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How can I tighten up my steering?!

S

Silverado4x4

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Illinios, southwest of chicago
This is really the only terrible part about my truck. Its a 86 Silverado, with a 305, 465, 6 inch lift, dana 44 in front. I recently just changed the linkage between the steering block and pitman arm. It didn't change a whole lot. Its just a little tauter. I still can move the steering wheel from 12 o'clock to 4 o'clock without anything happening. It sucks. Anything I can do without spending $800 on a crossover steering kit, if that will even solve it? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
its probably your steering box. Its probably jsut worn out. I know my truck has slowly been gaining more and more slop in it, and the box has recently started leaking like crazy. A new box is in my future. Also check your tie rod and tie rod ends.
 
Sounds exactly like how my steering was before my steering box fell off the frame.

I've got the bolt on kit, I am a distributor, and I have them in stock for sale. Sounds like you're going to need to do some welding to repair your your frame though. It is likely already badly cracked. The bolt on kit is your best defense against future destruction but will do little to help your frame until you weld up the cracks that you probably have right now.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news bit I really wish I'd listened to others when they told me to get the brace BEFORE I trashed my frame. I too was in your shoes.

If you don't have the brace, crossover will rip your frame apart even quicker than front to back, although both are capable of it.
 
Did you say you have a steering block? If you do that maybe part of your problem, I had one on mine and had about 25% play in the steering wheel especially when I was just sittin there, didn't feel as bad when it was being driven. For some reason I think theres plenty of play cause of the steering block and like posted before, check the frame for cracks and if it isn't invest in a brace..
 
No, no block, just a raised steering block, like the arm curves upwards. I had looked before to see if that area was cracked after reading that it was really common, especially since I used to really wheel it hard. But it wasn't. I'll look tomorrow for cracks, but how does the inside of the steering box wear out, and how much to replace it? The truck "only" has 112k.
 
Ok, I just went out and looked from inside the engine bay and underneath. I didn't see any cracks anywhere, and i'm definetly not leaking any fluid from the box. So maybe i'm lucky so all i'll need is the frame brace. Is the box just twisting when the wheels turns, causing play?
 
the Gm box's have worm style gears inside that start to develop "slop" with age. I helped a buddy rebuild his box on his '71 Nova a few years ago and it was a PITA even with all the correct pullers and other tools.

Also check out this tech article on weld on frame brace..
http://coloradok5.com/ordframebrace.shtml
and here is a pic of a cracked frame.......
P1010002.jpg
 
It could also just be worn draglink ends.

Have someone turn the wheel quickly from side to side (engine running) while you watch those ends. If they "raise up" when turning, they are probably worn out.

The nice thing is that swapping in a new set of draglink ends is cheap and easier to do than anything else discussed in this thread. In fact, this is the VERY first wrenching project I did on my K5.

It really helped tighten things up and get rid of a large "dead spot" in the steering.


Check it out, you might be pleasantly surprised to find it something simple.
 
[ QUOTE ]
It could also just be worn draglink ends.

Have someone turn the wheel quickly from side to side (engine running) while you watch those ends. If they "raise up" when turning, they are probably worn out.

The nice thing is that swapping in a new set of draglink ends is cheap and easier to do than anything else discussed in this thread. In fact, this is the VERY first wrenching project I did on my K5.

It really helped tighten things up and get rid of a large "dead spot" in the steering.


Check it out, you might be pleasantly surprised to find it something simple.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you reread his first post, he said that he changed those and only those so far.
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Anyway
You said that you checked and there was no cracks, well obviously you don't know anything about those cracks then, because the start under the box where you can't see them unless you unbolt the box, and when you do that if you find cracks deal with them and do not postpone, or you will end up stranded on some trail like i did.
/forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 
Well, obviously I don't know anything about those cracks, but I still ordered the box frame kit today from Offroad design. And thanks for the draglinks idea, I'll check that out too.
 
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