88 Chevy K10 Blazer, Steering Alignment

[ssettler]

I just purchased an 88 K10 blazer and put a 4" tuff country lift kit on it with my friend. Now that the lift is done the steering is not aligning properly. I was wondering which way is the quickest and easiest solution.

A. Adjust the front and rear Drag links and the adjusting sleeve to give the whole unit more room to move.

B. Readjust the pitman arm for better movement.

C. Something else that im not thinking of...

 

[blazerboss 85]

did you put on a drop pitman arm or a steering arm to compensate for the lift?

 

[dremu]

Well, there are precisely two adjustments for alignment.

One, the tierod, sets toe-in (i.e. whether the front of the tires point in towards each other, out from each other, or are parallel.) This shouldn't have been affected by your lift.

The other, the draglink, sets the relation between the steering wheel and the tires. This would manifest itself by the steering wheel being off-center when the tires are pointing forward.

The pitman arm is keyed, either at 90* angles or only once (I forget which) and is not adjustable.

The first step is to adjust the draglink. Now, don't take it all the way apart; just loosen the bolts on the sleeve, and rotate the sleeve so that the ends move apart (they're opposite-threaded.)

If you can adjust it so that you've still got, say, 3/4" or 1" or more of threads left, and the steering wheel is straight, you're good. If you've gotten that far and the wheel isn't straight yet, then you need to change the steering. A dropped steering arm is common practice for this. This goes on the knuckle (three big bolts, FUN getting the old one off) and attaches to the aft end of the draglink.

You can also get a dropped draglink (Z-shaped), but for 4" lift, a raised arm should be all you need, and is less expensive and less hassle.

-- A

 

[ssettler]

The Tuff Country lift came with a raised steering arm, which was a blast to put on. The wheels are still parallel, but turn more in one direction then the other.

 

[4X4HIGH]

The Tuff Country lift came with a raised steering arm, which was a blast to put on. The wheels are still parallel, but turn more in one direction then the other.

Wheels turning more one way than the other is a misadjusted draglink.

 

[ssettler]

what is the best way to adjust it if it is turning less torward the passenger side

 

[dremu]

what is the best way to adjust it if it is turning less torward the passenger side

Set the wheels straight, turn off the engine but leave the key on so the steering wheel is loose.

Adjust the draglink so that the steering wheel is straight.

I forget which direction you turn it in to make it longer or shorter, but especially if you have a buddy behind the wheel laughing at you, it's real easy to tell which way the steering wheel is going as you adjust the draglink.

-- A