poor return to center/ memory steer problem

[black dawg]

Digging one out of the weeds, parked a little over a year ago because I couldn't get it to drive right.
90 v1500 burb converted to 8 lug stuff, stock height stock 235/85/16
This is one my wife drove mostly, with no complaints?. Driving on perfectly smooth flat roads it would drive pretty close to perfect, but any slight ruts or lines in the road would cause all kinds of unpredictable stuff. Noticed the poor return to center then, but figured it had bigger issues also.

So, a few weeks ago, finally got it on an alignment rack and found that the right rear was toed out almost a degree. No idea how it got that way, most likely was that way when I put it in. Got the housing straightened out last weekend, and all the unpredictable stuff seems to be gone, but have this return to center issue. Corners in town you have to turn it basically all the way back to center, at highway speeds it is better but still have to help it back to center......feels like an overtightened steering gear, but it isn't, and have tried a couple different ones on it. Have had everything apart down to the ball joints and axle joints, every thing moves freely like expected.

Has 6 deg pos caster, don't remember camber, but was in spec and looks fine.

Interesting part is that it returns to center almost perfectly in reverse??

any thoughts...suggestions?

 

[nvrenuf]

Caster should be 8° (+/- 1°), caster can effect return to center.

You might also remove any steering stabilizer and see if the problem improves.

 

[obijuank5]

Too much preload on the ball joints adjuster nut

 

[black dawg]

All of these I have had, were 4-6deg caster, and drove fine. Steering shock on or off drives the same.

 

[black dawg]

Too much preload on the ball joints adjuster nut

When I had it apart last, it didn't feel that way. Plan on tearing it all the way down again here in the next couple weeks, hopefully I am just missing something.

 

[rampage]

Too much preload on the ball joints adjuster nut

This came to my mind too. IIRC when you connect a scale to the tie rod hole it should be about 14 lbs of pull. This is with the tie rod and wheels removed.

 

[1-ton]

I had the same problem with my truck that has a Dana-60. It turned out to be too many washers I stacked onto my king pin springs, which would not allow it to return to center on its own.

 

[sweetk30]

also frozen axle u-joint can play havok on finding memory steer .

 

[rampage]

also frozen axle u-joint can play havok on finding memory steer .

He said he checked them and they move freely. Frozen axle u-joints would also give a jerky feeling when trying to turn.

 

[black dawg]

Messed with this between jobs today, found right side ball joints/knuckle felt slightly stiff to turn. Felt about like brand new ball joints, except these have probably been in 20+ years (whole diff came out of a parts burb). Looks like they couldn't get the sleeve to move, so they just put it together. Sleeve was really stuck, but got it loose and adjusted to what feels like used ball joints. Left side felt a little tight considering the age of the ball joints, adjusted it correctly, and it loosened some also.

It isn't perfect, probably 80% improvement, but is way easier to drive. Probably just drive it for awhile , maybe add a little caster.

 

[rampage]

Have had everything apart down to the ball joints and axle joints, every thing moves freely like expected.

Thought you said you checked them. In that case then, how are the axle u-joints?

 

[black dawg]

Thought you said you checked them. In that case then, how are the axle u-joints?

I did check them, a year ago, nothing stood out about them then, I guess I was wanting to blame it on the steering gear at that point. Axle joints were replaced a year ago, and that's when I checked the ball joints. Checked the axle joints today since I had it apart that far.

 

[black dawg]

Also, when I replaced the axle joints last year, one axle joint was pretty stiff and figured that had to be it.

 

[rampage]

Did you check for 14 lbs of pull in both directions where the tie rod connects with my favorite tool the fish scale like I posted or did you just guesstimate? That’s how the Chevy manual says to check them BTW.

 

[black dawg]

Did you check for 14 lbs of pull in both directions where the tie rod connects with my favorite tool the fish scale like I posted or did you just guesstimate? That’s how the Chevy manual says to check them BTW.

I just set them to what used ball joints usually feel like

 

[black dawg]

Just to finish this up, once the nights started getting colder, I noticed this problem come back for the first few minutes while driving. Steering was kind of sticky feeling, and poor return to center until driven just a little, like it would warm up. Decided to put a steering gear on it, and it is fixed 100%, best it has driven in many years. Stupid thing is that I put a gear off of my other suburban (after I converted it to crossover/2wd steering gear) to try and fix this a year or so ago, with no change.