LET'S TALK STEERING

[elyon]

So I have an 86 Suburban. After purchasing, installed a 4 inch lift by Super lift. 35 inch Toyo AT2 Extremes. A drop steering arm from Off-road Designs, using a new factory drag link. Dual steering stabilizers. Rebuilt the whole front end. New rag joint. New steering box.

I understand the bump steer due to the lift. Thing is, I have a 3 spoke steering wheel that I can center up with the drag link. It is rarely ever centered. Most times off to the left, sometimes off to the right. I have adjusted it many times and it will find itself right back in the same set up.

As an example, I can be going down a steep incline steering while heavy braking and after the hill the steering wheel is not in the position it was before the hill.

I think something is shifting, but have not figured it out. It has been this way as long as I have had it.

Is everyone's truck as imprecise in the steering department as mine? There must be a solution.

 

[nvrenuf]

I'd say you've got a bad part somewhere, the steering wheel should hold it's adjustment if all the parts are tight.

Have you checked the frame at the steering box for cracks? By check, I mean THOROUGHLY clean before close inspection.

Also, terminology - you mentioned a "drop steering arm from Off-road Designs", do you mean a drop pitman arm on the steering box (2" drop) or the raised steering arm on the axle steering knuckle (4" upward offset)? If you only have a 2" drop pitman arm then you may not have enough steering compensation for your suspension lift which will exaggerate bump steer.

 

[rampage]

Or a sheered center pin on the leaf pack May be able to see a shiny spot where its been rubbing.

 

[Blue85]

Every time you buy a square body you have to pull the steering box off and check the frame for cracks. Then you have to add a brace if it doesn't already have one.

To find your culprit, lay on the ground and watch while someone else steers. It's amazing how much stuff can move around. Especially check the front spring eye bushing on the DS and also the upper shackle mount bushings.

 

[elyon]

I have the frame brace for the steering box installed. No cracks. My suspicions are the spreading might be moving. Only thing I can think of.

 

[6872xtc]

But yes, lifted leaf spring trucks do have some vagueness to the steering, but definitely check all of the things as others have said.

The springs will let the axle move around depending on lots of factors, braking, steering, road slope, speed , ....

Could you be expecting too much precision from it all??

But check it out well.

 

[sweetk30]

i have seen lots of steering boxes out of adjustment right out of the shipping box.

hell I fixed one for a guy brand new from the gm dealer it was out . steering never centered the wheel and drifted in the lane .

 

[elyon]

Thanks guys for all the input. Maybe I'll figure this thing out one day.

 

[RubberFloorMat]

i had a similar issue and the damn u bolts had loosened up on the drivers side.

 

[Stephen]

All good things to check. And I hate to say it but sometimes expectations have to be adjusted a little bit. You don't have to put up with a lot of BS from the steering but they're not cars or IFS trucks. I think I'll do a new post on the steering correction but in a nutshell, you don't want the draglink flat with any arch in the spring. You want a downward angle so that as the spring compresses and moves the axle back, the draglink end is also going up and back. If the draglink is level to start, it will move the steering arm end up and forward which creates bumpsteer.

 

[elyon]

If you had the time to do that it would be great. I'm sure I could learn a thing or two.