too much steering??

[psuedopimp]

okay i have an 84 K10. it has 2" add-a-leafs in front and back. 31" BFGs.

i have replaced the steering gear box, upper and lower ball joints, center link, tie rod ends, and bearings.

my steering was still not quite as tight as i would like. it was a lot better than when i first got the truck but not quite right. so i replaced the sway bar bushings and it is better but still not quite there.

when i am driving i am having to correct maybe an 1/8th of a turn. seems like there is still play, but no play. i know that doesn't make sense, but when i turn the wheel i can feel the wheels moving but not as responsive as i would like. the only thing left that i can think of is my stabilizer.

anyone have a suggestion to tighten up my steering? or am i just too use to driving newer vehicles. this used to never bother me when it was my daily, but now i'm being picky.

[Telecasterjoey]

I did this on my van- On the steering gear box there is a nut with an allen bolt through it. If you loosen the nut and tighten the allen bolt maybe a 1/4 turn, it will eliminate some play in the steering box.

[psuedopimp]

since it is new i was afraid to adjust it. i have heard you can really mess them up if you do it wrong.

[triophan]

^and break a finger as it tends to snap back to correct from turns.
Check the pay on the pitman arm. just replaced mine and had an alignment... let go of the wheel and just shoots straight down the road. As far as "handling" this is a lifted 4x4 truck. You should expect to stay upright at best!

[N2TRUX]

Check your frame for cracks around the steering box. That can make a difference too.

[psuedopimp]

thanks for the reply's...no cracks on the frame...i will check the pitman arm

[Keith Seymore]

How much caster do you have?

You can crank up the caster using tapered shims between the springs and axles. I've gone as high as 10 degrees, which will really help with the on-center feel and stability.

K

[psuedopimp]

i know nothing about the caster. i took it to pepboys one time to get it aligned, and he said he couldn't align it because there were no bushings inbetween the leafsprings up front where they overlap each other. i asked if he was talking about the shackle bushing and he said no and pointed to the spring itself.

is there a way to tell? i am pretty sure there are no shims in there.

[triophan]

if its a K15, shimming the arms like Keith suggested isn't that easy for neg camber, and since its lifted, I don't know why pep boys wouldnt align it, other than the fact that they're dense. Find a good offroad shop near you, have them align it, and pack the leaves if neccesary.
What was the consensus on the pitman arm? any play? may as well brace that box while you're down there if you're running anything larger than a 31". Wouldn't hurt anything.

[psuedopimp]

i didn't get to look at the pitman arm...late night of work..kids wife blah blah = no chevy time

hopefully i can look at it tonight or tomorrow....i think i will take a sick (mental health) day on friday.

[Keith Seymore]

Just to clarify - I'm talking about adding a tapered shim between the front leaf spring and the axle perch, like this:



(rear shown, but for a K10/K15 the front should be the same)

The guy is saying he can't do a front end alignment because there's no anti squeak isolators between the end of the springs? I'd find another shop -

K

[rayfinseats]

Check the play on the pitman arm. YES VERY POSSIBLE. The one that comes off the steering box to the tie rods has a LOT of stress on it, they wear out frequently.

The guy is saying he can't do a front end alignment because there's no anti squeak isolators between the end of the springs? SOUNDS LIKE BULL****

[psuedopimp]

okay i finally got to drive it quite a bit yesterday (a rare treat). i noticed when i was standing still and turned the wheels i heard a creeking. maybe the pitman arm slipping??? kinda hard without help, but i would twist the column in the engine bay, and the rag joint seemed too have some play in it. is this normal? the truck seemed more responsive than i remembered. the play is not as bad as i thought. but it seems like if i turn right, i have to turn it left to get it back, and that is why it fills like play in the steering wheel. i hope this makes sense.

will replacing the leaf spring bushings help anything? they have never been replace, and are next on my list. then an alignment. then a pitman arm i guess is my plan of attack.