Steering Center Link and Steering Box Questions

[2006Tahoe2WD]

Either the pitman and idler have only pivots or one of them has a pivot. No pivots in either doesn't work.

 

[OR VietVet]

I give up. I cannot explain it any differently. The pivot at the pitman arm is where it mounts at the steering gear and the pivot at the idler arm is where it mounts on the frame bracket. The end of the idler and the pitman either has ball sockets or if they do not, the center link has them. I am done with my explanation because I cannot explain any more than that. If I am wrong, I am wrong and I will admit it. With different systems there are always exceptions.

 

[2006Tahoe2WD]

I think we are probably in agreement. To answer the question.... I ordered an idler assembly and pitman arm and got those today. Both connections to the cross link are pivot only. Not what I would call a ball connection. Picture attached. Now I need to get under there and install and hope I don't need an alignment. I also hope the loose feeling I get sometimes goes away. Any tips on the install are very much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[OR VietVet]

I think we are probably in agreement. To answer the question.... I ordered an idler assembly and pitman arm and got those today. Both connections to the cross link are pivot only. Not what I would call a ball connection. Picture attached. Now I need to get under there and install and hope I don't need an alignment. I also hope the loose feeling I get sometimes goes away. Any tips on the install are very much appreciated. Thanks.

View attachment 386570

I can guarantee you that under each of those rubber protection boots there is a ball socket in that housing and that allows that threaded attached stud to turn as it is steered left and right and also allows that threaded stud to pivot sideways off center. Tilt is another way to describe that. Too much slop in that housing can allow for that threaded stud to move up and down/in and out and can also have too much side ways slop from the ball at the end of that stud that is inside under that rubber boot and have side to side play. If you are saying the same thing another way, so be it and we are done with this conversation.

 

[2006Tahoe2WD]

To wrap this up. Both the idler assembly and pitman arm have been replaced. There was some "tipping" looseness in both. So far I haven't felt any clunking type play like before so I think replacing these items resolved the issue. Probably time anyway - getting close to 17 years and 175k miles.

 

[lyncht1967]

Check this out,worked for me

GMT800 Loose Steering Fix No One Has Mentioned here or Net - Ten Minutes, NO $$$

Backstory: After two years of loose steering nearly driving me INSANE with my 2003 Tahoe 5.3. I had changed all tie rods,idler arm, shook everything else until I went MAD, even got under dash to change upper int. shaft plastic bearing cup but found that to be tight already, tightened steering...

www.tahoeyukonforum.com

 

[2006Tahoe2WD]

Excellent info. Thanks I'll check it out.