steering stabilizer

[2yukons]

^^ Awesome info. Thanks man.

 

[bowtiefreak]

I ran a rancho and the wheel did center itself, if it does not it might be binding somewhere. The install is a snap. a few little u bolts hook to the tie rod and the other side mounted up using one of the skid plate mounts. Could not really tell a difference in running it

 

[smrr1]

awesome write up. thank you very much. i think a few of us will find this helpful. i was not aware of some of the negatives. i will have to check up on some of those. i was a bit concerned about the wheels/tires not centering after a turn but BOWTIEFREAK has had a different experience. maybe i will just take the hit and buy one to find out for myself. surely i could sell it on craigslist if i don't like it.

can someone post a close up/detailed pic of this on a stock tahoe?

 

[Grebbler]

awesome write up. thank you very much. i think a few of us will find this helpful. i was not aware of some of the negatives. i will have to check up on some of those. i was a bit concerned about the wheels/tires not centering after a turn but BOWTIEFREAK has had a different experience. maybe i will just take the hit and buy one to find out for myself. surely i could sell it on craigslist if i don't like it.

can someone post a close up/detailed pic of this on a stock tahoe?

I should have been more clear. It does center for the most part, just not all the way at low speeds or as much as you might be used to.

I'll see if I still have the instruction sheet but it's really easy. I will describe how I did it.


Put the truck on ramps or jack stands with wheels centered (you may need the extra room for the drilling part).

Remove the rear mud or skid plate (mine is plastic) that covers the steering stuff. I think they were 5/8 bolts (4). This will allow open access to the drag link.

The kit has two mounting brackets, 4 U-bolts (2 sizes), a shock and some hardware. You will need a drill, 5/16 bit, and a socket or wrench set.

Grab the larger 'L' shaped (frame) bracket. One side has two holes of a different size and the other side is a longer tab with a single hole. Using one of the bolts you just removed from the skid plate, mount the bracket with the tab sticking up using the larger of the two holes (duh - bolt won't fit the other hole) under the drivers side where the bolt came out of. The smaller hole should be over an angled portion of the cross member and the tab will be parallel with the wheels. You can now drill up through the smaller hole into the cross member and install the provided bolt, lock washer and nut or you can do this later if want to be sure of the position of the bracket.

Leave that for now and get the shock, the other bracket and the two baggies of shock mount parts. Put a cup washer then a rubber donut (smooth side first) onto both ends of the shock. Measure the piston travel of the shock and remember it (mine was 8 inches). Thread the BODY end of the shock through the hole in the tab of the bracket you just mounted. Make sure the small donut flange centers into the hole. Follow that with another donut, flange side first then another cup washer and a nut, Tighten the mess snug making sure the donuts are still centered in the hole.

With the wheels centered, pull the piston 1/2 way out. Mine was 8 inches so I set the piston at 4 inches. This assures the most travel each way so the shock wont bottom out while turning. Thread the other bracket onto the shock up against the donut and up against the drag link and check for clearance. The bracket can go either way but I mounted mine with the U-bolts holes behind the shaft as I wanted to leave some room around the idler arm.

Once you have decided what you'll do with the bracket you can either leave it on the shock and install the other donut, washer and nut or you can push the piston back out of your way to mount the bracket onto the drag link using the proper size U-bolts. I was beating the snot out of a U-bolt and cussing before I realized that larger U-bolts were included. It was night and I was lying on them

Clean the area of the drag link that the bracket will go of mud and grease if needed. Snug down the U-bolts but leave them loose enough to slide the bracket along the drag link. With the shock mounted and the rest put together, make sure the piston is still 1/2 of the way out. Move things around until the shock is straight and parallel under the drag link and there is room all around the shock and the brackets are straight.

Drill that hole and install the bolt if you didn't do it yet. Tighten down the drag link U-bolts and the ends of the shock (until the donuts bulge about 1/8 wider).

Remove the factory bolt from the frame bracket and reinstall the skid plate. There are washers provided to go between the frame and the skid plate on the passenger side to even things out and make up for the bracket thickness on the other side.

It took me longer to type this out then it did to install the bugger!

Have fun!

 

[smrr1]

very awesome and again thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RKitagawa]

Hey fellas,

I have the same issue and haven't found a cure yet. Everyone mentions getting a steering damper, however I am quite sure this will only be a temporary fix until I figure out what's going on in the front suspension. Rather than invest in the steering damper and hope the issue resolves, I much rather start swapping the front suspension and correct the issue...then install the steering damper to prevent it.

Not knowing much about cars, does anyone have images that can help me locate all the steering components of the Yukon 01 and what they do. I do know the tie rods, however I am lost when it comes to all others such as the ones below.

Pitman arms
Idle arms
Ball joints
Bearings
U-Joint
Steering box
Control arm bushings

My Yukon does have sever Bump-Steer and it drives me crazy. Never did it before until about a year ago. I constantly check my alignment, balance, rotate, have new tie rods, get the suspension checked with all shops (Midas and Pepe Boys) and yet nothing
seems to work. If I could narrow down the items above while getting it fixed, that would help tremendously.

 

[TigerEyz3]

Could someone shrink that picture? My eyes hurt.... wow. A description of the parts is below:

• The pitman arm is the piece that connects the steering gear (following the steering column to the end and you can't miss it) to the frame and drag link.
• The idler arm is at the other end of the drag link and connects to the passenger side frame.
• Ball joints connect the control arms to the spindle (where the wheel mounts)
• Bearings - assuming you're talking about wheel bearings, these are what the rotors spin on.
• U-Joint - take a look at your rear drive shaft. At the differential end, you'll see a u-joint. It connects the drive shaft to the differential and allows suspension flex without binding the drive shaft.
• Steering box - at the end of the steering wheel shaft. Has the power steering fluid in the reservoir. Connected to the pitman arm.
• Control arm bushings - control arms connect the spindles and ball joints to the frame. The bushings allow up/down deflection without binding or metal-to-metal contact. To see the bushings, it will be easiest to remove the front tire(s) and look at where the frame connects to the front suspension.

Hope that helps your understanding a bit....