Steering Question

[bassplayer4x4]

Ok -- Maybe this is just a pipe dream, but I thought I would ask. Steering - do Gen 1's just float naturally or what. I can turn my wheel almost half a turn before the tires "catch" and begins to correct the direction. Now I know that it will never drive like a lotus, and the fact that I have 35's on 16.5" rims and about 5 inches of lift will not help, but any suggestions for firming up the steering -- just had an alignment and corrected the steering wheel, but this drift/float is bad. Are there any additions I could install to help? Already upgraded the steering stabilzer shock from the stock one. Suggestions?

Phillip Bunton 72 K5 and 4Strings

But honey its cheaper than car payments!!
72 K5 - my First First Gen -- 4 K5's to date...

 

[Steve_Chin]

Mine changes direction as soon as I change the steering input. Are your ball joints and tie rod ends good? I had some wandering/floating problems when my tire inflation pressures were not right.

 

[Greg72]

Phillip,

I had a similar problem when I first bought mine....4" lift & 35's. I replaced the draglink ends with new ones, and that got rid of MOST of the problem. I know I still need to do upper & lower ball joints too.....but the draglinks are SO easy to do, it was an easy first step.

Run the engine, and have someone crank the wheel hard left & right repeatedly. If the joints are bad (loose) you will see them "rise up" out of their tapered seats.....that's the giveaway that you've got worn components.



-Greg72

'72 K5 Blazer - 427BB/TH350/NP205/6" Lift/35x12.50's
<font color=blue>See it here: </font color=blue><a target="_blank" href=http://coloradok5.com/gallery/albun38>http://coloradok5.com/gallery/albun38</a>

 

[bassplayer4x4]

OK, now for my ignorance -- draglink ends look like what? I have a book at home, but I am trying to visualize in my head.

By the way, you are like the coolest dude on this board. You have answered any question I have ever put you even the dynamat stuff...I also bought my membership yesterday.

Phillip Bunton 72 K5 and 4Strings

But honey its cheaper than car payments!!
72 K5 - my First First Gen -- 4 K5's to date...

 

[Greg72]

First locate the steering box.....connected to it is the pitman arm...basically just a lever that translates the rotation of the box into a side-to-side motion.

Connected to the pitman arm is the DRAGLINK....it runs front to back, and probably just looks like a straight 12" (or so) rod with a "ball joint" at each end......the draglink connects to the steering arm on the wheel assembly. The draglink is a threaded section of pipe with a couple of bolts to lock it into position once it's adjusted.

Before you take it all apart, just take a center-to center measurement on the two original rod ends.....that way you'll know how far to screw in the new ones (roughly). Once you get it all back together you may have to do some fine-tuning of that adjustment sleeve to get your steering wheel pointing nice and straight again, but that's about the only hassle.

Don't forget to grease 'em real good too.....just pump in the grease until it starts squishing out, and you're done!

Hope that helps!

-Greg72

'72 K5 Blazer - 427BB/TH350/NP205/6" Lift/35x12.50's
<font color=blue>See it here: </font color=blue><a target="_blank" href=http://coloradok5.com/gallery/albun38>http://coloradok5.com/gallery/albun38</a>

 

[bassplayer4x4]

that is what I thought, that is what I was mucking around with when I aligned my truck. I have a buddy who runs the local firestone place and he lets me come by after 6pm and play with the toys, my last lesson was on using the alignment machine. I loosened two bolts and screwed that shaft longer to align the front tires, they were toed in pretty bad. so those ends on that rod is what I would be replacing if they "unseat" when I turn the wheel huh? Seems logical anyway...

Phillip Bunton 72 K5 and 4Strings

But honey its cheaper than car payments!!
72 K5 - my First First Gen -- 4 K5's to date...

 

[Greg72]

Phillip,

The draglink will NOT affect your toe-in/toe-out.....that's the "tie rod" that runs across the front of your axle....

The drag link is under the steering box on the driver's side. Look for a 12" rod with similar looking ends to what is on the tie rod, and you should be all set.



-Greg72

'72 K5 Blazer - 427BB/TH350/NP205/6" Lift/35x12.50's
<font color=blue>See it here: </font color=blue><a target="_blank" href=http://coloradok5.com/gallery/albun38>http://coloradok5.com/gallery/albun38</a>

 

[naranja72]

Another thing to look at would be the rag joint between the steering shaft and the steering box. Over time (30 years), this can deteriorate which may account for some of the float in your steering. One of the things that I want to do for my truck is put in an aftermarket steering shaft to eliminate this joint. <a target="_blank" href=http://www.borgeson.com>www.borgeson.com</a> and flaming river (sorry, can't find their web address) are companies that I have seen advertised to provide a solution to this problem. Hope this helps.

 

[bassplayer4x4]

I looked at the one site didn't see a part for a 72 blazer is that a custom job?

Phillip Bunton 72 K5 and 4Strings

But honey its cheaper than car payments!!
72 K5 - my First First Gen -- 4 K5's to date...

 

[Steve_Chin]

Borgeson makes the steering universal joints used by a number of other companies. I know they make a rag joint replacement universal for most GM passenger cars, but I haven't checked into whether they make a replacement for the 4x4s.

 

[alta-aj]

First off, have you tried to tighten the steering box adjustment? It is the Allen head set screw on the top of the steering box locked in place by a nut. To adjust, loosen the nut, turn the Allen screw in maybe an eighth of a turn and try it. If its better but still too loose do it again. A caution is that a little adjustment does a lot. And be careful; if you leave it too tight (no freeplay) you'll wear the internal gears out.