Steering gear question.

[Kapdin]

Hey i had my truck's steering looked at recently as in they put new tierod ends on and did an alinement and "tightened my steering gear"? dunno wat that means and it actualy help alot, its now driveable but still not wat i would like. I have a jeep steering stem from HR which im going to install one of these days but honestly my stem feels solid and i think its the gear box, cus it might just be me but if feels tight when i hold/turn to the left but then to correct to the right its sloppy. Any ideas?

 

[89Suburban]

So you are saying the wheel is not self centering and staying where you steer it? Adjustment is too tight.

 

[crazy4offroad]

Check the frame for cracks around the steering box. Just went through the same **** a couple months ago.

 

[Kapdin]

Ight well i just got done installing that steering shaft from HR and it was cake for me didn't have to loosen or move anything. I took it out but i live on gravel and we got 4-5in of snow and its half melting so its a fuggin mess out here so it rly hard to tell but i think it was a step in the right direction. As for it not centering it does, it like it respons faster turning to the left than turning to the right. LOL just hard to explain but if you drove it youd know wat i mean. As for being over tightined, how does one even play with that to find out? And ive been up and down in and out rplacing thoes axles and springs and ive not noticed anything but ill sure give it a good inspection next time im out there.

 

[crazy4offroad]

I thought my frame was good too then one day all the adjusting in the world wasn't helping, didn't notice the cracks till I took a closer look.

 

[Kapdin]

well just so im not chaseing ghost's, these should handle just like gmt400 at least right?

 

[crazy4offroad]

My '77 on 38's tracks as good as my '02 Sierra SLT on 31s now that the frame is fixed. Before it was tough trying to keep it straight, a lot of steering. Fire the truck up and reach through the fender well and turn the steering shaft by hand a little back & forth and look where the box mounts to the frame. If it looks like the steering box is moving and the frame isn't, you may have to pull the steering box off to really get a good look at the cracks in the frame.

 

[Kapdin]

ight, i even cranked the piss out of the u-bolts on the front and made sure the swaybar was tight and leaf spring bolts, and it has a fairly new steering stabilizer on it too. So its either the frame or the gear box.

 

[bucket]

You're really not supposed to adjust the box anyway. A little bit is fine, but beyond that the box just needs to be replaced. If you tighten up a worn out box, you lose the slop but gain steering that does not center itself driving down the road. I'll take the slop, so long as the truck goes straight down the road.

 

[Kapdin]

well ill kill two birds with one stone, ill check the frame when i replace it.