras added in for better cranking / charging
New electric fuel pump and relay (makes fuel filter changes much much easier)
New motor and trans mounts\
Coolant flush and fresh ELC coolant

The bad
Needs a windshield and steering column
Front passenger window most likely needs new motor and / or regulator.
No headliner, dash is cracked, interior overall has seen better days.
Good sized dent in rear passenger side corner and some other small dents.

So I m here to learn about this truck and enjoy doing so in the process !

Steering needs fixed right now ... thats was a trip coming
down the freeway ... wow ... as much play as a bumper car and the whole column moves 4-5" side to side ...

My%20Truck_zpskb3vn3om.jpg
 
this looks like the fix for the steering ...

http://www.xtremediesel.com/Borgeson-000935-Extreme-Duty-Steering-Shaft.aspx


The Borgeson 000935 Extreme Duty Steering Shaft for your 1979-1994 Full size Chevy & GMC features a heavy duty telescopic design. This shaft connects from factory column to steering box and features an extreme duty design with two billet steel universal joints. A Borgeson heavy-duty truck assembly will fix that loose, wandering steering for good.

Features:

  • Heavy Duty Telescopic Design
  • Billet Steel Universal Joints







shaft_zpsavxvqqpq.jpg
 
Hey there.

In the tech section theres a write up on how to tighten up steering using an xj jeep steering shaft which is essentially what that company is selling at 10 times the price. Not sure if you've checked the steering slop set screw on the steering box yet but that may be enough to tighten things up.
 
Is it a tilt column? There are 4 bolts that come loose that allow crazy play in the column. Way easy to tighten two of them and that will get ya by.

Not a bad looking truck
 
blazinzuk said:
Is it a tilt column? There are 4 bolts that come loose that allow crazy play in the column. Way easy to tighten two of them and that will get ya by.

Not a bad looking truck
Click to expand...

And don't grab the wheel to pull yourself in. That is what is what will make the column lose.
 
thanks for the advice

I'll look at the bolts today as well as the steering box ... I haven't looked there ... but will ....I'll get a grab bar to mount to pull myself in ...

Thank You !
 
Yeah, it is easier to fix your current column than to replace it.

Martin
 
Unless you buy a new column or shell out the money for a rebuilt used one, the outcome will be the same if you just fix the one you have. Never know how well done that "rebuilt" one is and lordie the new columns are pricy.

Check frame for cracks around steering box also. I wouldn't mess with the adjuster on top of the steering box yet, do that after everything else is tightened or replaced. Have someone saw the steering wheel back and forth while you watch steering components. You'll find the slop that way. Like said, XJ shaft for sure. Easy and saves you money for all the other stuff you'll need to buy.
 
so question ... I know this is probably gonna sound dumb ... lol

why do I even need the plastic of the column, since thats whats moving around ... I'm sure there's something in there loose ( wasn't the bolts ) ... so could I tack weld it so it doesn't move where it need not to , but obviously not where it does, then just wrap the column with foam and gorilla tape, etc...

also ... isn't there a cheap fix on a broken E brake cable ... I know, I know , but thought I'd splice some cable to the broken pieces and call it good for now ...

Your thoughts on both ...

Thanks ... the above I must have some redneck roots in me ... ha
 
You can swap in a used steering colum in about an hour or two,I've never attempted to "save" an original one...you should be able to find one the same year as yours that'll be a direct swap..

I've "spliced" some new cable on top of the frayed E-brake cable,the one that is just cable and exposed,with no sheathing around it..I used 1/8" cable with 1/8" cable clamps and it works good enough for me...the cables going to the drums,I'd replace those,those aren't easily "rigged"..
 
cable splice

yeah the break in the cable is in the middle of the truck hanging ... so figured a " Splice would suffice" ! ha

oh and found a junk yard near Sacramento thats only chevy's ... a friend told me I could get an Impala column and it would be fine, cause ofcourse as others have said folks use the steering wheel to climb in with on trucks ... but obviously don't in a impala , etc...

He also said the column inside the car in these years of chevy's , were pretty much all the same.. so I assume thats correct ???

Also since the original steering box is 29 yrs old I might as well replace that ... so are the remanned ones fine ? or should I " steer" clear ...
 
NO,get the same colum from a truck the same year...I sincerely doubt a car one will work,even with extensive modification--the colum on square body trucks stick out pretty far from the dash and are probably a one off style as far as bolting up.....in CA I'm sure there are a lot more survivors the same year to pick on for parts than here!..it's a lot easier to put back what belonged there..

Chevy 4x4 steering boxes usually last a LONG time without issues,it's only when they get overloaded by huge tires and off road beatings some give trouble..eventually they'll get loose after 100,000+ miles though..

