[cdmax]

I had the gearbox and the idler arm replaced with no change to my 99 Suburbans loose steering. A GM cerified machanic says that's the best it will get. Anyone, Please help with sugestions?

 

[ProzacKid]

How loose are we talking about? Sloppy? If you put a piece of tap straight up on the top of the wheel and turned it until it engaged the tires, we talking 1 degree? 10 degrees? 20 degrees of turn?

 

[cdmax]

I would say 20 degrees. Any ideas if what will fix this?

 

[84fiero123]

Get under it and find the pitman arm, it’s on the bottom of the steering box.

Have a helper move the wheel back and forth. If the pitman arm is loose it will be noticeable, the arm will move and the shaft won’t.

Short of that I would bring it in for an alignment and see what they have to say.

If there is something wrong that they can make money on they will find it.

But my money is on the pitman arm.

 

[cdmax]

I had the pitmen arms replaced and the steering is still loose, no chnage at all. any other suggestions?

 

[MrShorty]

ball joints.
wheel bearings.
steering wheel.
rag joint (or whatever it's made of) in the steering column.
tie rod ends.
anything else that is loose in the front suspension.

 

[z71silverado04]

I had the gearbox and the idler arm replaced with no change to my 99 Suburbans loose steering. A GM cerified machanic says that's the best it will get. Anyone, Please help with sugestions?

i am pretty sure that there is a sensor at the base of the column that is a steering wheel position sensor and they say that if they go bad it feels like you are drining on ice

 

[cao88c]

Might also want to check for a bent trac bar, but first do as stated above and check the pitman arm