Sloppy/Loose Steering Fixed!

[TheAutumnWind]

As an FYI, I tried tightening my steering gearbox and discovered it needed to be replaced. Prior to replacement, the steering was really sloppy.

How did you come to the conclusion that it needed replacement?

 

[S33k3r]

How did you come to the conclusion that it needed replacement?

The short of it was that turning the adjustment screw did nothing. The long of it is my mechanic looked at it (and I have a very trustworthy mechanic).

 

[TheAutumnWind]

The short of it was that turning the adjustment screw did nothing. The long of it is my mechanic looked at it (and I have a very trustworthy mechanic).

Ah ok. Thanks. I did notice an improvement with the adjustment so unless it needs to be adjusted again very soon i would assume that i am fine for now.

That makes sense.

 

[minim]

With 34+ years as a suspension tech (ASE sert) I would like to add my two cents in here. DON'T TAKE 100% OUT !!!!!!!!! Here is how to do this. (With the park brake on and the truck in park)(LOL) Do this with the tires straight and the steering wheel level. Start the truck and hold the adjusting bolt with the Alleen wrench, loosen the jam nut about 1 full turn. Hold the Alleen wrench with your left hand and with your right hand turn the steering shaft back and forth. Yes some power steering fluid will leak out but don't worry about that. Watch the pitman arm as you tighten up the adjusting bolt. You want just a little play. DON'T TAKE 100% OUT. Tighten up the jam nut and wipe up the oil. With your hand at the top of the steering wheel you want about 1/4 inch movement to the left and about 1/4 inch to the right before the tires turn. If you take 100% out you will be chasing the road like you can't believe. With 1/2 inch play you wont notice it as you are driving. But if you take it all out you wont like it. Trust me on that. Now go for a test drive. To check your front end parts your self do this. (It takes two people) (Brake on/in park) Do not jack the truck up at this time. Have some one slowly turn the steering wheel back and forth as you are under looking at the tie rod ends and pitman arm sockets for play. Any play you need to replace. Look at the idler arm for movement up and down. Just a little is OK but more than 1/4 inch you need to replace. Shut the truck off and jack up one wheel at a time under the lower control arm close to the ball joint. (You don't want the shock to extend) With your helper have them grab the tire at the top and push and pull on the tire as you watch the upper ball joint. Any play replace the ball joint. Now for the lower ball joint get a long bar and have your helper pry up on the tire as you watch the lower ball joint. A little play here is OK to. A lot of play and you will need to replace the ball joint. Now look at the sway bar links at the control arm. Large cracks or missing bushings and you will need to replace the link kits. Check the sway bar bushings at the frame for large cracks and any gaps between the bar and the bushings (You want the bushings to be tight). Check the shocks by twisting the shock to see that it is tight at the lower bushing. Look at the bushings on the top of the shock to see how they are. Also look at the steering coupler (Rag joint) at the firewall. Thats it for the front end now for the back end . Look at the control arm bushings and check your sway bar bushings (Links and frame bushings) check your shocks by twisting the shocks at the top and bottom. Grease the front end every oil change. Stay up on having your tires balanced, rotate if you can and WATCH YOUR AIR PRESSURE. Be nice to your mother and stay out of trouble. Scott
I forgot about WHEEL BEARINGS on the front end. Check your front wheel bearings with the tire off the ground by grabbing the left and right side of the tire and push and pull back and forth to see if you have any play. On my 1992 SUBURBAN I have adjustable wheel bearings on my 2003 YUKON XL I have sealed wheel bearings.

An old reply but still very relevant so I'm trying my luck.

This was a very good write up. I have today replaced 4 shocks, inner/outer tie rod on both sides, pit man arm, idler arm and assembly, sway bar bushing kit and the telescope steering shaft. I also adjusted my steering box when it was out of my truck and I set it so it was firm with no play when the box was at center but then it had play once it was out of center.. Is this signs of a worn box? I have slightly less than 1/2 inch of light steering and it does feel like play when driving. It's annoying when going between slow curves as I can clearly feel the play when going past center. Before I took my box out and replaced all this I had my box set a bit to thight so steering was hard around the center but I hope I didn't kill my box with this ^^ I find it really hard to adjust out the play in the box as it's hard to know when not to adjust thighter ^^

 

[corvette744]

Just did this to my 04 tahoe def tighter steering.

 

[minim]

I installed a new steering box from lares and its just as ****** as the old I had

 

[Blue 04 Z71]

Ok here’s a real head scratcher. 99 tahoe 5.7. Steering is very light. Feels like too much pressure. Had the bypass installed to get rid of the evo sensor. Made it worse! Holding the steering shaft in the engine bay I can move the wheels easily.

 

[V30Crewcab]

Ok here’s a real head scratcher. 99 tahoe 5.7. Steering is very light. Feels like too much pressure. Had the bypass installed to get rid of the evo sensor. Made it worse! Holding the steering shaft in the engine bay I can move the wheels easily.

do you have hydroboost brakes or not?

 

[Blue 04 Z71]

do you have hydroboost brakes or not?

I do not

 

[Larryjb]

An old reply but still very relevant so I'm trying my luck.

This was a very good write up. I have today replaced 4 shocks, inner/outer tie rod on both sides, pit man arm, idler arm and assembly, sway bar bushing kit and the telescope steering shaft. I also adjusted my steering box when it was out of my truck and I set it so it was firm with no play when the box was at center but then it had play once it was out of center.. Is this signs of a worn box? I have slightly less than 1/2 inch of light steering and it does feel like play when driving. It's annoying when going between slow curves as I can clearly feel the play when going past center. Before I took my box out and replaced all this I had my box set a bit to thight so steering was hard around the center but I hope I didn't kill my box with this ^^ I find it really hard to adjust out the play in the box as it's hard to know when not to adjust thighter ^^

I recall reading that if you adjust the steering box as referred to in this post, it is possible that due to wear in the common steering position, the steering may bind at the extremes of steering. The slop at straight ahead can be due to wear just in that position of the steering gear. Far right and far left get less wear in the gearbox, so if adjusted so that some play is removed from the straight ahead position, you may not have enough play at the far right or left.

It was suggested to me to adjust the steering box in the following manner:
1) With the engine off and front wheels raised, measure the torque required to just turn the wheels right and left.
2) Turn the steering wheel to near far right and repeat the torque measurement.
3) Repeat step 2 for the far left torques on the steering wheel.
4) If the torque (force required) at the far right and left is LESS than the torque required at the straight ahead position, you are safe to tighten the steering box. You can tighten it until the far right and left torques begin to equal the straight ahead torques.

I believe the steering box is designed so that the steering is tighter when on center. This helps keep the on center feel. (The caster in alignment also helps.) As the steering gear wears, it is possible to tighten the gear without binding the far right and left. But, if the gear cannot be tightened without the far right and left still being less torque than the center, it is time for a new gear.

I did this to my Grand Marquis a few years ago and it improved the steering a lot, it never bound up, and hasn't accelerated the wear in the box significantly.

My Tahoe simply needed a new box.