I've always just put a used one on from a salvage yard that had low miles or at least "felt" tight and wasn't all leaky,and I've had good luck with them--and I plow and the weight of the blade puts a lot of added stress on the steering box (and frame)...I've seen more broken frames than steering boxes..I've heard a lot of complaints about some "rebuilt" steering boxes too,I'd rather pay less for a good used one myself..
 
onedaatmc said:
yeah the break in the cable is in the middle of the truck hanging ... so figured a " Splice would suffice" ! ha

oh and found a junk yard near Sacramento thats only chevy's ... a friend told me I could get an Impala column and it would be fine, cause ofcourse as others have said folks use the steering wheel to climb in with on trucks ... but obviously don't in a impala , etc...

He also said the column inside the car in these years of chevy's , were pretty much all the same.. so I assume thats correct ???

Also since the original steering box is 29 yrs old I might as well replace that ... so are the remanned ones fine ? or should I " steer" clear ...
Click to expand...

Have you verified that you actually have slop in the steering box? Given the large number of potentially worn steering components, I would start checking things before you just start replacing stuff. Having a tight steering box won't help you if your problem turns out to actually be tie-rod ends. Or drag link. Or cracked frame. It may be that you have 6 or 7 failures contributing to this. Or you may just have a crummy steering column. Won't know until you start digging through things one at a time.

It's very easy to get carried away fixing all the "might-as-well" things, and then the truck never gets done. So be careful picking your battles. Replacing all of the steering components will distract you from fixing the paint and the e-brake (and whatever else the rig may need).

That's my $0.02.

As I said in the other thread, I really like this truck. It has a lot going for it. :waytogo:
 
well I understand your logic...

But this burb has about 200,000 miles on it , so I'd think it would be time ... things normally wear out after that much mileagae, and ofcourse being 29 years old ... don't know how it was taken care of or abused over the years... the lift, for instance was done by the I assume original owner, 2 owners ago , so no telling whats what, but these " Heavy Chevy's " ... surely would have to put enormous amounts of strain and stress on all of the components, especially lifted ,and with that ultra heavy duty bumper, which put even more stress on that. I see what you mean Campfire, with not knowing whats wrong with it , other than it steers like a bumper car amount of play, the steering column moves 6" side to side and turns, yet tracks straight , doesn't pull itself one way or the other..... but bounces really bad going over bumps ... which is probably the shocks. I learned on my yota that things work best and last the longest when you leave them alone, when you lift trucks,etc. and do things not designed by the designers, it normally jacks things up faster and then ofcourse you then chase more mods to compensate for lifting , etc...That Yota ... I lifted 6" to put 35's on it , then had no power, cause of the extra weight of the tires and the 22RE 4cyl motor , so then compensated by changing out the 4:10's to 5:29's and Lockright lockers...the power came back, then swapped a Marlin Crawler Tcase in 4to1 , with ending up having a 138:1 crawl ratio, I could walk beside the truck crawlin, then did more mods to the motor, then more suspension mods ... and the list just kept growing ... who am I to think I nor more about Physics than folks that design vehicles , yet the stuff is out there to put on , then chase the resulting problems ... ad infinitum ... lol

Another thing is I thought of, However is the steering stabilizer, since I see it looks bad and worn.... so maybe a front bushing rebuild kit or a set of urethane ones ... I changed out to urethane bushings on my old yota, and they worked great... I just need more time to check it out ... if I didn't have this thing called work to do ... I could do more fixin' than figurin' !, Ha in fact .. I'm a detailer... and am detailing a 1972 red chevy hot rod truck to day... a little wet sanding and buffing for some orangepeel ... and hence why I painted the stuff...

And Diesel4me... I understand your logic on getting the same one as far as column, etc. designed for the truck .... however, the reason the column is probably bad is what alot of folks on here say is people grab the steering wheel to pull themselves in, and I'd assume even more so with a truck thats been lifted for who knows how long ... but most folks aren't pulling the column side to side to pull them selves into a Impala, for instance, unless it's a "donk"... if you happen to have seen one of those joke kinds of cars ?... and the same dimensional length, material thickness of many a chevy parts were not changed that much year to year, I hear especially back then ...I'm sure Chevy , did so to save money ...and figured why fix the design if it isnt broken.... which makes perfect sense to me ...the other thing is all the stuff on this board about using late 80's to mid 90's "Heep" XJ steering parts.... that more or less bolt right up and are cheaper and normally beefier... so this tells me there are alot of options out there ... for fixin' , not just the stock choices... so I'll figure on it some more

Thanks for alls input and enjoy your day !!!
 
Last edited:
You can fix the column sitting on your ass in the driver's seat. To replace columns requires crawling under the dash.

Find a write up on here, some one did a pretty good one, and then just fix what you have.

Martin
 
How far did you tear the column down to tighten the bolts? You pretty much have to pull it apart, but it only took me about 2 hours to do it and put it back together. My trucks got 250k on it and as far as i know it has the stock column.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom