Looking for suspension recommendation in Raleigh
- Thread starter Sasquatch
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Ten Ten Auto Service in Apex. It is not where you asked but worth the drive.
King's Auto service on N. West St.
Joe’s garage in Apex.
Re your steering, it could be worn tie rod ends, ball joints, or a worn steering box. The former will need replacement, but sometimes you can adjust some of the slack out of the steering box.
Re your steering, it could be worn tie rod ends, ball joints, or a worn steering box. The former will need replacement, but sometimes you can adjust some of the slack out of the steering box.
Here we are a year later, and $2k spent at a local shot with no improvement. They replaced ball ends, pittman, steering box, etc. It's actually worse than it was before, the new steering box makes the steering feel heavy. Since they shop couldn't fix it, they've agreed to let someone else have a crack at it.
What could cause loose steering with all those components replaced?
Any updates on recommended shops, preferably closer to the airport
What could cause loose steering with all those components replaced?
Any updates on recommended shops, preferably closer to the airport
Control arm bushings or rag joint.
Found this info on GM forum.
The pitman arm connects the steering gear box to the center link and the female splines get worn and end up being too loose on the steering box shaft. For the steering box, the gears inside usually develop excessive gear lash and steering becomes loose, but you already eliminated that possibility. The next cause could be the rag joint. It connects the intermediate steering shaft to the top part of the steering gear box. The joint gets loose over time. The only way to fix it is to buy a new steering shaft.
A good way to find out where the slack is, is to have someone inside the truck turn the steering wheel until the slack is gone, back and forth, with the wheels on the ground (or ramps) and while they are doing that check the pitman arm and the rag joint, see whats moving and whats not. Also a good time to double check the Idler arm and the points where the pitman and idler arms connect to the center link and tierod ends.
Found this info on GM forum.
The pitman arm connects the steering gear box to the center link and the female splines get worn and end up being too loose on the steering box shaft. For the steering box, the gears inside usually develop excessive gear lash and steering becomes loose, but you already eliminated that possibility. The next cause could be the rag joint. It connects the intermediate steering shaft to the top part of the steering gear box. The joint gets loose over time. The only way to fix it is to buy a new steering shaft.
A good way to find out where the slack is, is to have someone inside the truck turn the steering wheel until the slack is gone, back and forth, with the wheels on the ground (or ramps) and while they are doing that check the pitman arm and the rag joint, see whats moving and whats not. Also a good time to double check the Idler arm and the points where the pitman and idler arms connect to the center link and tierod ends.
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That rag joint sounded like the culprit... but mine is fine when I checked it out. Control arm bushing is worn, but would it make that much slop? The problem is that the control arms aren't available and I'll have to find someone who can press in a new bushing.
There are typically four control arm bushings on each side - two upper and two lower. The lower ones usually wear out first but in your situation I'd have them all replaced. You don't need new control arms - the bushings are designed to be replaced and any shop that does front end work can do it.
If the ball joints have not been replaced, do them at the same time (or at least the lower ball joints).
Pretty sure that those control arms are available as a complete assembly. That platform, truck, tahoe, suburbans 2 and 4 wheel drive has millions still on the road.
Ok, finally got it fixed. The shop that I took it to (not kidding) 5 times gave up and said if I got it fixed, they'd pay for it. I had good recommendations about a shop on the way to Oxford and had them work on it. They spotted that the new pitman arm was "flexing". It seems difficult for it to flex, being a cast part, but maybe it was rotating in the splines- I didn't see myself. He said it was crazy-dangerous and unsafe to drive. They put a Moog component and now the truck is back and only unsafe because of me. And, to their credit, the original shop (who replaced parts that didn't need replacing) paid for the subsequent repair ($320).
Glad you are safe on the road, perhaps a knockoff part that was not heat treated properly, the Moog is forged. I use Moog parts for my cars.