steering question?

[huggerk5]

I just picked my Blazer up from the transmission shop and since I haven't driven it in a while I noticed the steering is very sloppy. Can some one give me some advice on what to do first to correct this. I know some of you guys/gals have dealt with this kind of issue before and I am looking for the path of least resistance on this. TIA for any help.
Kevin

[dubie]

there is an adjustment screw on the steering box, but I'm not sure how to adjust it. But a lot of the guys here will tell you how

[truckster]

It's pretty easy. First I'd make sure the tie rod ends and ball joints are in fairly good shape. Jack the front end up and support it. There's an adjusting bolt on the top of the steering box. Loosen the locknut on the adjusting bold and tighten the adjusting bolt- I'd go about 1/4 turn at a time. Tighten the locknut and see how much play you have. You should have about 1/4 inch in each direction at the steering wheel. When you get it close, test drive it and see how if feels. Be careful not to overtighten- they can be pretty hard to back off. It's better to be a little loose and then tighten it some more. If you get it too tight, the truck will jump all over the road every time you touch the wheel. If you go past too tight, you might not be able to turn.

[huggerk5]

Thanks guys. I was just looking at it and have always figured that was what that was for. I did try to rebuild one of these steering boxes, about 20 years ago, and it turned out to be more than I wanted to tackle and I have not ever messed with one since. They are a very complex jig saw puzzle. Thanks for the advice and I will make that adjustment this weekend. Have a happy labor day and yippee dove season opens monday.

[cdowns]

b-4 fooling with the box check all components first balljoints,idler arm pitman arm tierod ends rarely does the box need adjustment , alot of times adjusting the box does more harm than good

[truckster]

On a related note, my wife took our 15-pass Ferd van to a tire shop because she didn't like the way it went all over the road. They told her it needed all new tie rod ends and ball joints and they'd be happy to do it for $600. I crawled under it and determined the tie rod ends were good (I'd replace the ball joints a year and a half ago) and then spent about 2 hours on the steering gearbox (vans are kind of inconvenient). The result was a much tighter ride and $600 bucks that didn't have to leave my pocket.

[huggerk5]

I had already checked my tie rods and I replaced my ball joints last summer. Great news the adjustments did the trick. I drives lots better. I adjusted twice a 1/4 turn each time. Made all the difference in the world. Thanks folks you are all to kind.