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Loose steering

A

airbornesoldier327

1/2 ton status
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Feb 11, 2005
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north carolina
Well i have a problem, I have a 77 blazer with a 6 inch lift, and currently running 33's. My steering is so loose i can turn the wheel with one finger... its like to keep it stait on the road i have to turn it a good 6 inches either way to go strait, its a brand new pump so i dont know what it could be, and i also have duel steering stablizers. I dont know what to do to make the steering a little firmer.... If you have any suggestions that would be great. Let me know if i left any info you might need out. thanks
chris
 
when i first got my blazer it had 1 bolt holding the steering box in. id check to see if the steering box is mounted correctly first then i would assume the sector shaft and worm gear are worn badly.
 
Make sure that the U-bolts are TIGHT and torqued to spec. Just a very small amount of movement of the axle will translate into huge slop in the steering wheel. It takes a bit of cranking to really snug them down. It's been a long time since I looked it up, but 105 lb/ft. keeps popping into my mind...

Make sure that the rear U-bolts are also tightened to spec as the rear wandering can also have a huge effect on steering.

A worn drag link will also contribute to sloppy steering.
 
I thought of another one... Spring eye bolts. Tighten them until the brackets/shackles are snugged up against the bushings. You don't want the axle to be moving side-to-side at all.
 
Yes, listen to those guys. Ive had a loose spring and my steering was all off. Then the other day i was messing around with my steering box, tightened all 3 loose bolts, and my steering felt new.
 
That could definalty be, when i was on leave i changed the rear 4 inch blocks to 6 inch springs, and when i did i could almost take the u-bolts off with my fingers. As far as thge worm thing, is that the little rubber bushing in the steering shaft that runs from the firewall down to the steering box?
 
thats how my steering was when i first bought this k5. i drove it for a while like that but damn it was a chore to just keep the dame truck between the lines.

I ended up needed a new steering gear box
 
airbornesoldier327 said:
As far as thge worm thing, is that the little rubber bushing in the steering shaft that runs from the firewall down to the steering box?
Click to expand...

Nope. That is called the rag-joint. The worm gear is internal to the steering gear.....and no it will NOT be worn down. Don't even concern yourself with the worm gear.

Check your TRE's and DLE's first.
 
readymix said:
Nope. That is called the rag-joint. The worm gear is internal to the steering gear.....and no it will NOT be worn down. Don't even concern yourself with the worm gear.

Check your TRE's and DLE's first.
Click to expand...

What he said. DO NOT try to adjust your worm gear. It can cause serious problems for you. It very rarely wears out. Other things in the box will wear out, but generally NOT the worm gear. If improperly adjusted, it can lock up w/out warning. Before I knew any better, I tried to "adjust" my worm gear. I almost killed myself and took a few others out with me. The worm gear can bind up and get stuck so you cannot turn your steering wheel. Trust me, NOT fun at 70 mph on the freeway! :yikes: Damn near crapped my pants! :crazy:

Your most likely culprits are;

1. Drag link ends
2. Tie rod ends
3. Loose axle u-bolts
4. Maybe the rag joint

After I replaced my DLE's and TRE's it drove like a brand new truck. :cool:
 
This is a pretty common problem. I am sure that we can all figure that out because of all the posts. Check your ball joints. I went through an repalced the PS gearbox and every greaseable joint between the tire and the Gearbox and it made a world of difference.

Have a buddy turn the steering wheel back and forth while you examine the steering linkages. If everyting is not moving in unison or there is "slop" in a joint.....replace it.
 
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