Steering wheel correction

[Jspohr]

'99 Suburban 2500.

Just had major work done on front end - lots of new parts including Pitman arm. Alignment is good. However when I got home to check it out (wife brought it home) the steering wheel is off 90 degrees. I am NOT, NOT, NOT taking it back to the "mechanic" or any shop for that matter (other issues too)...

2 questions:

I'm thinking I should be able to (with the wheels straight) be able to take the Pitman loose, rotate the steering wheel where it needs to be, and put it back together. Am I right?

Also, how to i get steering wheel play out? Again has pretty much all new wearable steering linkage parts, so those are good. Is there something I can do with the steering box to tighten it up a bit. I feel like that's where the play is. Haven't been able to find any Youtube's directly answering these 2 things, yet.

 

[diesel4me]

I'm not familiar with the later trucks from 88 up really,but I think the pitman arm can only go on one way,it has a keyway in the splines ,so there's no moving that around ..
The steering wheel being 90 degrees off center ,provided they adjusted the toe-in correctly,can be corrected by lengthening one tie rod and shortening the other an equal amount using the adjusting sleeves--the alignment shop should have done this,evidently they didn't take a test drive after they aligned it..

I'd still bring it back to them and bitch,you paid for a good alignment and didn't get one..if you mess with it,that gives them the excuse "you screwed it up"..

The newer GMT's had some issues with the steering shaft between the steering box and steering colum being sloppy,that is often a source of free play in the steering..

I'd avoid messing with the adjustments on the steering box,they usually aren't "off",and I've had boxes either start leaking at the colum side or act stiff or sticky after I tried fooling with the adjustments..if the box is worn internally ,adjustment wont help much,it'll only make it feel worse ..

 

[eric67camino]

I have seen early/mid 2000s gm trucks with a slop that would "clunk" when hitting a bump that you could hear/feel in the steering wheel. I believe that the steering slip-shaft had a plastic bushing between the inner and outer shafts that would break or fall out, causing the problem. Might be something to check.