Can i adjust out play in steering?

[deenough]

bought a 1990 sierra yesterday. YAY! so freakin happy now xj cherokee and zook in the garage an cant wait 2 get it built up! anyway bout half a turn of play in the steering so new steering box or will it adjust out a fair bit? cheers fellas

[PJ.zook]

If you have determined that the play is infact in the steering box and not say in balljoints or the ragjoint, then you can loosen the nut ontop of the box, then screw down the stud until there is a bees dick of play if not any at all, then retighten nut.

[alien]

keeping in mind though - my sierra has about an 8th of a turn of play, which is a fair bit... and it acutally only feels like play, because when you take up the slack in the play the wheels to infact twitch side to side... enough that at highway speeds i can change lanes by taking up that slack in the wheel. Mines passed inspection and been engeered like this, the guy inspecting even said that all the sierras he's driven are like this. its not bad offroad either, you get a small run up before the steering gets firm to push around - Think of it as poor mans power steering =P

[PJ.zook]

On the same subject, anyone ever rebuilt a sierra steering box? I bought a rebuild kit for it (Bearings n seals), but i cant get it apart, looks like i may need to make a custom socket for it.

[deenough]

yeh i'll have a better look at it then this w/e. its not as bad as i 1st thort an my mate said his 89' sierra had a similar amount of play. it starts 2 steer earlier than i thort 2. might be something else screwed coz it wobbles around a bit at like 80km/h over bumps. but i prob just need 2 get used 2 that

[Hybrid]

yeh i'll have a better look at it then this w/e. its not as bad as i 1st thort an my mate said his 89' sierra had a similar amount of play. it starts 2 steer earlier than i thort 2. might be something else screwed coz it wobbles around a bit at like 80km/h over bumps. but i prob just need 2 get used 2 that

That 'wandering" feeling at 80-110km can be improved considerably by installing some caster wedges between the spring and the mount on the diff. You can buy them from a few suppliers like snake racing and superior. It helps the zook to track in straight line. I still back it as the best mod I've done for highway tracking. Even better than the vit power steer conversion.

[lay80n]

yeh i'll have a better look at it then this w/e. its not as bad as i 1st thort an my mate said his 89' sierra had a similar amount of play. it starts 2 steer earlier than i thort 2. might be something else screwed coz it wobbles around a bit at like 80km/h over bumps. but i prob just need 2 get used 2 that

If you are getting wobbles in the steering you have a problem. Do not just get used to it, fix it. Wobbles can indicate worn or failing components, which is dangerous not only to you but the others on the road.

Layto....

[smileysmoke]

On the same subject, anyone ever rebuilt a sierra steering box? I bought a rebuild kit for it (Bearings n seals), but i cant get it apart, looks like i may need to make a custom socket for it.

you work this one out PJ? i am looking at replacing my one as it dumped its oil out the other day.. looks like seal is stuffed from sand. was going to just put my spare one in but a rebuild would be ideal.

[PJ.zook]

Nah, i just put it back as is, didnt play with it anymore after i couldnt get it apart further. For now im just masking problems with steering dampner.

[smileysmoke]

yeh thats what i was doing..
did a full swivel hub and bearing rebuild etc.. fixed it to an extent but it finally let go.. will just chuck the spare in and hope for the best too.

[zook4fun]

1st thing i would check is your spring bushes. they flog out a long time before your steering box

[danssurf82]

my vit wanders around at 40 km/h
about 1/2 turn of play.??????