Here's a pic of my Tahoe's front "bushings":
No one has mentioned this as a fix ... my steering had severe float with these "in". I could hear the arms slapping around over large bumps. LOL
What bushings are these?
For the others:
If you turn steering and the wheels don't move - you still have a mechanical issue. When the gearbox input shaft is rotated the pitman arm MUST move or it's out of adjustment / broke. Double check all the parts for play. A grease packed joint can be tight under hand pressure yet be sloppy while driving as the grease is forced to the other side of the joint cavity.
If your steering is too easy, the gearbox needs to be re-configured. A gearbox can be built with different ratios and turning effort and the chances of getting what you like from a rebuilt unit is a crap shoot. The vast majority of auto store units are rebuilt and are not tuned to any particular chassis.
FYI: The input shaft connects to a bar/rod of spring steel then to the gear. As you turn the wheel, the spring rod (can't recall the name of it) twists just a bit and opens the spool valve to apply hydraulic pressure to 'assist' you in turning the wheel. The stiffer the bar the less assist you will get. A thinner bar twists more and applies more assist. The act of a loose/thin spring bar twisting adds to that 'mushy' feel. Gear ratios also play a part in ease of turning. A 4 turn unit will turn easier than a 2.5 without added mushiness - all else being equal.
Simply take your unit to your nearby friendly gear rebuilder and tell 'em what you want. They can swap the part while you wait if they aren't busy.
